There is now a
NEW VOTE !
Click here for options to the CC Bldg.
or Click here
Click here for a video on reasons to SELL the CC Bldg. from the 'Pro Sell Group'.
Resident
Views
"This message from our Board President is in my opinion disingenuos... and is border line mis-information as this IMPLIES, that we ARE DOING THOSE PROJECTS! Has anyone seen a finalized plan for the Artisan Center remodel / expansion? Last time I watched a zoom meeting on that nothing was certain, and I hope it is not the plan that adds another tower in front and on top of our main courtyard, partially blocking the clock tower or at least taking away from it's prominence, our beautiful signature landmark. It also takes almost the entire space out of our courtyard. But I digress. Have any of you seen a finalized budget for this project that isn't based on approximate numbers? Have any of you voted in favor of or against the Artisan Center renovation? (Has there even been a vote?) More importantly...DOES APPROVAL & PASSAGE OF THE PURCHASE OF THE COPPER HEALTH AUTOMATICALLY APPROVE THESE OTHER PROJECTS? If not, then there will be NO savings according to this backwards argument in favor... I am insulted by their tactics. Maybe it's just me. What happens if the purchase goes through, but we don't approve the other projects? The more I learn the more wrong this appears to me. And, have we also finalized anything on adding hard surface courts? Has anyone voted on that budgetary expense? Our President used the word "NEEDS"... but these expenses are not NECESSITIES even in this convoluted argument for savings. This is the KEY PHRASE ON THE SECOND BOX OF HER MESSAGE: "No Special Assessment to SCOV Homeowners and No Increase in dues for the purchase." ***FOR THE PURCHASE*** Here is something to consider too: The Board can raise our dues by 15% a year without a resident vote. They can also impose a special assessment by 5% of the gross revenues without a resident vote."
"I watched the presentation today and I was not impressed... with the data presented to justify the purchase. There was no data to show the demand / lack of availability for additional services. Just a facility cost and financial analysis. We need to assess what we really need. They even presented the possibility of tearing down a beautiful facility (Welcome Center) to build hard courts. That would dramatically decrease the value of the property and change the cost analysis per square foot. Where are the demand studies? Space studies? The only thing that I found that would be nice to have were the culinary spaces for cooking classes. Those would probably go over really well. Maybe we would be better off increasing existing space use by contracting for instructors in un-utilized hours for the gym. Some personal trainers would probably be more appreciated by a greater population of our elder community than more space would. Remember there is an opportunity cost of what else we could do with the money."
"In my opinion think we should wait... and see how the AC building turned out. I like the quaint and charming community with an amazing golf course and nice art studios. I think the studios have enough space as they are, maybe they can add more equip. & stg. space, but that's it. We have so much here. I think this is the time to save funds for emergencies and things like future roof replacements, nicer pool lounge chairs & updates. So much can be improved very nicely without a lot of money. We are close to town, so we don't need as much as those that are further out. We are a smaller, older community that attracts plenty of buyers because of the mountain views, the ideal location and the charm. All this talk of endless spending and non-stop construction causes me anxiety​!"
"It seems ridiculously expensive for what we get."
"It's more expensive because it's a well built 35 room long-term care facility. We should not be paying top dollar for a building with a specialized use with all the improvements that were put inside, only to demolish them. At the meeting, the board member made a joke saying "we will be selling 35 (or some such number) of toilets". I failed to see or hear the humor in that comment. If it is not a building with those patient rooms and bathrooms inside, it will not be as valuable (coming from my realtor point of view -- it's the highest and best use formula)... but let's buy it anyway even though we don't have the money or the plans prepared with what to even do with it. This is not a good proposition in my opinion."
"What's the better choice? Buy Copper Health for more art studio space or renovate the existing Artisan Center?
The expansion of the existing Artisan Center does not have to cost $4-5 million. It could cost $3 million or even less if it was designed practically without expensive high roof structures or fancy building extensions. 4000 extra sq. ft. is really all the art studios need. In fact, they could do with less if they had figured their real-time usage properly by counting how many people are actually utilizing the spaces and at what times, with clock in and clock out records. They are asking people to sign in (but not out) for just checking on their projects and then walking right out again. This amps up the count.
The improvements needed are really only about the re-arrangement of the studios' juxtapositions to each other with the addition of more room for equipment and storage. There could possibly be a need to build a small free-standing structure at the rear of the lot for one of the clubs to move into. I am baffled that the art clubs suddenly are now backing down on their original, most adamant stance that they all needed to stay together in one place at the center and not be separated from each other, especially the gift shop. They would not budge on that when it was suggested the gift shop move to a parcel we own on Rancho Vistoso. (in which case the small free-standing club building at the rear would not be needed). Now that the board wants to buy the Copper Health building and move some of the clubs there, I think they have been coerced into changing their minds.
The Copper Health bldg. will need much construction work to get it up to par for our uses and that takes more money and time, maybe more than they are anticipating. In addition, they haven't done any inspections yet, so they have no idea what shape the bldg. is in and what will need fixing. Also to expect residents to agree to buy it without knowing what those inspections will reveal is not smart. Do you purchase a house before any inspections are done? Not usually. Meanwhile, the remaining spaces at the Artisan Center will still need re-vamping and will probably have to be put on hold. We more than likely won't have the funding readily available to renovate the existing art studios right away unless dues are raised or assessments are charged.
The other plan in the works, is to demolish the Welcome Center in order to build hard courts there. They say the building was built as a temporary (modular?) structure by Del Webb and "has cracks in the walls and there is one in the floor." An engineer at one point in time stated the building was 'safe and useable" and repaired the cracks. A structural civil engineer needs to prepare a thorough report analysis on its viability and if any problems are found, advise on what it would take and cost to correct them. They can tell how the building was originally built. That's easy for them to evaluate. I would want to read that report before I'd make any decisions on knocking the building down. I personally don't recall it being built as a 'modular' structure when my parents bought into SCOV at its inception. It housed the sales offices. In my opinion, the building is not and will not be falling down, so I don't see the sense in moving the offices to the Copper Health facility and building hard courts in its place. Why give admin. offices any sort of priority anyway? And, there are alternate ways to solve the pickle-ball court requirements, that haven't been studied yet. They don't have to knock down a whole bldg. in order to add hard courts.
So to compare the two scenarios, from a financial standpoint, time and creative practicality, renovating the existing Artisan Center at a more reasonable price point in the next year, waiting on the Welcome Center decisions and solving the pickle-ball courts via other means, is the more conservative approach to take, in my opinion. I am all about solving design problems practically, creatively and conservatively without breaking the bank. Design projects as a rule have a designated budget to work within, that's a given. If we hadn't tied up Copper Health with a promise to buy it, other in-patient facilities could be making offers, so the possibility of only a behavioral health re-hab center going in potentially wouldn't be the only offer on their table. I will be voting no on this purchase."