|
The Retreat at Seabranch
Building on Strong Foundations
The Retreat at Seabranch has advantages in location,
house construction, and strong communication that contribute to a
stable, satisfied community. Bill Cole, who retired from the
building industry, has been board president since the turnover from
the developer in 2004 and says, "It's a wondrous place. People are
really happy here."
Location
The 555 homes of the Retreat at Seabranch are
located at the end of 
Seabranch Boulevard, a three-mile drive off of Highway 1 in Martin
County. Six other
associations are located along this welcoming entry,
each a self-contained neighborhood,
though they are
joined together as a master association primarily
for upkeep of
the boulevard.
The community
is a peninsula
that sticks out into Atlantic Ridge State Park, which will be
wild
forever-a
very old-time
Florida preserve
area.
If
you
look in a zoological book of Florida animals,
everything
that is in Florida is here.
The chances
of another area
like this being developed are quite small because the building
codes are stricter today and similar pieces of property are no
longer available. With all the birds and creatures of Florida at
each resident's doorstep and backyard, the setting is magnificent,
peaceful,
quiet, and interesting.
Some residents
do get apprehensive when a snake, bobcat,
or alligator is
spotted, but
there is
an ongoing
attempt to educate the community
through
newsletter articles
and other means of communication to be tolerant of their presence.
The residents
are reminded that the wildlife was here before they were.
Construction
The
homes
in
the Retreat
at
Seabranch
are
poured
concrete
constructed
by
DiVosta
Homes.
A testament
to
this
type
of construction
is
that
the
community
has
lived
through
four
hurricanes
with
very
minor
property
damage.
However,
a number
of residents
did lose
their pool
screen
enclosures
that are
outside
the home's
living
area.
DiVosta
has
constructed
approximately
40,000homes
in Florida,
including
two
of the other
neighborhoods
on
Seabranch
Boulevard.
The
houses
are of poured
concrete
and are
like
a bomb
shelter.
They
have
a
set
of steel
concrete
forms
with cutouts
for
doors
and
windows,
and channels
for plumbing and
wiring.
He [DiVosta]
had the forms
made
in Europe
and pioneered
this process
in Florida.
Cranes
are
needed to erect
the forms
and construction
proceeds
as
an assembly-line
kind
of
process. The
wiring
harnesses
and
plumbing
are
designed
all
in one
module.
From
the
time
they
started
a house,
residents
could move
in in
40
days.By
having
a high
volume,
they were
able
to
achieve
houses
that are almost
soundproof, well-insulated,
and safe
from
the elements.
It's
probably
about
the same
cost
as
conventional
construction,
but the houses
are
stronger
and
more
uniform,
with
a
lot
less
problems.
The house
itself
is
a rectangle
of
solid
poured
concrete,
and the
inside
is drywall
on
steel studs.
Three
styles
are available
at
the
Retreat, ranging
from
a two-bedroom
home with
about
1600square
feet up to a four-bedroom
home with
around 2800square
feet.
Communication
The Ret reat
was
a finalist
in
the Communities
of Excellence
contest
in the communications
division.
Association
volunteers
under the
direction of the
Communications
Committee
utilize
a bimonthly
newsletter,
website,
bulletin boards,
community
television
channel,
town
hall
meetings,
resident directory,
email
blasts,
and
open
board
meetings
with published
minutes
to
get
information
to and
from
the
residents.
The newsletter
is particularly
popular,
with hundreds
of
residents
contributing
articles
on a
wide
variety
of topics.
The
website
provides
information
of a business
nature,
with a
resident
showcase
for
display
of artwork.
The
clubhouse
mail room-a
mingling
ground
for
the
residents
is the
home
of five
bulletin
boards
devoted
to
the
Women's
Club,
the
Social
Committee,
the board
and management,
business
cards
of
residents,
and articles
for
sale.
The
bulletin
boards
are
in locked
cabinets
and managed
by
the Communications
Committee.
In 2007, the communit y
negotiated
for
a free
channel
through
their cable
provider
as a regularly
updated
forum
for
meetings
and
activities,
as
well
as another
venue
for displaying
artwork
by
residents.
A majority
of
residents
have
signed
up
to
receive
email
notices
when
information
needs
to be disseminated
quickly.
Town hall meetings
are
held twice
each year,
offering
community
members
a forum
for
open discussion.
The
board of directors
is
continually
reaching
out for
ideas
and
suggestions.
