3
July 2016
KICA Board Seeks Ways to Revitalize Aging
Sandcastle Facility
Story Highlights
In 2011, KICA Launched an
island-wide revitalization initiative
Focus has turned to the 20-year-old
Sandcastle Facility
The primary purpose of a community
association is to preserve, maintain,
enhance and protect the value of
property and amenities within the
boundaries of a community.
KICA has always worked to do that,
and in 2011 launched an island-wide
initiative to revitalize our 40-yearold community. Research, evaluations and studies helped
to determine where to focus efforts, and revitalization work
on KICA’s common property has been ongoing since then.
Landscaping projects included Kiawah Beach Drive and
Flyway Drive. Another major undertaking now underway
is replacement of Kiawah’s outdated signage and wayfinding
system. The effort was comprehensive; KICA worked with island
entities and educated property owners about the importance of
keeping our community current by reinvestment.
The board and COO are looking at
options to improve facility
Aesthetics were important, but so were critical considerations
like new methods of maintaining our massive road, trail and
drainage systems. Equally important was meeting social,
recreational and wellness needs of members. For many years,
boards of directors and management researched and conducted
surveys and meetings of the membership to determine what
offerings were important to their Kiawah experience. The
end result of those years of research was a proposal to the
membership last summer for a master plan that included
state-of-the-art improvements such as a new pool complex
and renovated fitness center. The package included a special
assessment to pay for the improvements. The vote did not pass,
but interest in better and more modern offerings was high.
The Sandcastle Community Center is 20 years old. Meeting
space is limited; fitness space is crowded. Investment in the
facility has been minimal since 2008, due to three years of
recession-induced reduced spending followed by the four-year
amenity evaluation and proposal process. At its first meeting
in May, the newly elected board reaffirmed a commitment to
providing a better Sandcastle experience, with a goal of doing
so with existing financial resources. The board is interested in
determining best options and has charged Chief Operating
Officer Jimmy Bailey with developing a process for doing so.
“Most of our members view high quality amenities, and in
particular, improvements to the Sandcastle, as important to
their ownership experience and property values,” COO Jimmy
Bailey commented. “I’ve had a number of members tell me
that they didn’t support the amenity proposal, but felt strongly
that the Sandcastle should be improved.”
To that end, Jimmy is considering every possible option. “The
KICA conference room right now has displays of everything
that’s been considered over the last few years,” he said. “Ideally,
anything we do will capitalize on the site’s spectacular ocean
views. However, any plan must remain consistent with Kiawah’s
'Designing with Nature' philosophy, as well as with limitations
on parking and other constraints.”
The three key functions of the Sandcastle are pool/beach
access, fitness and wellness, and community meeting space.
KICA is fortunate to have Bruce Stemerman as board chair.
His professional background is in the hospitality industry, and
he understands issues of space management. He and Jimmy
have walked the Sandcastle property discussing possibilities.
KICA’s pending purchase of the Town Municipal Center on
Beachwalker Drive could influence the planning process,
and potentially relieve some pressure at the Sandcastle. Not
all the new space will become offices, so some of the current
Sandcastle functions - most likely meeting space - could shift
to the Beachwalker facility. “The Town Hall purchase will allow
us to expand our thinking, and hopefully find a solution that
enhances the member experience, makes financial sense, and is
worthy of Kiawah,” said Jimmy.
There is no timetable on when these improvements may occur,
but as KICA considers its options, members who would like to
share comments may email [email protected].
Article contributed by Digest Feature Reporter Sue Schaffer.