July 3, 2015
Dear Neighbors,
Flowers are blooming at last and the beach is again the playground of many excited children and relaxed adults. The kayak rack is filled with a colorful assortment of kayaks. The evening air is pungent with the aromas of food cooking on BBQ grills, the pool is full of people, the sunset-gazers have arrived - Sea Pines is once again in full swing.
Renovations to the Clubhouse meeting room are complete and look terrific! Many thanks to Carol Austin, BA Harris and Barbara Sullivan who drove this process and kept it on- and even under-budget.
There is a cocktail party on Sunday July 5 from 5-7pm in the meeting room along with a silent auction of previous Clubhouse art work. BYOB and bring an appetizer or dessert to share. The Clubhouse meeting room is available for reservations by Sea Pines owners. Call Marcia Nugent (774-323-0306) to make a reservation. Details can be found at: http://seapinesbrewster.com/common_area_rules.htm#Clubhouse
You may not have noticed but there are very few properties for sale at Sea Pines and those that go up for sale have generally been sold rather quickly. The siding project is essentially done - just some punch list items and painting to do - and I have to think the cleaner, more modern appearance has helped units be more appealing, contributing to a greater demand and quicker sales.
Speaking of the siding project, this was budgeted nearly two years ago at $2,400,000 and it looks like it will be coming in very nearly at that amount. This represents terrific planning and budgeting by the FMB. Be aware that the monthly supplemental condo fees to pay for this project start this month unless you paid the entire fee up front. Failure to pay the additional condo fee will result in automatic fines. Keep this in mind if you pay your condo fees by auto-withdrawal at your bank.
The next phase of Clubhouse renovations awaits the planning input of the Clubhouse Committee. A first step has been taken by the FMB which voted to replace the creaky, too small and no-longer-legal mailboxes with larger, legal mailboxes. Where they will be located and when this might happen depends on input from the Post Office, costs and clubhouse renovation plans.
We have a new pool attendant, Bernie, who is working hard to fill the shoes left by Glynis who has taken a full-time job elsewhere. We wish her well and greatly appreciate all she did for Sea Pines! Please help to make Bernie feel welcome here.
Sea Pines Drive by the front entrance is in poor shape. It will be milled and resurfaced this fall from Rt 6A down past the speed "hump". The plan was to have it done this spring but asphalt companies have been flat out doing repair work after this past horrible winter. They would not have been able to get to it until July and that kind of disruption in the height of summer was judged to be unacceptable.
I read an article in Condo Media magazine from March 2014 which described the challenges condo associations face from having to maintain unused or greatly underutilized amenities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. We will probably face this issue in the next few years since the Hollow tennis court surfaces have deteriorated and the ability to repair them becomes less of an option. The next step may be full replacement which will be quite expensive ($100,000+?) Sea Pines has 4 tennis courts. Aside from a tennis tournament 10+ years ago, I can't remember the last time I saw more than 2 courts being used at the same time. Could that money be spent on something that would benefit more homeowners such as more road repair?
The energy efficiency program so many of us signed up for with Cape Light Compact is slowly taking shape. CLC must first select contractors to do the work. Owners who signed up will be called sometime this fall - more information as we find out. Street light replacements probably will be done this fall or next spring. The clubhouse was included in the program and has already had its attic filled with blown-in insulation - free of charge.
Retractable, motorized deck awnings are now permitted at Sea Pines. The only model approved for installation is the Empire Empress semi-cassette series with Sunbrella Silica Stone fabric, white frame and a wind sensor to automatically retract the awning if winds above a certain speed are detected. If you want one, you must file a completely filled-out variance request with the Grounds Committee or Mercantile. Be sure to include a picture or clear drawing of where it would be installed on your deck, its width and opened depth, and input from neighbors within 200 feet who could see it. Product information can be found at http://www.empireawnings.com/empress-8/patio-standard/products.html
I am enjoying the fine weather and the sand in my shoes. I hope you do too!
Sincerely,
Christopher Wroten
19 Landing Lane