Board Candidate Jerry Sakura notified the chair of the Election Committee this afternoon (cc to this reporter) that he is dropping out of the Board of Directors race due to a medical issue that has not responded quickly enough to treatment.
Sakura said his current circumstance would not allow him to carry out his complete duties as a Board member if he were to be elected.
This reduces to seven the field of candidates competing for the three available Board positions.
A standing-room-only crowd of residents turned out at Independence Center on Tuesday, Jan. 24, for the presentation and discussion of results of the recently conducted restaurant survey.
The confluence of two major events at about the same time –the survey meeting and the Republic Services open house- led to a completely full parking lot, with some residents having to park off premises.
The restaurant survey meeting was jointly conducted by Restaurant Advisory Committee (RAC) chairman Michael Wolf and Board of Directors President Jim Long, with RAC members and SCA directors seated at the table.
Michael Wolf kicked off the meeting by reporting the survey results, which are summarized as follows:
A total of 1,700 surveys were returned, with 1,643 declared valid after rejection of some due to failure to comply with the survey-completion process.
The number of valid surveys represented a return rate of 23% of eligible rooftops.
The percentage of survey-takers wanting a restaurant was 77.8%.
Leasing the restaurant to a restaurant operator was the first choice, at 47.4%. Leasing to a caterer was second choice (22.3%). Entering into an arrangement with a culinary school was third (16.3%).
Asked if they would accept increasing homeowner assessments to support a restaurant, 81% said no.
In declining order, the percentage favoring the following services:
Lunch: 79%
Dinner: 78.1%
Bar: 61.7%
Breakfast: 46%
Take-Out: 41.8%
Pool Service: 25.4%
Coffee/Tea: 22.5%
Entertainment: 18.9%
Asked if they would support gaming at Anthem Center, 58% answered yes.
Asked if they would support exclusive catering in Hanneman Hall (the ballroom) at Anthem Center, 58% answered yes.
While the survey was in process, said Board Treasurer Dan Forgeron, teams appointed by the Board’s restaurant sub-group investigated the viability of the various restaurant-operation options. He said some experts the teams spoke with recommended finding a qualified, experienced restaurant operator as the best approach to take.
A relationship with a culinary school had to be ruled out, Forgeron said, for several reasons, not the least of which was lack of interest on the part of schools that were approached. Distance was just one of the factors, Forgeron said, as well as the disruptions caused by semester breaks.
Board Vice President Wade Terry said that three current Las Vegas Valley restaurant operators had approached the Association in recent weeks and were given tours of the restaurant and kitchen.
Jim Long told the audience that City of Henderson fire inspectors had recently advised the Association that the area behind the Hanneman Hall stage can no longer be used as a catering staging area because it blocks emergency access to the back entrance to the building. This development, Long said, works to inhibit the use of outside caterers who would not have access to the restaurant kitchen if a new operator is brought in.
In the past, some residents have urged that a professional approach to finding a qualified tenant should include use of a restaurant consultant. Jim Long reported that an RFP (Request for Proposal) recently went out to a number of consultants, with the result that some have expressed interest in bidding for the job of consulting on finding a qualified restaurant tenant.
The agenda for today’s (Jan. 26) Board meeting includes the following three New Business items, on which action may be taken, related to the restaurant:
The ensuing resident comment period was lively but respectful.
Several speakers expressed the belief that the 23-percent survey response was not sufficient and was an indication that residents would not support a restaurant in Anthem Center. Dan Forgeron replied that the percentage of survey responses was much higher than is typical for such surveys and that the results are considered statistically valid.
Some speakers reinforced the survey result indicating that requiring homeowners to subsidize the restaurant would be extremely unpopular.
One speaker advocated passionately for allowing use of outside caterers, saying that staging could be done in one of the small rooms created in Anthem Center (Arlington, Bristol, Concord) when the ballroom is partitioned. And yet another speaker questioned how any one restaurant operator would be able to satisfy the needs of an SCA club or group that wanted an ethnic meal.
While I did not hear an answer to the second of these comments, it was noted that a past problem with staging a catering function outside of the kitchen was that the electrical connections could not always handle the power needs, resulting in a constant stream of blown fuses.
Editor’s Note: The term “staging” does not mean the actual conduct of a catered event, but refers to the area that a caterer would use to set up necessary equipment to cook, heat, and prepare for the event.
Board members noted that the right to exclusive catering would apply only to the Anthem Center ballroom. Both Independence Center and Liberty Center have meeting spaces and service kitchens that could be used by qualified caterers of resident groups’ choice.
As the comment period continued, the tone in the room became very positive, with a number of speakers noting how much they value the presence of a restaurant in Anthem Center, regarding it as an important amenity. One speaker in particular, a realtor who has been a SCA homeowner for about a year, was warmly received for her thoughtful comments about the value of a restaurant as an attraction to homebuyers and an influence on her own home purchase.
In summary: Residents seem to still want a restaurant in Anthem Center. They are not willing to subsidize it. They favor the former model of leasing the premises to a qualified, experienced restaurant operator who would have exclusive catering rights. The Board will seek the services of a professional restaurant consultant to help achieve these goals.
The Anthem Journal restaurant poll has concluded, and I’m pleased to report the results to you.
The large number of participants signals very strong interest in the subject of a restaurant in Anthem Center.
There were 706 responses, a record number that far exceeded the second-highest total of 599 for a 2007 poll about the speed limits on the Anthem loop roads.
A total of 513 respondents, or 72.7%, said they want a restaurant in Anthem Center.
A total of 193 respondents, or 27.3%, said they do not want a restaurant in Anthem Center.
The image below is from the Vizu polling website:
The question, asking whether you want or do not want a restaurant in Anthem Center, was deliberately simplified.
It would be incredibly naive to think that everyone who “voted” in favor of a restaurant would want to have one under every possible circumstance. I am acutely aware that there are numerous scenarios that would not be acceptable to many of the “pro-restaurant” poll respondents, and we will have opportunities to explore these nuances as discussions continue on this blog and in the community.
For now, however, while the Board of Directors quarterbacks research and investigation into the various restaurant operational models, it is important for the Board and the community to understand that, at least among my community of readers, support for a restaurant remains very strong.
So now the Board must find a way to make it work.
Thank you to all who participated in this poll.
The following message appears on the specials board outside the entrance to Anthem View Restaurant this morning:
No additional information is available at this time.
It seems that some SCA residents with personal agendas, seeking to capitalize on what may be confusion over the present ownership status of Anthem View Restaurant, have taken it upon themselves to start a rumor that the restaurant has closed or will be closing immediately.
This is false. The restaurant is open for business as normal, will be providing food for special holiday events, and all bookings for special events are proceeding normally.
The rumor nearly resulted in the cancellation of a major club booking, which would have worked a hardship on the club and the restaurant, possibly creating a legal issue if the source of the rumor could be pinned down.
I learned today (June 24) that Rich Hogan, who was managing Anthem View Restaurant, is no longer affiliated with the restaurant in any capacity.
Hogan’s daughter, who was assisting with restaurant management, and Juan, the head chef, are out also.
No other personnel changes have been made as of now.
Fred Slark, who is in the process of negotiating to become owner of TNF, the restaurant tenant, said the restaurant remains open and that all special events are being conducted as scheduled.
Recent Comments