05/27/2023
VOTE NO!
Dear Celebration Residents,
The voting ballot you will be receiving in the mail and/or via email is related to the Lot D project in the Civic Corridor. The Board approved the Lot D project on April 27 by a vote of 4 to 3. It should be noted, the Board members who voted in favor of the Lot D project, the most experienced members on the Board, have worked tirelessly on this over the past several years. Based on their experience as board members and with this project, they made the decision they believed to be in the best interest of the entire community.
An active group on social media have run a petition against the majority decision of the Board which has led to the referendum.
We urge you to consider all the facts; the accurate facts before voting and recommend you vote NO to prevent the reversal of this well-reasoned and well-documented decision of the Board majority that is a result of a multi-year process.
A FEW FACTS:
The full Lot D project is an expenditure of $1.537 million. The total cost of the Pickleball portion is $413,096. The remainder of the expenditure is site development costs to establish fields for a recreation area with improved level parking. This completes the site work for any future development on Lot D.
A Community Center and the Pickleball project can both fit on Lot D with almost half the space on the lot still open for parking, the projects are not mutually exclusive. The Community Center would require debt in the $10+ million-dollar range for funding.
FOR COMPARISON:
The two most recent capital projects in the Civic Corridor were:
• The Sports Fields at a cost of $4.57 million, with a $300,000 annual operating cost.
• The Dog Park at a cost of $807,000 (over one million in today’s dollars) and an annual operating cost of $100,000.
• The estimated annual operating cost for the Pickleball courts is $18,410.
FUNDING:
The funding for the Lot D project will come from Capital Funds. The Capital Fund is primarily from a payment when a home is sold. NO homeowner dues go into this account. The Lot D project construction has no impact on homeowner assessments.
On completion and payment for the Lot D project the Capital Fund will still have a balance of approximately $2.0 million at the end of 2023. The fund increases by approximately $800,000 each year.
The repairs at the 851 Building and Heritage Hall will come from a combination of the Operating Fund and the Reserve Fund.
OFFICIAL EMAILS FROM CROA AND MANAGEMENT:
Click this link (https://shorturl.at/bzQR9) to view the CROA Board President’s Email sent to Homeowners on May 1st, 2023, containing quotes from social media postings and then provides the facts with complete and accurate information. This link (https://shorturl.at/oBHZ8) is her updated email sent on May 23rd, 2023.
Click this link (https://shorturl.at/clMR7) to view the Grand Manors Executive Director's Email sent to Homeowners on May 19th, 2023, containing information regarding the referendum vote and additional facts about the Lot D project.
By re-reading these emails you will have a factual assessment of the situation. We feel confident that you will better understand what has transpired and make a “fact based” decision by voting NO to prevent the overturn of the vote of the majority of the CROA Board of Directors.
Please consider forwarding this information to your friends and neighbors, and posting on your personal FB pages; it will help them make an informed decision.
Please send any questions to [email protected]
Thanks for your time!
For more information, please visit our website at:
https://www.standwithcroa.com/
