RANCHO SANTA FE — At the latest board meeting, the RSF Association unanimously approved the Covenant Club’s architectural contract for $275,000. While the board of directors offered their approval, a group of Covenant members shared their concerns. Some thought it was too premature to spend $275,000 on an architectural contract when a number of feasibility questions still loomed.
The proposed Covenant Club will house a pool and fitness center. According to Association Manager Bill Overton, the contract addresses various stages, work requirements from the consultants, and can be canceled at any time.
“Quite frankly, I think it’s an excellent document to protect the Association’s interests,” Overton said.
Director Jerry Yahr, who is also the Covenant Club design committee chair, reminded members that the community approved in their vote to spend $350,000 on the planning phase of this project.
The questions to answer subjects such as square footage, parking, soil issues and more remains unanswered and this is the reason for the architectural contract.
“It’s a process and this contract is what allows us to answer the questions,” Yahr said. He added, “I’m sure some of you have been in real estate and have developed things. You need to follow through a very formal process that analyze site conditions, analyze the program, and come up with a preliminary design.”
Yahr went on to say that according to the outline which was crafted, they will keep members informed in stages and they are not deviating from that.
Yahr said he was hoping that either at the end of the year or beginning of next year, they would be able to present the community with a full package.
“It’s going to include the site plan, the program, the architecture, and the financing,” he said. “If you guys don’t like it, you’ll vote no. And that’s fine. If you like what we present, you’ll have an opportunity to vote yes.”
And the cost to get that point is $350,000.
While Yahr appreciated everyone’s passion, he said, this was the current path the committee was on and the process needed to follow through.
Yahr stated while he welcomes people to voice their views, at the end of the day, their committee has been tasked to deliver a consensus plan.
“This is a process with this contract today which was really approved back in January when we approved this project. This is making sure the Association is protected,” he said. “It’s gone through multiple reviews, attorneys, and it’s ready to be approved, and I would call for a vote.”
Before the unanimous vote, President Ann Boon chimed in explaining how Yahr was not merely a random selection but was chosen as the Covenant Club design committee chair because he was a consummate professional. She told members that Yahr has decades of experience in managing projects exactly like this one.
She then turned to Yahr and said, “I just want to thank you again for your commitment and the huge amount of time that you have put into this because you could have sped it up. You really stuck to our promises, and I really appreciate it.”
