History
The Community House is one of the key amenities in Scientists’ Cliffs and has been ever since it was built by the Gravatts in 1949. It’s the place – more than the beach, the pool, or the community trails – that brings neighbors of all ages together. Back in the olden days all activities happened at the Gravatt’s home. 75 years ago when the Community House was first constructed to memorialize Uncle Joe Gravatt with funds donated by Linwood Gravatt and contributed from members, we were a summer-only community. The Comm House was the scene of meetings, dances, children’s play, game nights, movie nights, and other activities to entertain, convene, and sustain the community. The Comm House would shut down around Labor Day and reopen again the following summer season.
Current Reality
Our community is very different now – almost half of us live here year round and the other come to visit throughout the year, as they now have climate controlled homes, rather than cabins that can only be occupied during the summer. In fact, according to the SCA Strategic Planning survey conducted in 2022, a significant number of owners planned to move to the community full-time in the coming years. Additionally, when surveyed, a significant number of respondents signaled a desire to participate in more community events there, prioritizing improvement of facilities such as the Community House.
The Community House is the heart of Scientists Cliffs. The Community House has enabled us to create the beloved community that we now have: A multigenerational community of families and retirees with deep ties here. It has allowed us to raise our children in a safe village, where they are known, valued and loved by many. The community is cohesive and has worked to support its elders, as well to help them age in place in an enriched social setting. Historically activities at the Community House have attracted children and members from 10 to 130 attendees, depending on the activity.
However, the Community House, which is the heart of our community, is not currently equipped to support the increasing number of residents who would benefit from community events and meetings there – because it was not built with the realities of climate change in mind. Our treasured community convening space is increasingly inhospitable and inaccessible to many of those in our community because it cannot provide a comfortable environment to enjoy activities and meetings there.
The Urgency is NOW
While the SCA Board of Directors has been exploring options for upgrading the Community House to a climate controlled space for at least the last 10 years, we are now at a point where the urgency for this project is greater than ever before:
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Climate change is creating conditions which make it untenable to hold events during the hottest months of the summer, due to extreme heat and humidity, making it unbearable and potentially harmful for people with health conditions, the elderly, and anyone sensitive to heat;
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As the number of year-round and elder residents has increased, access to the Community House is becoming increasingly limited for those who would take advantage of activities there, reducing their participation in community events;
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This decrease in participation negatively impacts the benefit to the community, causing SCA to lose support and involvement by those who otherwise would contribute to community gatherings, collective enjoyment, and unity.
Without an upgrade to allow for year-round use, the Community House will ultimately become a cost burden without a common purpose to community members. Without our collective meeting place, the community overall will not be as strong as it is now. Just like ourselves, we have to care for the heart of our community.