One suggestion
that was
implemented
was
designating
five-minute
parking
spaces
directly
in front
of the clubhouse
for residents
coming
to pick up mail
at the
mailboxes.
The many
paths
of communication
may
spring
from the
board's
objective
to
be
accessible.
Bill recalls,
"We'd
only
been here
a few
months
when we had
our turnover
from
the builder and
I was
elected president,
and
I didn't
know anybody.
I went
every
Friday
night for
several
months
and sat in the
clubhouse from
seven to
nine to meet people
and welcome
anyone who
wanted
to
come
and
talk
about
anything.
I had
a
friend
in a
community
larger than this
and he used to do that on Friday nights at
his
home,
and I thought
that was a pretty good idea." Bill has encouraged all the board to publish their email addresses and
phone numbers and to be available-a
step to prevent small issues from growing.
Operation
The Retreat utilizes a management company that has
Retreat resident Ron Barrow as the full-time on-site LCAM. The
community has a clubhouse, tennis courts, and pool to maintain, with
the Clubhouse and Recreation Committee always on the lookout for new
things to do. The bulk of the community's work is the upkeep of all of
the landscaping and grounds throughout the 300-acre property. The
association maintains the common grounds and also yards for all the residents. This job takes 16 full-time workers, and the Retreat enjoys contracting the work out. Volume pricing is cheaper than anyone of the residents could afford for the same level of service on their own. The yard care, cable television, alarm system, and use of the resort style pool and gym are more economical than if they were secured individually. Relatively affordable living is part of the reason people live in the Retreat the association fee is less than if you did all these things by yourself. Each association along Seabranch Boulevard has its own amenities. The Retreat is fortunate that its next-door neighbor has a large golf course. Residents can drive their golf carts to this semi-private course, where they can have a membership or play by the day. It's a nice amenity to have next door. The Finance Committee at the Retreat is pleased to not be feeling the pinch that the current economy has created for many. Much of the reason is that the homes were built before the boom in 2006-7 and any investors from the beginning have already turned their properties over. In addition, many of the homeowners are year-round residents. The community residents enjoy a variety of different clubs and service activities. Interest groups meet to focus on photography, bridge, poker, mah jongg, knitting, golf, art, and more.
The Social Committee organizes a monthly
themed
event
for the
entire
neighborhood.
Over
the
last five
years,
the
neighborhood Relay
for Life
Team
has
raised
$40,000for
the
American
Cancer
Society.'
An
outreach
group
has adopted
a nearby
school.
Recently
the neighborhood has
formed
the Retreat
Assistance
Network
to
help
individuals
in the
community with
any
temporary
help
they
may
need.
Residents of
the
Retreat
have
contributed
time
and
money
to
the
local
women's shelter,
library,
hospital,
and Meals-on-wheels
program,
and
more
than
6,000 pounds of
food
has
been
donated
to a
local
food
bank.
The
Architectural
Review Committee
has
oversight
of any
changes
to
the
outside of
homes.
They
review
plans
for
construction
of pools,
screen
homes,
and other
proposed
changes
to
the
outside
of the
homes
to
ensure
any
additional construction
to a
home
will meet
the community
standards. In
addition,
to
assist
owners
in personalizing
their
yards
in a
style
acceptable
to
the
community
standards,
a
list
of
approved
plants
that
are
non-invasive
has
been
developed
in
conjunction
with
their landscaper
and master
gardeners
in the
association. For
disagreements
involving compliance
with
governing
documents,
the
Covenant
Committee
steps in.
The
Retreat
is a
deed restricted community.
Many
people
choose
to
live
in such
a community
because
they
know
it
will
be maintained
and
always
look
the
same.
Certain
rights
are
given up,
but
the
community's
sound
finances
and lack of problems more
than
compensate for this. Some
people
like
association
living; some don't.
Though
they
have
sent
out
surveys
soliciting
input,
Bill
says,
"People
are
not
complaining."
And
why
should
they?
Bill
notes,
"We
haven't raised
our
association
dues
in
five
years
and
I
think
that
we can
do
it
another
year.
What's
wrong with
this
picture?
Nothing.
The place
looks great,
we've
got
money
in the
bank,
and
we're
not
raising
fees." "This
is
a
gorgeous
property
and
the
people
are
very
friendly
and warm,"
Bill
observes.
"People
who
go
on vacation
and
come
back
can't
wait
to
turn
in
on
this
beautiful
boulevard
and
our
property."
The
Retreat
at
Seabranch
offers
a welcoming
haven
to
come
home
to,
or
to
never
leave!- |
|