It Looks Like... the Old Dorm Building is Coming Down!

LAKE PLACID CLUB LODGES L a k e P L A C I D T I M E S It Looks Like …... the Old Dorm Building is Coming Down! L A K E P l a c i d C lub Lodg ...
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LAKE PLACID CLUB LODGES

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It Looks Like …... the Old Dorm Building is Coming Down!

L A K E

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Assoc iation

March 2011

Adjacent to Building 13 (Lodges 61-65) overlooking Mirror Lake is a building that originally served as a dormitory for the old Lake Placid Club, subsequently for the Olympics, and more recently as low cost housing for restaurant and hotel workers in town. This building has become an eyesore. Many owners and guests believe that this building belongs to your Association and have repeatedly asked over the years why we haven’t done anything to improve it. In fact it has belonged to the owners of the Lake Placid Resort since their purchase of the old Lake Placid Club property in the mid 1990’s. We have been notified by those owners, who also own and operate the Crowne Plaza, the three Golf Courses adjacent to our Lodges, the Veranda Restaurant and Boat House Restaurant and Beach, that they, in partnership with a regional developer, have submitted plans to the Town and Village Planning and Zoning Boards, and the Adirondack Park Agency, to tear down the Dormitory Building and replace it with a 100 room hotel. Enclosed is a copy of a Notice of Public Hearing on this

proposal on page 2. You will note that the developers are seeking a height variance since the new hotel will be higher than currently permitted under the Village and Town Land Use Code. Owners in Buildings 6, 7 and 13 will be receiving notice directly from the developers as required by the authorities since those buildings are closest to the new hotel. Your Board of Directors, after meeting with a representative of the developers, has sent a letter to the Town and Village authorities supporting the variance. We do not believe it will adversely impact our Resort, our views of the local area, nor will have a long term detrimental impact on our owners and guests. We do believe that removing this eyesore currently on site will be a long term benefit to all. And there is a possibility that we will have access to certain amenities within the new hotel for our owners and guests. As the proposal progresses through the various local agencies, we will stay involved and make every effort to ensure that our Resort is represented and that our needs are addressed.

WHAT A GREAT WINTER! Snow began early this winter, came often, and even dropped over two feet on new powder as this is being written on March 7th. This was a great season for skiing, both downhill and cross country. Whiteface received over 180 inches of snow so far with more, hopefully, on the way. And once again Whiteface and Lake Placid are rated amongst the top ski resorts in the nation. The readers of SKI Magazine have ranked Whiteface the number ONE Ski Resort in Eastern United States. And Lake Placid was ranked number ONE for Off-Hill activities in North America for the eighteenth straight year. Whiteface has the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies and trails for everyone in your family. This is where the world’s best come to train and compete and where kids come to learn and have fun. At the top of Whiteface, spare a moment to take in the views of the surrounding Adirondack peaks of New York. Spot Lake Champlain and Vermont to the east. Breathe deep. Point your skis downhill. Let them go. This is the face of eastern skiing. And then come home to the Lake Placid Club Lodges. Hop in the sauna to warm up, sit in front of a roaring fire with a drink of your choice, and catch a hockey or basketball game on our large High Definition TVs. It just doesn’t get much better than that!

Copy of Notice of Public Hearing PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Joint Village of Lake Placid/Town of North Elba Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a Public Hearing on a variance application by the Golfery LLC on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town of North Elba Town Hall Third Floor Meeting Room, 2693 Main Street, Lake Placid, New York. The proposed project is for the demolition of the old Lake Placid Club Dormitory and the construction of a 100 unit hotel on Parkside drive (Tax Map Parcel 42.OKL-7-29.000). The applicant seeks a dimensional variance of 8’2” from the maximum building height of 35’ in the “Village Center” Zoning District under the Joint Village/Town Land Use Code. The application is open for inspection by any interested persons, at the Building Inspector’s Office, Town Hall, Third Floor. All interested parties are invited to attend the public hearing, and will be given the opportunity to be heard.

