BY MARK ST. J. COUHIG
News editor

ANGEL FIRE — Progress toward building the new Angel Fire Resort Country Club — or the perceived lack thereof — led to testy words during the Association of Angel Fire Property Owners (AAFPO) meeting Wednesday, Aug. 13.
Penni Davey, a property owner and AAFPO member since 1996, asked resort officials why the project is taking so long. She also suggested the demolition of the former clubhouse was ill-advised, given that members have since endured two summers making do with the “sprung building” that now serves as the clubhouse.
Davey directed her comments to Jon Reveal, Angel Fire Resort’s Chief Operating Officer, and resort General Counsel Dan Rakes. Davey’s husband Mike Davey also spoke up, saying that all he has seen from the resort is “delay, delay and delay.”
In an interview with the Chronicle, Penni Davey noted that since the couple moved to Angel Fire in 1996 the quality of the amenities “has diminished.” She also noted with frustration what she sees as AAFPO’s failure to aggressively defend and support the interests of area homeowners.
At the meeting, Davey asked AAFPO officials to describe the authority they have to force the resort’s hand regarding country club construction. According to Davey, AAFPO officials told her they have very little power. Former AAFPO president Jim LeBus, who is serving as an informal liaison between the association and the resort on the project, said the association could perhaps protest the renewal of the temporary permit for the sprung building when it expires in 2010.
Davey noted that under the bankruptcy agreement that governs relations between AAFPO and the resort, AAFPO has the authority to designate the disposition of four percent of the annual fees paid by members. The organization has set aside money to help pay for the new country club, but that money is “just sitting in the bank,” earning interest for the Resort, Davey said. (AAFPO member Jack Fuehr clarified the issue for the Chronicle, noting “all of the discretionary money is allocated to improvements to the amenities this year. Funds for the clubhouse will not be paid by AAFPO until the certificate of occupancy is issued.”)
“We may not have a country club until 2010,” an exasperated Davey told the Chronicle. “When they (the Resort) increased membership dues in 2006, we expected more, not less.”
In an interview with the Chronicle, Resort Development Director Pat Brunstad said he understands and shares the frustration of homeowners who want to see the country club completed quickly, saying “No one wants to see it built more than we do.” But, he also noted, “my goals are to build a country club that is a) quality, and b) affordable.” That takes time, he said.

AAFPO working with resort
New AAFPO President Barry Rogers says he believes AAFPO is doing a conscientious job of working with the Resort to have the country club built in a timely manner. He told the Chronicle, “It depends on who you ask as to what is timely.”
“We hear grumblings here, grumblings there,” he said. “But we have constant conversations with the resort — we have a liaison, Joan Ronchetti, who’s in constant contact with them. And Jim LeBus, who has been here a long time and has a good reputation, also works with the management staff at the resort. He talks about the concerns we hear.”
“We are working closely with the staff at the resort,” Rogers said.
Brunstad says the resort is engaging in what he calls “value engineering.” Brunstad explained the phrase, saying “through the process of value engineering the goal is to reduce the cost of the building while keeping the building features and functions in place.”
This has led to several widely discussed possibilities, including moving golf cart storage from the building, and perhaps deleting the rotunda altogether.
Rogers admits “A lot of the property owners are disappointed at the changes,” but he says the changes are necessary.
Brunstad agrees, saying the original plan, which called for building a $20 million country club, was ill-considered. “That’s too much,” he said.
He also lamented the omnipresent rumors revolving around the building, particularly rumors that the resort has taken steps to revise its permit.
Mark Rivera, Community Development Director for the village, says the resort’s permits have in fact been “pulled,” but he noted that’s the technical term used when the village’s planning section issues a permit. Once a developer “pulls” a permit, work can begin on the project. The resort has not sought to revise its permit.
Rivera also said he had been told that perhaps the resort would seek to “shrink the pad a bit,” store the carts elsewhere, and “the rotunda is perhaps getting eliminated.” But he confirmed the resort has the permits that will allow them to perform a good deal of work, including installation of much of the infrastructure. He also noted that if resort officials reduce the size of the facility, they will not be required to begin again the permitting process. That would only be required if the resort intends to enlarge their plans.
Rogers also addressed the ongoing rumors regarding changes to the structure, saying “my take on it is if there is a definite answer, only (resort owner) Tim Allen has it. And even he may not have the final answers.”
Brunstad says the recent lull in construction at the site has been misinterpreted to mean nothing is happening, a charge he denied. “There’s a process. We’ve been meeting with the fire marshal,” he said. “And the architect must sign off on everything.”
“These are certainly not delaying tactics,” he said. “Nobody wants this thing more than we do.”
Brunstad also said he has very specific plans for the immediate future. “The goal this summer is to complete the retaining wall, utilities, storm drain and foundation.”
“Then perhaps we can continue through the winter.”

What comes next
Brunstad told the Chronicle, “It’s probable that out of the Value Engineering process some changes will come about with the clubhouse. However, the primary building footprint will remain the same and the changes will be items like the rotunda and the cupolas. Additionally, moving the cart storage out of the building accomplishes two things. First, it allows a ‘use change’ of the building to
single use building, and second it allow us to build a larger external cart storage building that will hold more carts. If this option is chosen we have not yet determined where the cart barn will be or what it will look like.”
Brunstad said “Those are decisions that we can take time on — the cart barn is a building that is simple construction and can be constructed in a short amount of time.”
In the meantime, Brunstad said, work on the utilities and storm drains is underway. According to Gerald Martin, the contracting firm building the country club, the retaining wall materials should arrive on site within the next two weeks.
Construction of the walls will begin soon thereafter. They anticipate drilling the holes for the piers within the next three weeks, and completing the foundation by the end of November.
Gary Barteau, the country club project superintendent for Gerald Martin, told the Chronicle, “Right now I have a firm contract for the storm sewers, the retaining walls and the foundation. I expect to soon have a contract for the full building.”
Kurt Eppler, whose H Excavation is performing most of the work on the storm sewer and water lines, said “We’re now going all out.” Eppler said by Monday, Aug. 25 owners will see significant visible signs of progress, including the trenching for the water line from Tam O’Shanter to the site.

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