Thank you to all those who participated in providing your feedback via our most recent survey! 70% of SBIA members participated and provided their level of support either for or against the list of improvement projects, along with good comments. A sincere thank you for your participation and help! Here’s a link to the complete survey results.
Based on these survey results, the Board has identified the below top projects to move forward with in getting quotes.
- Adding Bathroom(s) to the Beach
- Resurfacing Marina Ground
- Adding Pickleball Court(s)
- Marina Dock Maintenance
- Re-landscape areas at the Beach
- Marina/Beach locking system
While getting these quotes there were some other maintenance projects that ranked high that relate to other projects that we will also explore options. For example, adding pickleball court(s) and improving the basketball area both ranked high and could be an interconnected project. As we look at the cost for pickleball which would need to be in a gated area, we could look to expand the gated area to include the basketball court and add natural privacy trees/shrubs to the combined area.
The Board is definitely committed to improving the grounds at the Beach via smaller maintenance projects including adding more sand to the beach and play structure areas. Adding benches at the Park, without lighting, is also a low cost easy project to tuck into our plans.
Fielding multiple quotes for these projects takes time and resources. If you are interested in volunteering to participate on a sub-committee to get quotes, please reach out to a Board Member. We’d love to have you! Once we have obtained the estimates, the Board will develop funding approaches that can be presented for discussion during a future General Membership meeting. We will likely do another survey to ensure we get broad input before taking any actions.
One point of clarification that came out in the survey was the lack of awareness on how SBIA budgets currently. Specifically, please note that any dues received for: boat waitlist, boat dock initiation fee, annual dock fees, day use ramp keys, subletting docks, and in/out fees for ramp use, ALL go into our Marina Fund. The Marina Fund is designed to save money for future repairs/replacements of the seawall, docks, ramp, canal biosystem and dredging canal. Thus, if we decide to do Marina Dock Maintenance, that would NOT come from our General Fund, which is funded by all members, but rather by the Marina Fund, which is specific to boat usage.
Other feedback that came out of the survey that I think we have all heard over the years is: expand the roads, get rid of the ditches, add more street lights and bury the powerlines. Please note each of these would be massive projects and outside of SBIA’s control. The City for example does not want our ditches filled in as when they are, it forces the water to the street which causes icy roads and faster deterioration of the streets. We’ve learned the City currently has zero street lights anywhere and there is also a City ordinance of lights that effectively states no light should shine outside of your own property. We will look into what it will take to get drivers to slow down in the subdivision, including looking at reducing the speed limits and posting more signs. I understand how easy it is to exceed the current speed limit when driving down Shady Beach Blvd. or Sunset, but my ask is to slow it down to 15 mph so our walkers, bikers, and kids are safe.
In regards to the security cameras, please note half of this project is now complete. Four new cameras covering the beach area are installed and we hope to have the marina side cameras up very soon.
With the change of season in the air, I look forward to the chili cookoff and kids Halloween party!
Dan