The Background in Developing the Tennyson 2020 Plan

In 2004 Tennyson turned fifteen. To keep this teenage community from becoming unkempt and undisciplined, the Board of Trustees of the Tennyson Homeowners Association then began looking for ways to enhance and improve the value and enjoyment of Tennyson. Initially, several architectural firms were interviewed with the intent of selecting one to develop a long-range plan for Tennyson. The Board discussed various options to determine which approach might be best. In the end, none of the proposals from the architectural firms was accepted. Instead, a special committee of Tennyson residents was formed to investigate the community’s needs and to make recommendations for the Board’s consideration in planning Tennyson’s future.

The Tennyson Vision Committee, as it was called, described its purpose this way:

The mission of the VISION committee is to envision a future for Tennyson that will sustain and improve the development in ways that promote a sense of neighborhood, enhance property values, and make the community attractive to both current owners and new generations of buyers.

Volunteers from across the community got involved. A community survey was conducted. Results were tabulated and subcommittees were formed to look at the following aspects of Tennyson:

1. Community - The "look and feel" of Tennyson and its character as a neighborhood.

2. Site - How the grounds and landscaping now look and how they might be improved and better maintained.

3. Clubhouse, Pool, Tennis Courts, Creek, Lake, and other Amenities - How Tennyson's common physical property and features compare with other similar communities and how Tennyson's features might be improved.

4. Building Improvement - How Tennyson's residential buildings look and how they might be better maintained and improved.

5. Management - How both the long-term and day-to-day management of the Tennyson community might better function in overseeing the community's assets.

The Vision Committee submitted its final report to the Board in April 2006.  This report was in the form of files and binders totaling several hundred pages of material which had been gleaned from Vision Committee research, discussions with outside consultants, and Vision sub-committee meetings.  A final comprehensive report summary with specific recommendations was not presented, however, due to the loss of key Vision Committee members who had relocated out of the community.  In order to complete the Vision Committee's work, the Board attempted to engage a professional to prepare a summary with visual aids that would illustrate the options in the report.  Several architects were then contacted and interviewed.  By July2006, it had been determined that none of the architects was interested in taking on this task.

In August and September of 2006, the Board conducted the annual community walkabout.  This exercise provided the Board members with a good view of the condition of the community's assets.  Board members were able to see first-hand what Tennyson needed in the way of maintenance and improvement.  This awareness became critical in deciding what Vision items were important.

While the walkabouts were being completed, work was also  underway to identify each decision-point within the Vision committee's final documents.  In order to take action, the Board needed a summary of items which could be voted upon.  A list of impact on maintenance fees was estimated.  The items were categorized and put into the form of a ballot for the Board's vote.  The Board reviewed these items and voted on each one: to accept, to reject, or to study further.  The result of this decision-making process forms the basis for the Tennyson 2020 plan, which is now presented on this website.