December 2010 Architectural Committee Report
LOGIC AND FIX-UP
When our committee looks at a proposal for a fix-up item at Bay Scene, we're generally checking for two things.....how it will look when finished.....and the logic behind the proposal. Both are important. In making a recommendation to the board, the following items are helpful in evaluating the logic as well as the aesthetic appeal of a proposal.
NO 1. WILL IT HELP OR HURT Bay Scene’s appearance? This sounds rather basic, but it’s the main reason our committee was formed.
NO 2. HOW WILL A CHANGE of appearance effect our property values? Realtors tell us upgrades nearest the front of a complex that improve curb appeal usually stand the best chance of increasing values. Interior upgrades don't have quite that same advantage.
NO 3. HOW CAN WE BE SURE the changes we make will benefit the majority of owners? Logic tells us we should give first priority to projects located in areas used and seen most often by the greatest number of owners.....then the areas they only visit on occasion.
NO 4. WHAT’S THE COST– BENEFIT RATIO of the item? We deal mainly with design. But even in design, the price we pay for items is important. There's little logic in spending $500 on a $50 benefit.
THE WATERFALL
The rock waterfall has now been completed.....on budget and on time. If you haven't seen it, this is how it looks with more than five tons of natural rocks and boulders replacing the hollow, artificial ones. A few boulders have been positioned in various parts of the pond to widen the overall effect. The only part not finished is the lighting at night.
LOGIC AND THE PORTICO
At some point in the future, Bay Scene owners might well be asked to vote on a mega-buck plan to remodel the front of our complex because it's the one area that has the greatest impact on our property values. If inflation runs its course as expected, the cost could far exceed what it is today, making a consensus difficult.
One of our jobs as a committee is to develop practical, alternate solutions to both short-term and long-term issues concerning Bay Scene's appearance. The portico plan (shown below) was designed as a cost-saving, short-term way to help our fading curb appeal. It's not a huge project involving big dollars and new construction, but rather a unique way of enclosing our outdated portico and lettered sign in natural stone. The painted letters change to stainless steel.
No final decision has been made. The choices could include waiting several years and tying it in with the major remodeling project noted above, or doing it now before a rise in inflation changes the price. We currently have three bids from local contractors.
BAY SCENE SIGNS
We now have a photographic inventory (on my computer) of every sign on our property. Some are adequate. Some are not. A few are duplicated. Our goal is a uniform appearance of all signs, but this is where the Cost-Benefit Ratio comes into play. How much is it worth to change the color of a sign somewhere in a back corner that very few people ever see? This will be discussed with the board. Redoing signs isn't cheap. We want to improve the appearance of Bay Scene.....but not waste your money in the process.
Bob Lehmann, for the ...
BAY SCENE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE