News & Announcements

St. Michaels Traffic Calming Study

Talbot County Department of Public Works

Letter to Property Owners

2025 Annual Fee & Reserve Assessment Fee Increase

County Council

Resolution 356

JULY 9, 2024 TALBOT COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS (DPW)

As requested by the Talbot County DPW, Wallace Montgomery completed the traffic data collection services and field observations along Lincoln Avenue, Riverview Terrace, and Seymour Avenue corridors to determine if there are significant cut-through volumes to avoid the school-related traffic along South Talbot Street (MD 33). The study also investigated speeding concerns along the three study corridors. This memorandum will determine if there is evidence of cut-throughs or significant speeding along Lincoln Avenue, Riverview Terrace, and Seymour Avenue. Click HERE to download/view a copy of the letter.

2025 ANNUAL & RESERVE ASSESSMENT FEE INCREASE (5-25-2024)

This letter to residential Rio Vista Property Owners describes the increases in Fees for FY 2025 (January 1-December 31, 2025). This is the first increase in the Annual Fee in over 20 years. Due to a new Maryland HOA law, a  Reserve Assessment must be collected.  Both Fees are mandatory. Click HERE to download/view a copy of the letter.

– Rio Vista Board of Governors

TALBOT COUNTY RESOLUTION 356

This is to let Rio Vista residents about an item being considered by the Talbot County Council, Resolution 356 regarding “paper streets”.  Please download and find out the details by reading the Resolution and providing your feedback. Download Resolution 356 HERE. 

To address concerns or share ideas about the Resolution, please contact the Talbot County Council (emails provided) and the Rio Vista Board of Governors

– Rio Vista Board of Governors

Traffic Safety

TRAFFIC SAFETY in Rio Vista:  Concerns and Remedies

The traffic and safety concerns of our local residents has long been a topic of conversation. Recent meetings (summer 2023) with town officials and the Sheriff allowed us to share the latest issues and discuss possible remedies that would make our neighborhood safer. Rio Vista’s proximity to a growing downtown St. Michaels naturally leads to traffic concerns. Most prominent of these concerns is speeding, inattentive drivers, and the increased traffic created by our local schools, the YMCA, and waterfront parks. Please know we are aware of all of these hazards, and we are constantly working to reduce speeding, improve traffic flow and make our roads safer for everyone.

For more information regarding the latest recommendations made by Rio Vista to improve traffic safety click the following link to see the document outlining the latest Driving Safety Concerns and Solutions.

To read the latest letter to our community from Sheriff Gamble in response to our concerns and outlining how they can be addressed, click the following link – Sheriff Gamble’s Traffic Letter to Rio Vista and Bentley Hay.

To address concerns or share ideas about improving traffic safety, please contact a member of the Rio Vista Board of Governors if you have any questions.

– Board of Governors

Short Term Rentals

SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE PROHIBITED IN RIO VISTA

Rio Vista is a lovely and friendly place where neighbors take pride in and enjoy our community’s peaceful beauty year-round. Rio Vista’s governing documents, the Deed and Agreement and By-Laws contain important rules to maintain our great quality of life. As a reminder, Rio Vista does not permit property owners or tenants to rent their properties to week-end or other short-term vacationers. This includes rentals using VRBO, AirBNB, HomeAway and other internet sites, vacation rental agencies, realtors or rentals by the property owner directly to individuals.

Property owners may enter into leases to long-term tenants if the lease period is one year or more.
*Sub-leasing for less than one year is not permitted under any circumstances.
*The Architectural Committee will review plans that suggest short-term rentals or, guest houses are being planned and may deny approval.

Please contact a member of the Rio Vista Board of Governors if you have any questions.

 – Board of Governors

TALBOT GOES PURPLE

Talbot Goes Purple is a substance abuse awareness program that will engage our community and youth to stand up against substance abuse. It is an initiative from Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and Tidewater Rotary partnered with Talbot County Schools, Mid-Shore Community Foundation and Talbot Partnership. Sheriff Gamble states, “We’re in the middle of the deadliest drug epidemic in our history – and much of it starts with improper use of prescription painkillers. I believe we need to start teaching our kids these pills are basically synthetic heroin and misuse WILL lead to heroin addiction.” In 2016, overdoses leading to accidental deaths in people younger than 50 years of age in the U.S. were 59,000 to 65,000 people. Sheriff Gamble has learned that 65% of people who abuse these pills are getting them from friends and family’s medicine cabinets. Do you have prescribed painkillers in your medicine cabinet? These need to be safely locked up or taken to the Sheriff’s Department for disposal. Help support our community with the show of purple as in clothing, lights, outdoor ribbon decorations, etc. More information is available at www.TalbotGoesPurple.org.

DEED RESTRICTED COMMUNITY

Submitted by Jan Burke

I have been on the RVCA Board for eleven or twelve years. (Who keeps track of time when you are having fun?) Almost every year several properties change hands and the new owners receive a welcome letter with information about the Association, Architectural rules and the Annual Fee. I am always amazed when new owners are totally surprised that they have just bought into a Deed Restricted community.

Did they neglect to search the title?

Did they have an incompetent title company?

Did they not read their title?

I now have some insight into this situation. On December 8, 2013 my father passed away. In the process of straightening out the paperwork Pop’s name was removed from the title to our home. When I received a stack of papers to sign before a notary I found the new title. I actually read it. To my surprise, the person drawing up the new title left out the phrase “subject to the Deed and Agreement and Restrictions as set forth in the Original Deed & Agreement of Theodore Fletcher……”. The title mentions the property being located in the neighborhood of Rio Vista but does not mention anything about the existence of an association or restrictions. YEEEEKs! When I called to complain about the omission, I was told there was no mention of the restrictions in the current deed. Sure enough, the mistake was made when Mom’s name was removed after her death in 2010. I never noticed. OOOOPS!! A new title is being drafted to clear up the situation.

The omission does not affect the property or title. Every property within Rio Vista is subject to the Deed and Agreement and Restrictions because Mr. Fletcher set up the Original Deed & Agreement to be passed along from owner to owner. The Restrictions have been renewed three times. The third renewal of Restrictions is in effect until 2034.

We are all in the same Association with the same Restrictions no matter how our Titles are worded.

ST. MICHAELS FIRE DEPARTMENT REFLECTIVE MAILBOX PANEL

6″ X 18″ VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL MOUNT STANDARD PANEL
3″ numbers on 2 sides, up to 5 digits

$20

We need to find you day and night, in rain and snow, so please ensure that your driveway / lane / mail box is well marked with your house number in large white reflective numbers and your choice of background colors including: GREEN, BLUE, RED, BROWN, or BLACK.

We could be coming from either direction – therefore your address must be clearly displayed on both sides of your mail box sign or pole.

For further information, please contact:

St. Michaels Fire Department

1001 S. Talbot St.
St. Michaels, MD 21663