| Capital Improvement Committee Report |
| (September 2008) |
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Beginning with their first meeting during February, 2007, the newly-formed Capital Improvements Committee went to work on answering the club's need for improved clubhouse facilities. The group of ten sought to address members concerns regarding inadequacies of the clubhouse. After numerous meetings, the Committee held 2 Question and Answer sessions and made a presentation at the October, 2007 general membership meeting. Votes were cast and the membership approved the $250,000 budget, funded through $200,000 in new financing and $50,000 from the Clubs capital improvements budget. |
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The Committee solicited formal bids from a select group of contractors in January, 2008, and the bids were all higher than expected. Given that the membership was promised that no construction would occur during the summer months, the Committee took the additional time to revisit earlier renditions, pursuing various cost-saving alternatives during the Spring and Summer months. |
| August, 2008 the Committee submitted a revised plan to an expanded scope of contractors, and the results, while much more favorable, still exceeded the membership-approved budget. The Committee does not feel that any additional significant cost savings can be achieved without forfeiting important benefits to the membership. The two factors that have contributed to the overage are the increased architectural, engineering and design costs, inherent to working and reworking a set of plans by committee, and most notably, the increase in general construction costs. The bright news is that while the costs of the project have increased, interest rates have improved over what was originally projected so that the projected additional annual cost to increase the financing by $26,000 is only $209 per year. |
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A vote of "no" against the revised proposal would still provide for a renovation of the clubhouse, but a number of aesthetic compromises would need to be made. That is, the functionality of the proposal would stay intact but cosmetic reductions would be made. Concrete floors may be substituted for tile; solid surface countertops might give way to laminates, just to name a few potential options. |
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The Board discussed the issues during its September Board meeting and decided that, given the interest rate environment, the best way to meet the overage would be to increase the financing of the project but that the decision would require membership approval. The Board has agreed that the additional financing would not delay the plans for tennis courts 6, 7 and 8, nor would it require an increase in dues. |
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The new budget for the project is as follows: |
| Construction Cost (not to exceed) | $236,000 | |
| Design Cost approved /paid to date | $18,840 | |
| Additional Design Cost (Engineering/Architectural) | $1,160 | |
| Locker cost | $8,000 | |
| Kitchen Equipment (Snack Bar upgrade) | $12,000 | |
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Total Project cost |
$276,000 | |
| Proposed Financing | $226,000 | |
| Cash expenditure from Capital Improvements Budget | $50,000 |
The footprint layout of the presented rendition as well as the Permit Drawings can be viewed here. (Website Manager note: due to the detail that appears in the Permit Drawings, the file is large and will take time to render on your computer.) The renovation cost breakdown can be found here.
2007-2008 Renovation Plan Update (April 2008)
As presented at the 2007 Annual Meeting, the LNSRC Board of Directors is pleased to present the following information regarding the clubhouse renovation.
The Capital Improvements Committee (CIC) is comprised of 10 members of LNSRC and chaired by elected board member Kevin Stewart (Director at Large). The CIC presented a plan to renovate the bathrooms, and expand and improve the snack bar. The impetus to develop this project evolved from the member online survey as well as member comments. The committee met in February 2007 and established the clubhouse needs for improvement as follows:
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ImIImprove bathroom ventilation |
| Improve bathroom lighting |
| Address plumbing drainage in bathrooms |
| Slip resistant floors |
| Surface durability and hygiene |
| Cosmetic improvements |
| Additional shower/ working showers |
| Additional space for snack bar |
| New equipment for snack bar |
| 3 compartment sink for sanitization |
| Mop sink |
| Additional refrigeration |
| Additional counter space |
| Cabinet space for storage |
| New wall surfaces |
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ü Addition of indoor entrance for clubhouse access |
| Expanded menu capabilities |
ü The CIC is a committee representative of the diverse population of our membership. The committee has met monthly since last February and apprised the board of the progress every step of the way. Once the final design for renovation was chosen, the committee brought the findings to the board and established dates for membership question and answer sessions. At these sessions, the CIC was available to discuss plans, and take questions and concerns from the membership prior to the presentation at the October Annual meeting. The design was available at the Annual Meeting as were the members of the Capital Improvements Committee. Kevin Stewart and the committee stood and answered question from the floor hearing concerns and encouragement.
In the interest of time, a motion from the floor was made to stop discussion and proceed with the vote. Kevin Stewart made the motion as follows: to approve the expenditure of $250,000 for renovation of the bathrooms and snack bar, with the use of $50,000 cash on hand, and with no more then $200,000 being financed. There could be a dues increase but it could not exceed $50. Place Phase III on the back burner. The motion was passed by 53 % of the voting members present or by proxy.
During discussion, the committee heard concerns about the placement of the manager’s office and the loss of the kitchenette in the clubhouse. These concerns were then incorporated into the design and sent to the architect for spec drawings to be made. In December, the finished drawings were given to 3 contractors for bidding. The bids were returned to the committee on January 9th. The contracts exceeded the amount approved by the membership for funding the renovation. The CIC then met with the designers and evaluated the bids and the goals to be achieved. At this meeting, a floor plan which had been considered as one of the final renditions was taken back under consideration because of its utilization of the existing placement of the sinks and toilets for more cost-effective bidding. The decision was also made not to establish a wet bar in the storage closet since the exorbitant cost and loss of storage outweighed the potential usage. The committee felt secure the improvements to the snack bar would well meet the needs for a clubhouse kitchen.
The footprint layout of the presented rendition as well as the current rendition undergoing permanent drawings now are online for membership review (please click the links to see the layouts). If you have questions or concerns about the renovation, please e-mail Board President Margaret Derrick at derricks7@verizon.net.
Sincerely,
Margaret Derrick
LNSRC Board President