The Charbonneau Villager Newspaper 2019 Mar issue Villager newspaper | Page 10

10 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER March 2019 We own it, now what... By CCC BOARD CCC Board buys restaurant building, looks for input on its future This update is a follow-up to four Villager articles (Dec. 2018, Jan. 2018, Feb. 2018, March 2018) explaining the Charbonneau Country Club's (CCC) need and quest to gain more activity space and soundproof meeting areas. Copies of these articles are available in the CCC office if a review is needed. The final article concluded with the opportunity to purchase the former restaurant building. We are temporarily referring to it as the Annex. The CCC board began the process of acquiring the property in November of 2017, once we learned the Charbonneau Golf Club (CGCI) was no longer interested in it. It had been on the market for several months for a higher price. Following the advice of our builder's advocate, the BC Group, we engaged a commercial realtor to guide us through the process. An offer was made in January 2018 pending many inspections that included structural, building envelope, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, fire protection, pest, asbestos, lead-based paint, hazardous materials and life safety. The findings revealed that the building was seemingly in better condition than anticipated, though had several immediate requirements SUBMITTED PHOTO While the state of the restaurant building implicates that a demolition would be most practical, the Board is seeking feedback from residents on its future. to bring it into code compliance. Most notably, we would have to upgrade for accessibility before it could be used. We were reaching our deadline and well into our process when we learned that if we wanted to change the use from a restaurant to interim meeting and overflow space until we reached a final design and plan for the property, we would have to enter into a detailed planning process with the City of Wilsonville. Though disappointed, we were convinced that this was a unique opportunity to remove an eyesore and create the additional space we were seeking right in the village core and near the Clubhouse. We proceeded with the purchase and took possession on May 9, 2018. In the meantime, our Executive Director, Susie Stevens, announced her retirement, thus diverting the CCC board's focus to finding her replacement. The search concluded in June when Jim Meierotto was hired. As Jim rapidly assimilated into his role, we began emptying the Annex and recycling or giving away most of the fixtures and equipment left behind by the most recent tenant. We learned there was no value in used commercial kitchen and restaurant equipment so we offered the bulk of it to our list of approved caterers. During the month of February, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue conducted non-destructive training exercises that included simulated smoke, realistic obstacles and challenges, and the presence of multiple fire apparatus. They are grateful for our cooperation in allowing the use of our site for practical, real-life educational purposes. One of the peculiarities of the Annex is that the kitchen occupies its central core with a maze of pantries and storage rooms surrounding it. The existence of load bearing walls in inconvenient locations, the risk of concealed problems not detected in the inspections, and current, ongoing expenses due on a vacant structure led to a September 2018 board vote to demolish and construct a new community center. It was felt that our residents had not been sufficiently engaged as promised and we needed to act on this. We have retained Heather Coston to lead us through a series of meetings and exercises to obtain information from every member of our community. A timeline has been developed and we should be well on our way to executing this plan by the time you read this. As mentioned in prior publications, our relationship with the Charbonneau Golf Club is important to the CCC Board and our community. We are collaborating with the CGCI to construct a permanent enclosure for the Garden Terrace. This would create an event space that satisfies the need to host tournaments and weddings as well as an area that can be used year-round by any resident. We hope this is one of many cooperative projects the two entities work jointly on. Our path forward at this time is to gather as much information from you as we can, review the results in a timely manner and have an agreeable plan as we proceed toward our annual meeting in May. Please provide your thoughts and suggestions when opportunities arise and respond to any and all requests for information. If you wish to contact us please email ClubhouseExpansion@ CharbonneauCountryClub.com. ■ —Community Engagement Task Force Charbonneau Library Visit the Charbonneau “Cubby Hole” Library located in the CCC Clubhouse. We Specialize in All Things Glass 503.969.5719 • GlassDoctor.com/Molalla Serving Canby, Molalla & Surrounding Cities Formerly All About Windows Locally Owned and Operated Franchise Come and enjoy books donated by Charbonneau residents. No check-out ƐLJƐƚĞŵ͕ƐŝŵƉůLJĮŶĚŬƐLJŽƵǁĂŶƚƚŽƌĞĂĚ ĂŶĚ ƚĂŬĞ ƚŚĞŵ ŚŽŵĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵ͘ ƌŝŶŐ ďĂĐŬ LJŽƵƌ ŬƐ ǁŚĞŶ ĮŶŝƐŚĞĚ Žƌ ĚŽŶĂƚĞ ŶĞǁ ones. tĞ ĂůƐŽ ŚĂǀĞ͗ ŵĂŐĂnjŝŶĞƐ͕ ũŝŐƐĂǁ ƉƵnjnjůĞƐ͕ ĂƵĚŝŽ ŬƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽǀŝĞƐ͊ KƉĞŶ ǁŚĞŶĞǀĞƌ the Charbonneau Clubhouse is open.