Charles W. Findley Board of Appeals Chairman

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LAKE PLACID CLUB LODGES OWNERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL OWNERS MEETING MINUTES Crowne Plaza Resort, Lake Placid, NY October 30, 2010 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL in today’s meeting packet and were also mailed to all interval owners. President Carpenter asked for a motion Board President Nelson Carpenter called the meeting to from the floor to waive reading of, and approve, the order at 11:07 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid, 2009 Annual Meeting minutes as presented. NY. Owners in attendance were welcomed and the head table introduced. MOTION: A motion was made from the floor to waive the reading of the 2009 Annual Meeting minutes and Board of Directors: approve them as presented. Motion was seconded and approved unanimously. Nelson Carpenter Al Ames Jack Brennan John Manning 5. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES Jeff Barnes Chuck Raymond Dan Harder President Carpenter reported on a number of issues that were addressed over the past year. VRI and Resort Management: Rich Muller, V.P. of Resort Operations/VRI Justin Smith, Director of Resorts/VRI Bonny Dudley, General Manager Elizabeth Davis, Assistant General Manager Bud Cole, Maintenance Supervisor Nancy Belden, Housekeeping Supervisor 2. PRESENTATION OF PROOFS OF DUE CALLING OF THE MEETING

Roof Replacement - In 2009, the Board was advised that all roofs were in need of replacement due to inadequate and inappropriate venting due to severe heat loss as well as snow and ice buildup. Small dormers were installed over the walkways to divert runoff that created ice buildup in front of the entranceways. To date, four of the seven roofs have been replaced with all roofs scheduled to be replaced by the end of 2012.

As reported in 2009, the safety L A K E P L A C I D C LDecks U Safety B LIssues O -D GES issues on each unit’s upper and lower deck have been

President Carpenter reviewed the Official Notice of the Annual Meeting which was mailed to all interval owners via Association newsletters. All notices were sent in compliance with the Association By-Laws, Article IV, Section 1. 3. ROLL CALL AND PRESENTATION AND EXAMINATION OF PROXIES President Carpenter stated that a roll call of all owners present was taken at the registration table as each owner arrived for the meeting today. All proxy ballots received have been recorded and will be examined by the Inspectors of Election to occur later in today’s meeting according to the agenda.

In addition to the structural repairs of the decks, sanding and staining of each upper and lower deck has been contracted with Ridenour Custom Builders. This will further ensure the safety of any potential splinters, provide an outstanding appearance and enhance the longevity of the wood. All decks have been sanded but due to the inclement weather this fall, staining will be carried over into 2011. Furniture Replacement - President Carpenter reported that the following furniture has been replaced to date:

4. READING OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS ANNUAL MEETING President Carpenter informed the audience that a copy of the 2009 Annual Meeting minutes were included L A K E

resolved. The majority of the work was completed using existing deck materials when possible and replacing poor materials as needed. With the repairs, the decks have an additional eight to ten years of useful life remaining.

• Chairs and ottomans have been replaced throughout the resort.

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• Sofas and loveseats have been replaced in 25 lodges, with Buildings 6 and 8 scheduled for replacement in 2011. • Upstairs sofas have been replaced in 25 lodges, with buildings 6 and 8 scheduled for replacement in 2011.

again, the Board elected to decline the designation in order to maintain the higher ratings.. Although the resort offers great amenities it does not have extensive facilities typically expected of a Gold Crown property. As a result incoming RCI members expecting such facilities tend to give lower rating to those resorts that don’t provide them and would drive our scores and exchange power down.

The following is scheduled for replacement: President Carpenter also noted that the resort is affiliated with Interval International, VRI*ety and VRI*ety Plus.

• Dining room tables and chairs are scheduled for replacement starting in 2013. • Carpeting replacement is scheduled to begin in 2012. • All other furniture replacements will start again in 2016.

Enhancements to RCI - Rich Muller reported on the upcoming changes to the RCI week’s program. RCI will soon begin assigning a Trading Power Value (TPV) for each interval allowing members to compare their week’s trading value to desired exchange weeks. RCI’s color seasons (Red, White, and Blue) will no longer apply. However, among other benefits, members will be able to combine intervals to increase their trading power and will receive unused credits back when trading into an interval with a lower TPV.

Amenities - President Carpenter reminded the audience that the Lake Placid Club Lodges has access to a very extensive list of amenities that includes golf, beach, boats, tennis, cross country skiing, and a health and fitness center. The health and fitness center is open to LPCOA owners seven days a week and includes an indoor lap pool, sauna, cardio-fitness training area, strength training area, two aerobics/fitness studios, professional health & fitness services, with added conveniences such as tanning, lounge, a pro shop, and a juice bar. Unfortunately in 2010, the fitness center terminated its contract with the North for L ACountry K E Community P L A College CID use of its indoor pool. We continue to look for alternate pool facilities and have recently added hydro and water aerobic classes at the Whiteface Lodge three days per week. Having access to these types of amenities is a significant benefit to our owners and guests and the cost is only $4.70 per interval. Social Networking - President Carpenter reported that the resort’s website is more popular than ever. The website is projected to have almost 80,000 visitors in 2010, up from the nearly 67,000 visitors in 2009. In addition, a Facebook page has been created to better market the resort on the largest web based social network. The site provides the opportunity for owners to list weeks for sale, rent or swap at no cost to the Association. RCI Gold Crown Designation - For the eighth straight year, Lake Placid Club Lodges qualified for RCI’s Gold Crown Award which is RCI’s highest designation assigned quality recognition level. However, once

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2011 Operating Budget - Jeff Barnes was introduced and reviewed the 2011 budget. Jeff stated that the budget was prepared by the Finance Committee which consists of Al Ames, Bonny Dudley, Justin Smith from VRI, and himself.

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The presentation budget provided with the meeting of aG considerable Lpackets U Bis a summary LOD E S amount of work and analysis that is required to prepare the budget. The 2011 budget reflects a $19 overall increase, $8 in operating expenses and $11 in reserve expenses. Projected Reserve Expenditures - Below is a timeline for the completion of the following major resort improvements: • • • • • • • •

2011 - Furniture replacement. 2012 - Roof replacement. 2012 - Replace commercial washer and dryer. 2013 - Complete interior renovations. 2013 - Replace dining room chairs and tables. 2015 – Painting the lodges. 2015 – Pave parking lots. 2016 – Begin furniture replacement again.

HVAC’s will also be replaced with high efficiency heat pumps as needed. Landscaping - Jack Brennan discussed the landscaping improvements that have been completed in 2010.

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• Write a letter to the town to request that single stream recycling program be offered.

Various improvements have been made in 2010, with the primary focus on Building 13 and the planting of 32 shrubs and trees throughout the property. To make certain that landscape improvements are made on a yearly basis, the Board has allocated $10,000 per year for five of the next six years for landscape construction.

Bed Bugs - President Carpenter reported that bed bugs are becoming a national epidemic that has had a major affect in the hospitality industry. As a result, the Board is taking a proactive approach by having regularly scheduled inspections utilizing a specially trained K-9 service. Their first inspection was held on Monday, October 24, 2010 and the dog alerted to one unit. However, the company could not find any physical evidence. In the interest of being overly cautious, it was decided to treat the entire unit with high temperature heaters as this has become the most effective and thorough means of eradicating insects.

Timeshare Resale Fraud - President Carpenter advised the audience of the various timeshare resale companies that make misrepresentations and charge upfront fees. Owners are strongly advised to never pay upfront listing or sales fees when selling an interval. 6. APPOINTMENT OF INSPECTORS OF ELECTION President Carpenter called for volunteers from the audience to assist with tallying the ballots and reviewing the proxy ballots.

Guest Speakers - President Carpenter introduced the following guests who addressed the owners in attendance:

7. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

• Stuart Hemsley, Corporate Development Program’s Manager of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), presented the various benefits that ORDA has to the resort’s owners and guests and how important they are to the Village of Lake Placid.

Candidate profiles were included in a recent Association newsletter as well as in the meeting packet provided at check-in. Each candidate was allowed the opportunity to address the audience. President Carpenter then called for a short recess in the meeting while ballots were tallied. The meeting was L reconvened theL results of the A K EandP AC ID election were announced. Al Ames, Jeffrey Barnes, Jack Brennan and Nelson Carpenter were reelected to a twoyear term. 8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

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• Stephanie Ratcliff, Executive Director of the Wild Center, gave a presentation of the Wild Center L UandBthe various L O showcases D G EthatSthey offer. Given the family atmosphere of the resort, the Wild Center is a very popular destination that families visit during their vacation in Lake Placid.

10. ADJOURNMENT

None. 9. NEW BUSINESS Recycling - President Carpenter reported that unfortunately, the Village of Lake Placid has not adopted a single stream recycling program and the staff is not equipped to properly take on the additional workload of this magnitude. After opening the floor to those in attendance, the following suggestions were received:

President Carpenter opened the floor to questions from the audience. Among the topics discussed, owners also expressed concerns about insufficient exterior lighting in certain areas around the resort; the need for better quality mattress pads on the twin beds and the problem with local residents trespassing with their pets and leaving feces throughout the grounds. MOTION: There being no further business, a motion was made from the floor to adjourn the meeting at 1:00 p.m. Motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

• Recycling can start just with newspapers.

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LAKE PLACID CLUB LODGES

An RCI Silver Crown Resort 30 Lake Placid Club Way Lake Placid, NY 12946

Your Home in the North Country Check us out on: L A K E Pwww.lakeplacidclublodges.com LACID CLUB LODGES Phone: 518 523-3361 E-mail: [email protected]

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