I am sure that everyone has read the post on this website about the new Sconti Clubhouse kitchen being too small and that it can serve no more than 50% of the dining room.
It has come to light that the kitchen can only prepare seven meals at any given time; current estimates for the needed modications are at $250,000 plus.
Questions for the Board:
Shouldn’t the architects of this money-pit pay for all of the modifications that are needed to this building (and there are many)?
Aren’t these building defects the responsibility of the Atlanta architectural firm of Chapman Coyle Chapman Architects?
The Big Canoe property owners should not be required to sent $250,000 (and many more $100,000s) to correct building defects that the architects (as professionals) should have known about.
5 users commented in " $250,000 in Sconti Clubhouse Kitchen Modifications Needed "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackVery Concerned,
Just wanted to give you my input on the Sconti kitchen problem.
I was on the original task force that planned the rebuild of the Sconti clubhouse. We had a plan in place when I was involved that was developed by our group along with the architect.
When Bob Crouch became president of the POA, our group was essentially fired and the building committee took over. The product that we have now has little resemblance to the one we developed along with the architect.
Our design had the cart barn under the restaurant building, and that provided adequate space on the main floor for a large kitchen. We always planned to have a kitchen large enough to handle the next 20 years’ growth.
When the decision was made to build a separate cart barn at an additional cost of $1,500,000, the pavilion was scrapped and the main level was made smaller. I was not a party to any of this but a member of the building committee told me that the additional cost was $1,500,000.
I don’t know all the thinking that went into the final design but I suspect the board overrode the judgment and advice from the architect (Atlanta architectural firm of Chapman Coyle Chapman Architects) and at some point he just designed what he was told to do. He has built some of the most recognized clubhouse in the country and I know we did not get what his vision was for the clubhouse.
My opinion is that the board tried to please too many people and ended up with a very defective building. The building committee should have been restricted to technical construction aspects and not been allowed design freedom.
I found it interesting that a question on this overage raised at the POA meeting went essentially unanswered. All we were told is that there was no plan to make any capital improvements to the kitchen in 2009. No discussion of if it is needed or why the kitchen seems to be undersized or otherwise unable to keep up with the number of tables in the dining room.
I hate to say “I told you so” but many of us were against this grandiose scheme from the beginning. Anyone who has lived here for a few years is fully aware that the f&b operation has never been profitable and probably never will be.
Fired???
The facts are that the Chair of the Amenity Task Force, Harry Gilmer, acknowledged that their work was done and made a recommendation for managing the project that was accepted and implemented.
Another Amenity Task Force member and Staff Architect, Bob Tippett, made the recommendation for the Chair of the Building committee which was accepted.
A third member, John Cutler, was the “bridge” performing on both the Amenity Task Force and the Building Committee.
It sounds like an orderly transition.
BTW, the initial design was not acceptable to the proeprty owners as clearly revealed in the survey following the Special Assessment vote.
Bob,
Since the question wasn’t properly answered at the Annual Meeting, would you tell the 4kfee readers how much money will be required to modify the Sconti Clubhouse kitchen and when this money will be spent?
Thanks
Why didn’t Mr. Crouch answer your question?
If you let him, he could spin you some answers, but he cannot give you a straightforward honest answer without hurting “perceived” property values. Therefore, what better way to respond, than not to respond?
Will the new POA Board President be any different? Email your questions to the POA Board President John Seferian at john@seferian.com and you will find out.
Maybe the new board, and its new leadership, will be more open to answering your questions on this website, without any spin, and to answering the other property owners’ questions; but don’t plan on it.