The Seven Lakes West community recently took a survey that will help the Board of Directors to plan the creation of a pristine living environment.
Art Wieland, who became the Board President in March 2018, is proud of the direction that the community is taking.
“Our vision is to be the premiere lake community in North Carolina,” Wieland said. “Frankly, I think we are well on our way.”
Two surveys were done in the community. The first was a demographics survey that took place in 2018.
“Approximately seventy percent of the community is fifty-five years and over,” Wieland said. “And we’re adding homes and families every year.”
With the increase of young families moving into Seven Lakes West, the community is transforming into a “pseudo-retirement community with young folks.”
The second survey had the purpose of getting input from the community to determine how to better it. This survey was completed on March 25th of 2019.
“We want to begin work on what the community wants to see,” Wieland said.
In addition to the surveys, town hall meetings have been held by the Long-Range Planning Committee where residents are free to speak their minds and share ideas.
“We’ve gotten good feedback from the community,” Communications Director Bert Van Domselaar said. “It’s a very diverse community. The poll is important.”
In addition to long-term planning, the community will also be investing $800,000 into the dam’s infrastructure.
“State and engineers said we’ve done a good job taking care of it,” Wieland said. “The dam is the number one asset in the community. If there’s no dam, there’s no lake.”
The funds will go towards reinforcing the emergency spillway. This spillway will soon be covered with a concrete mesh reinforcement so that water can run over without a problem in the event of extreme weather conditions.
Road infrastructure will also be addressed, but first, major stainless steel culverts must be replaced due to rust.
“Before paving the roads, we need to fix what’s under the roads,” Wieland explained.
The community surveys will allow the Board to budget for the community’s wants after the needs are met.
“It will point us in the right direction of where to invest in amenities,” Wieland said. “The Board’s goal is to make Seven Lakes West better every day.”
Now that the community leadership is following a new governance model, more improvements are able to be made without volunteers becoming overwhelmed in Board and committee activities.
Previously, Board members also chaired the committees. Now, they are no longer expected to do so. This allows them to focus more time on their individual Board tasks while still working together as a team.
“It’ now at a more strategic level,” Van Domselaar said. “We tie links between the community and the Board. It’s more balanced.”
“We want volunteers to have fun in the community,” Wieland said. “We don’t want it to be a burden. That’s when people burn out.”
The committees have been thriving, and there has been a Volunteer Appreciation Reception to express appreciation for all volunteers who help the community to function smoothly.
“Volunteers are very valued,” Van Domselaar said. “We want to remind them how thankful we are.
President Art Wieland recently stepped down from his position on the Board. After the passing of a close friend, he decided to focus his time more on his wife, Pat, and their retirement.
The Vice-President, Rod Eggleston will be acting President until the Board has appointed a new Director to replace Art,” Van Domselaar said. “Once the new Director is appointed, a President will be elected among the Board members.”
“We have a wonderful community which I will continue to support and where I fully expect to live for many, many years to come,” Wieland said. “We have an excellent Board of Directors and Community Manager and I urge everyone to support their efforts.”
