Why Sunriver Resort and Bennington Properties support the amphitheater development proposalTom O’Shea, Managing Director, Sunriver Resort
Q: At the June 7 meeting with property managers and the SROA Board of Directors, you and Penny Bennington said you would continue to participate in the access agreement with SROA. Is that still the case?
A: Absolutely. The Resort will be part of the access agreement.
Q: Your comments at the meeting indicated you support the amphitheater site development as proposed. Could you expand on that a little?
A: There are three things pivotal to the Sunriver Community: 1) the Resort; 2) the Village; and 3) the major amenities like the pools and the bike paths provided by the owners’ association. The Resort has been bringing its facilities up to certain level of quality. The Village is doing a wonderful job with their remodel efforts. Sunriver has a number of natural amenities, such as the Deschutes River; however, the pools are run down. The amphitheater site development will attract and impress new visitors to Sunriver, and they will want to return. I feel very passionate about this. As a community, we can be myopic, looking at only today or tomorrow. Or, we can be strategic, looking out five years and beyond.
Q: Where is Sunriver in comparison to the rest of the destination resort industry? Some say we don’t need to do anything, others say now is a bad time because of the recession. What are your views?
A: Sunriver is on the edge of an opportunity. Sunriver has a great brand; new visitors come here with certain high expectations that, if not met, will cause them to not come again. We will face greater competition in Central Oregon in the future. We must make changes when they are needed, and right now they are needed. Remember, the Resort views the amphitheater site development from the perspective of an owner. We will be contributing about $700,000 to fund this project. This is a pivotal time for the community to come together. Information made available to the public must be accurate. If folks have questions, they should ask and receive accurate answers. The owners should make their decision based upon accurate information, not just commentary. Everyone should remember; this debate is not just Yes/No to this proposed development. It also is, if No to this proposal, Yes to what? We have to do something.
Q: Are you comfortable with the estimates of future operational costs presented by SROA?
A: I feel comfortable the people working on this project have consulted with knowledgeable people and have the wherewithal to make the right decisions.
Penny Bennington, Owner, Bennington Properties
Q: Why do you like the amphitheater development proposal?
A: In the 13 years we’ve lived here, the owners association has not developed or added any new amenities. The resort has spent millions of dollars renovating their lodge and golf courses and I think it’s high time we keep pace with what the rest of the destination resorts are doing. We can’t compete without new amenities.
Q: You’ve attended most of the owner forums and board meetings in Sunriver concerning the amphitheater development proposal. What are your thoughts and reactions at this stage?
A: I was surprised at the extensive development of the plan however pleasantly pleased because it is more forward looking rather than just next year or the need to replace the South Pool. It’s looking for what can we add for the long-term in this community. It’s always cost effective to combine projects instead of trying to stage things out. The concept of a year round facility is just great.
Q: Will you participate in the Recreation Access Agreement?
A: Yes. As a property manager I know that I’m going to pay more for an indoor pool because I don’t have an indoor pool for my guests to go to. There are ways to exclude the costs of the indoor pool in the wintertime for the owners of Mavericks who already have one. There’s a whole lot of ways of ways we can get creative in the access agreement, but overall, our company is supportive of the project and we will continue to participate in the access agreement. I will pay my fair share as a property manager to provide this amenity to our guests.
Q: Are you comfortable with the estimates of future operational costs presented by SROA?
A: Yes. In ten years, our homeowners’ association dues are still going to be lower than our competitors. Worst-case scenario: The homeowners pay more to operate the facility if the operational projections turn out to be wrong. But it will be incrementally doable because owners pay so little now. I don’t think we are going to get anywhere close to excess expenses that some property managers are projecting. But we’re going to gain it in property values and everything else.
