Joyce DabbsThe following is a copy of an email sent by Wendy Blevins to all GSP owners…
August 18, 2021
General Update
Board of Directors
We want to update you on issues that won’t be covered by our engineering company on zoom meetings later this week.
We are delaying our quarterly meeting to allow us time to present a complete financial review and outlook. We are waiting for the final settlement from our insurance company which will be the last major piece of financial information needed to complete the budget process. We expect that information soon.
We are working to resolve the issues around appliances sold to owners so we can invoice. We are waiting for our insurance company to fund our last draw enabling us to send out the final allotment checks to owners in Building Three.
This winter we will drain pools and make the needed repairs.
Our engineering firm has issued an opinion about balconies in all buildings. Building Four balconies have been waterproofed and will be coated with a rubberized finish. No tile or any other substrate will be allowed on balconies in Building Four because of the potential for water to be trapped, erode the structural integrity, and create a safety issue. All balconies in Buildings One, Two and Three will be subject to a new maintenance protocol to ensure safety and structural integrity. No new tile or carpet can be installed by owners or the association until the process is in place. We will have that ready in the fourth quarter. It will involve inspection, the installation of a waterproof barrier, and the timing and funding of the project which will likely occur over the next 60 months. Our engineering firm has also issued an opinion on entry storm doors. They have determined the installation of a storm door into the wood frame creates an opening for water that will erode the integrity of the frame in our coastal environment. This information wasn’t available 40 years ago when our bylaws allowed the installation of only one brand and style of storm door. As a result, the Board has decided to suspend the installation of storm doors indefinitely.
We previously announced that any new sliding doors installed in Buildings One, Two and Three must be white for two reasons. To match the window and doors in Building Four and because that color is now commercially available at less cost. The board is obtaining estimates to replace the windows and sliders in these buildings, and we will update you when we have more information. If you choose not to wait and to have the slider installed, you must first inform our CAM, the slider must meet minimum standards and the installation must be done by a licensed and insured contractor and the work must be inspected by the association.
We have requested an inspection of the parking lot near the drains where we see a significant settling of the paving. We are trying to determine the cause and the cost to remediate. Any damage done by the construction company will be repaired at their cost.
We have decided to contract directly for landscaping, housekeeping and maintenance to eliminate the markup from our property management company and seek bids and work on agreements.
The Board created our first Hurricane/Disaster plan earlier this year and implemented it with the last tropical storm. It is a detailed step by step plan that predetermines our response and the partners involved so no future board will be faced with the daunting challenge of figuring out where to turn and what to do after the disaster.
Most of the feedback we’ve received from owners about the adult only pool has been very positive. Some people have complained, and we understand and appreciate your opinion. The feedback from guests using the pool has been overwhelmingly positive. After our decision the Palms, which has only one pool, implemented adult only hours restricting the access to their pool by children.
We continue to experience delays obtaining certain approvals from the County inspector on Building Four. This building was built prior to extensive new codes being implemented and it’s a time-consuming process of drawing, submitting and redrawing schematics for approval. Work continues in the interior and most of your questions will be answered by our engineering company on the zoom calls. There is so much disinformation on social media that once again we need to dispel certain ideas. We have not run out of money to complete the project; the work continues uninterrupted. Permitting, COVID, and supply chain interruptions have slowed everything down. Yes, the building was condemned by the County regardless of what anyone says on Facebook. The signs the County posted used the word condemned and they pulled the certificate of occupancy. Condemned is defined as, “officially declared unfit for use.” We did not expect to completely rebuild Building Four, but that is happening and at tremendous cost to comply with new codes. The good news is it will be brand new, stronger, safer and much more valuable than before.
We have been successful at collecting monies due the association and we have only had to file one lien against an owner.
Wendy Blevins
Community Association Manager
Gulf Shores Plantation-East
251-222-3758
[email protected]