It has now been five weeks since we closed on our acquisition of Albemarle Plantation and it has been extremely gratifying to hear the overwhelmingly positive response to the many small steps we have taken toward "Plantation Progress." Everyone on our team truly appreciates all of the kind words and encouragement we have received from the community. 

While we have taken many small steps to improve the community to date, we understand that there are larger issues that need to be addressed. With the smaller actions we have taken, it has been a simple matter to dive in and get things done right away. Because of the complexity of the larger issues (such as deferred maintenance on the community infrastructure and completion of the wellness center) we think it is important that we carefully plan our actions. With these large investments, we have only one chance to "get it right" and we believe proceeding cautiously is the best course. For example, our in-house engineering staff has been consulting with outside experts to develop a systematic approach, not just to the maintenance of the roadways themselves, but also to the drainage system that ultimately impacts the longevity of the road ways. Our primary goal is to do this right, rather than quickly. As we finalize a proposed course of action, we will be working closely with the POA Board, which now includes three residents appointed by the HOA. 

As to the wellness center, we are committed to finishing the building and the surrounding grounds so that this area becomes a focal point of activity in the community. While we could have rushed in and started construction already, large questions would have remained as to what we were creating. The biggest obstacle we face on this project is creating a facility that meets the needs of the majority of the community. While I suspect that whatever we do not everyone will be 100% pleased, but before we plunged into construction, we are trying to gather as much input as possible. To that end, we have already met with some of the stakeholders to solicit their ideas for the area. We are also working closely with the HOA Survey Committee to query residents as to their vision for the wellness center. This survey will be sent out within the next few weeks. In the coming weeks, we expect our plans to be clarified and we anticipate starting construction in the fall. 

Again, thank you for all your support. 

Should you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to email me at Steve.Vining@albemarleplantation.com. 

Steve Vining
General Manager