WYNDHAM PLACE BY THE RIVER
A FRESH START
Our Feature Condo appeared in the Condo News Volume 2 2008
Written by the Board of Directors WSCC 103
Wow!!! Just look at that beautiful condominium at 60 Wyndham Street South in Guelph Ontario. This is a striking white 10-storey building with a dominating view of the downtown core of the Royal City and endless parks and trails. The expansive rear courtyard features perfectly manicured landscaping highlighted by a rustic cedar gazebo, Muskoka lawn furniture and two oversized propane barbeques strategically placed to accentuate the view of the meandering Speed River. Pulling up to the front entrance you are once again welcomed by exquisite flower gardens and a colorful display of potted plants. The sparkling marble floor of the front lobby is tastefully decorated to reflect each of the four seasons and your heart is warmed by the fireplace, loveseats and ornate decorations.
The suites feature one and two-bedroom designs with nine-foot ceilings, crown mouldings in the living room, central air, walk-in closets and in-suite washer and dryer. The kitchens are bright and cheerful and have a host of tailor-made upgrades. The balconies overlook a myriad of parklands and trails and of course the majestic Church of Our Lady. The River Run Centre, Sleeman Sports Centre, high end shopping and a host of eclectic restaurants are merely minutes away by foot.
Amenities include a recreational lounge with audiovisual equipment, library, wet bar and comfy lounge furniture and tables and chairs. An exercise room is located on the first floor with all kinds of fitness apparatus and weights. Each unit has at least one underground parking space; storage lockers (available) and bicycle racks are located on both levels of the underground parking areas.
Purchasers who have chosen Wyndham Place would not dispute the accuracy of the realtors' pictures and the catchy descriptive phrases in promotional material. But what about the residents and their lifestyle? Let's take a closer look at the Wyndham Place community.
The residents of 60 Wyndham Place are extremely friendly and always have time for a chat on any topic. As a matter of fact, this building is very alive!!! It is the third Thursday of the month and six very energetic people are huddled around the table in the dining area of the guest suite located on the first floor. These folks are talking about boilers, electrical wiring, power generating emergency switches, and water softeners. They are talking about building membranes, elevator brake sheathes, and solar lighting, roof flashing, energy audits, insurance appraisals, treadmill belts, carbon monoxide sensors, and high- yield investments. They sort through a pile of letters in all shapes and sizes dealing with a variety of questions of the dreaded 3 P's of Condo Living: People, Pets and Parking. And the letter writers expect answers???yesterday!!! Who are these people engaged in animated discussion? Are they lawyers, master mechanics, mediators, financial experts???superhuman consultants? No. Quite the opposite. Simply put, it is the Board of Directors of Wellington Standard Condominium Corporation 103 and the Property Manager tackling the agenda at a typical Board Meeting.
How are the beautifully appointed, very animated building and this small group of people connected? Where did this journey to make a fresh start for 60 Wyndham Street begin? What challenges have these folks faced? What challenges do they face in the future? Why are they doing this work? Read on to find out how Wyndham Place on the River strives to live up to the motto of "Make Wyndham Place.....the best place!"
The journey for the current Board began three years ago when the developer duly registered the building as a fully-fledged condominium. The developer basically ran the building the first year and the owners began to spread their corporate wings in year two. A "Shadow Board" of Directors was elected to oversee the transition period where the developer would bow out of the condominium's administration, and the owners would take control of their affairs through an owner-elected Board per the Condominium Act. This was not a process without challenges, but a long list of outstanding issues ranging from the accuracy of budget forecasts, ownership of security equipment, disputes about common area items, storage costs, and advertising fees to name a few has been whittled down to just one item as we begin year four.
How did this become rectified in such a timely fashion? A number of proactive initiatives were responsible. The first was education. Right from the get-go the Shadow Board stressed education. There was a lot we didn't know. So we went to Condo school, and every Board member elected for the past three years has taken the Canada Condominium Institute Level 100 and 200 courses through the Golden Horseshoe Chapter. And they all volunteered.
Secondly, the Board secured the services of their management team to be our number one partner in running this mammoth labour of love. Their expertise and dependability is beyond reproach and together we analyze, brainstorm, budget, plan, research, laugh, and when that huge unexpected expense comes in, sometimes we even cry.
Thirdly, we went out and actively recruited the two best superintendents in southern Ontario. They know every little idiosyncrasy of our building, and their work ethic, approachability, technical expertise and sense of humour is second to none.?
We also firmly believe that the cement that will firmly bond the owners together is for our Board to "Communicate... Communicate...Communicate!!!" We have a number of committees mandated by the Board to keep our residents active, involved and knowledgeable. The Environmental Committee has begun a recycling program, researched more environmentally efficient lighting and has proposed a composting project. The Landscaping Committee is responsible for selecting the beautiful plants and flowers that make our exterior so appealing and they maintain the gardens and greenery. The Municipal Relations Committee deals with the appropriate government bodies in relation to taxes, waste management and delivery of municipal services. The Reserve Fund Committee addresses repair forecasting, investment planning and keeps the residents posted on all these items. The Communication Committee has developed a website for Wyndham Place and is presently planning a survey on window treatments, and is also finishing up a Resident's Handbook in hard and web-friendly design.
So with this foundation begun by the Shadow Board in the early going, we feel we are on the right track. Our focal points for the current year include high-yield investments to supplement our Reserve Fund Study; a proactive series of service contracts to protect our building's assets; fine tuning the committee structures; continuing to build a really inviting sense of community, and to continue making this beautiful place even more our home.
The real litmus test came at the last AGM. The Board of Directors proposed to implement a Standard Unit By-law. The building was abuzz with activity in preparation for this first event, which would speak volumes how we truly operate and communicate on a large-scale project. The Property management team prepared the handout describing the by-law. Our fleet of dedicated floor captains made sure everyone got a copy. We had our insurance broker at the AGM to answer any questions and after a spirited discussion the by-law passed with a 97% approval vote by the owners.
We had hit our first homerun and we hope it is the first of many, and it answers the last questions posed in the introduction, "Why are we doing this?" To be quite frank, we love the challenges we face; we love it when a plan comes together; we take the trust put in us by our fellow owners very seriously; we want to protect each others' investments and most of all we truly want to," Make Wyndham Place ... the best place!!!"
Copyright 2008 CCI Golden Horseshoe Chapter
All documents, webpages, photographs and images are the property of the Golden Horseshoe Chapter.
Permission to reprint individual articles is hereby granted provided: