Hope

From our Resident OA Board Member, Barbara Blackmer, in answer to the question we are all asking:

What does this mean for us?

Today's developments (Zions Bank and Raddon-Ball withdraw their development proposal from Draper City) were a huge disappointment, as we saw our hopes of gaining a new developer in the near future evaporate. Zions Bank heartily endorsed R&B SunCrest as purchaser of the SunCrest development, and offered terrifically strong financial backing in the hopes that they could reach an agreement with Draper City. Raddon invested months of hard work and over $200,000 in the due diligence needed to satisfy Draper City. Today, they had to walk away.

In the early bitterness of disappointment, let's not panic. Let's remind ourselves of what we still have.... We have just what we've had for the better part of a year, nothing less.

Zions Bank still owns the developer's properties in SunCrest, and they have shown us a benevolent and understanding approach, and a willingness to work with us. They have, however, repeatedly reminded us that they are not developers, so we may not look to them to re-open the market, deed the Club over to the OA, or take steps to remedy some of the economic challenges that touch our community. We haven't had the market for quite a while – it looks like we will have to do without one for awhile longer. We have never had the Club. It still sits there, tantalizingly out of reach, but at least right now I don't agonize over not having the swimming pool open.

We haven't really gone anywhere. We had hoped to go forward, and seen those hopes put on hold at least for a while. But we haven't gone backwards, either. We don't have a new developer – but we've been managing as a community without a developer for awhile. Yes, property values are down, and that's hurt us. We're in a recession, all over the country, and most of us here in SunCrest are feeling those painful effects.

What did we lose? We lost, temporarily, a hope that things would get better fast. What we are left with is exactly what we've had all along, and we're making do with that, and most of us are doing okay. Not great, but okay. We're still here.

What do we have? We still have an amazingly beautiful place to live. We have the same services we've been managing with for a long time. We have a management company that is financially solid and working hard; we have an OA Board of Directors who care about resident issues and needs. But we have so much more. We have residents who exhibit a level of commitment, concern, intelligence and ability that is spectacularly different from other communities. As I've talked to you and worked in the community, I'm in awe at the level of experience, interest, and willingness to volunteer found among the remarkable individuals who have chosen to make this home.

What do we have? We have an opportunity to make obstacles into hurdles that can be overcome together. This winter, especially, let's be a little kinder to our neighbors, a little more thoughtful, understanding, and helpful. That's a level of wealth and hope that no city council can either give us or take away from us. Let's make the time to attend community events, and volunteer to help one another in small ways. Think about the place you want to call home, and be that kind of neighbor. It's really not about a bank, or a developer, the size of your lot or your floor plan or how recently the snow plow has been by. It's about a sense of community, of living among friends and feeling a personal responsibility to help solve the problems.

What do we have? We have what we had yesterday, today, and will have tomorrow -- we have each other. (Well, maybe you think that's kind of cheesy – but I'll remind you it is absolutely true.) We use every technology available to communicate rapidly with one another and to organize and work together, because our common interests are stronger than our individual differences. It almost goes without saying that you will be given updates and factual information, as it comes to any one of us. And at the end of the day, what we have is stronger and better than any outside source could give us. I don't know about you, but I'd rather live in this community, with all its challenges, than anywhere else – and that's because of you. We'll tough this out together.

PS – Let me remind you that this Friday is the community sing-along from 7-8:30 pm at the LDS meetinghouse. Dress is casual. Everyone come. The Tonks will be there, and the Blackmers, and a lot of other community members, and we'll sing about laughter and hope, and we can talk together afterwards.