The MillBridge fitness center closed in December 2025. The resident board worked with the Town of Waxhaw and contractors to get the building safe and compliant. It got a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy at the end of January and reopened the gym in early February. The board wrote all of this up in its own newsletter, the Millbridge Update, which anyone can read online.
That matters if you're comparing Waxhaw neighborhoods. When you buy a MillBridge resale, you also join an association that is still closing out work from the developer years. In 2026, the clearest record of that work is the board's public archive, which lists projects that are still being priced or waiting on vendors, the kind of item the state disclosure form doesn't ask about.
The disclosure form captures what's approved, and open projects aren't
In North Carolina, the seller fills out the NC Real Estate Commission's Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement, generally before the buyer makes an offer. Section H asks for the dues amount and how often they're billed. It asks about "changes to dues, fees, or special assessments which have been duly approved," any fee the association or its management company charges when the property transfers, and any unsatisfied judgments or pending lawsuits against the association.
The form's question covers approved changes only. A project the board is still pricing, waiting on a vendor for, or researching isn't an approved assessment. That kind of item may never appear in Section H, even though it could become part of the association's budget over the years you own the home.
The association's own records are set up for owners. Under the NC Planned Community Act, G.S. 47F-3-118, financial records and meeting records must be "reasonably available for examination by any lot owner and the lot owner's authorized agents." Lot owners also get an annual income and expense statement and balance sheet at no charge. The same section requires the association to give an owner or the owner's agents a statement of unpaid assessments within 10 business days. The fee for that statement is capped at $200, plus up to $100 more if the request comes within 48 hours of closing.
MillBridge's public Forms and Information page doesn't post a dues schedule. The board's July 2 update points residents to the management company, William Douglas, for financial and governing documents. William Douglas keeps those documents in a signed-in community portal. Closing statements and questionnaires go through HomeWiseDocs. The statute gives that access to owners and their authorized agents, and the newsletters are public to anyone.
What the board has put in writing this year
The resident board started 2026 with nearly 70% of its seats held by new members. It also had personnel changes that the board said "created significant service and operational gaps." Here's what its July and September updates say is open:
| Item | What the newsletter says | Status as last reported |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness center building | Water intrusion first found in September 2024. Waterproofing and drainage work finished in May 2026. Legal action resolved with a $55,000 award | Repairs complete |
| Fitness center refresh | New equipment, paint, ceiling fans, and possibly new flooring, done in a single closure period | Funding approved. Start not expected before September, with no firm schedule |
| Main pool bathrooms | Renovation approved and funded. The original contractor decided not to go ahead | Reviewing other vendors and designs. Goal is to finish before next pool season |
| Decorative streetlights | Some fixtures the developer chose are still the Association's responsibility "due to an outstanding balance associated with their installation" | Transfer of qualifying lights to the Town of Waxhaw is ongoing |
| Tory Path Monument | Approved project | Delayed by planning considerations and right-of-way discussions |
The September 14 update also lists items still at the evaluation stage. These include refreshing pocket-park landscaping, furnishings, gazebos, and fountains, new pool furniture and audio, repainting the Community House front steps, sidewalk repairs, and "trail bridge safety enhancements." The board says plainly that some ideas "may be modified, deferred, or determined not to be the best fit for the community."
Why the fitness center story is the encouraging part
The fitness center shows an open item going all the way from discovery to resolution. The water problem was found in September 2024. Drainage work was done in May 2026. The legal action over the defects was resolved with a $55,000 award, which the board says "more than covered the cost of the repairs."
That took about 20 months. A buyer who closed in mid-2025 bought in while the issue was still open. A buyer closing this fall gets a repaired building and a board that has since approved funding for new equipment. The July update said the refresh would happen during one closure period and was not expected to start before September. The September 17 update covered damaged restroom dispensers in the fitness center and gave no renovation dates. If you're touring this fall, the gym may be mid-refresh at any point.
The pool bathrooms are on a similar track, a step behind. The money is approved. What's holding it up is finding a contractor. The pools are already closed for the year. The Community House pool closed September 20, and the smaller pool closed September 7. That gives the board the off-season to hit its target of finishing before next season.
The streetlight line traces back to developer-era choices
Landeavor, a real estate developer, says it bought MillBridge in 2011. The decorative streetlights put in during the build-out are where a developer-era decision still sits on the association's books.
Under the Town of Waxhaw's street policy, a Town Street is one the Board of Commissioners has formally accepted for maintenance. The Town may provide street lighting on Town streets. The Town's street information page says the Town maintains streetlights on Town-owned streets, and that private streets are the responsibility of the property owner or HOA.
MillBridge is moving its qualifying lights into that Town system. The decorative fixtures the developer picked stay with the association until the outstanding installation balance is resolved, and the board says it continues to "evaluate available options." The newsletter doesn't give the amount or say who the balance is owed to. Those details would sit in the association's financial records, which G.S. 47F-3-118 makes available to lot owners and their authorized agents.
Rules can be written right before the handoff
Covenants carry over from the developer era too. WCNC reported on a MillBridge flag rule that limits flags to official countries, North Carolina, and the military branches. The management company told WCNC the developer added the rule "right before giving control of the HOA to homeowners." Attorney Mike Hunter told WCNC that many CC&Rs "give the developer the authority to unilaterally amend the declaration while it's in control of the HOA without a vote of the owners." He said owners can amend the rules later through a community-wide vote.
The state statute describes the same structure. G.S. 47F-3-103 lets a declaration set a period of declarant control. By the end of that period, owners elect an executive board of at least three members, most of whom must be lot owners. That means the declaration you get at closing can include amendments made in the final stretch of developer control, before owners ever voted.
Where each piece shows up in a MillBridge purchase
- The Millbridge Update archive is public and dated, and it's the earliest place open projects appear. The July 13 and September 14, 2026 issues cover most of the items above.
- Section H of the seller's disclosure reports dues, duly approved changes or special assessments, transfer fees, and lawsuits or judgments.
- The association's financial statements are available to lot owners and their authorized agents under G.S. 47F-3-118. Ask your attorney how a buyer can see them before closing.
- The statement of unpaid assessments comes through the closing process. It is binding on the association, and its fee is capped by statute.
- The recorded declaration and amendments show which rules were in place when control passed to the owners.
This is general information about how these documents work. It isn't legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm the details of your own purchase with a North Carolina real estate attorney.
FAQ
Is MillBridge's HOA still under developer control? The 2026 newsletters describe an elected resident board that started the year with nearly 70% new members.
Does the $55,000 settlement mean the fitness center issue is closed? The board reported that the water intrusion repairs are done and that the award more than covered their cost. The separate equipment and finish refresh was approved but didn't have a firm schedule as of the summer update.
Will the decorative streetlight balance appear on my disclosure form? Section H asks about approved dues changes, special assessments, transfer fees, and lawsuits. The streetlight balance is an association obligation, and the board hasn't said it will be paid through any special assessment.
If you're weighing a MillBridge home against other Waxhaw options, the board's newsletters are a good thing to read alongside the listing. Laura Arthur can go through the 2026 Millbridge Update issues and the seller's Section H disclosures with you before you write an offer. Work With Laura.
