In 2014, there was a clear need for better communication in the Esplanade. All HOA board meetings were held in private - only the yearly membership meetings were public. There were no means for contacting the board. There were no notices in the elevators. No mass emails sent out to residents. No Pilera. There was an occasional newsletter from the development company and a resident Facebook group, but in my view those efforts did not fill the need for clear communication to all residents.
At that time, I started this news blog. I have a background in journalism and I thought it would be useful to have a clearinghouse not just for HOA news and documents, but also resident polls, restaurant reviews, neighborhood photos, etc.
Five years and almost 450 blog posts later, it may be that this forum has run its course. There are other outlets for news and information now, and attendance at board meetings has become more robust than it was in past years.
I realize that many different residents have many different perspectives on the management of our building. Some residents believe that the board members and management personnel are working hard, and doing the best they can. Some residents are in a constant state of outrage about... well, everything. Many are somewhere in between those polar opposites. Some believe that our building is a great place to live, and recognize that it requires continued maintenance projects, not all of which go as smoothly and quickly as we all would like. Some residents can't wait to sell and get out.
In trying to serve all of those varied perspectives, I've tried to be accurate, fair, informative and occasionally fun. Many people have expressed their appreciation for these efforts, and some have been very clear in letting me know that they don't like me, or the blog.
My plan is to take a couple months off from this blog and see how it goes; I don't think the building will fall down in the meantime. I will leave the blog and the website as they are and not take them down, as there may be some useful information there still.
I wish you all well,
-Dan