Dedicated Leadership Provides Winning Solution for New Clubhouse – The Newport Harbor Yacht Club Success Story

One thing we see up-close in our practice is how much time and energy volunteer leaders are willing to dedicate to improving their club.

They are, most often, very busy people with full professional and social calendars; yet, they somehow find a way to make room in their schedule to pay back the club for all the enjoyment it has given them, and help make the experience better for current and future generations of members.

There are few if any clubs we’ve encountered over the years where this dedication to long-term sustainability is more evident than at Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California. The article’s headline is how the membership recently approved a proposal to build a new clubhouse by a voting margin of 89% to 11%. While an extremely strong mandate, that story alone doesn’t do justice to the countless hours members of the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee, Facilities Development Committee and, of course, the Board of Directors spent over the course of a full decade to making this happen. They overcame not only the typical challenge of bringing about massive change in a 100-year-old club, but they also surmounted the issues of planning, permitting approvals in an environmentally sensitive and highly regulated area, developing a financial model that keeps the Club affordable for young up-and-coming sailors and veteran boaters and, finally, creating a unique temporary facility solution that will keep the Club vibrant during construction. A significant amount of time was required to research and solve these issues, but the leadership followed a sure and steady course all along the way, never getting too far ahead of the membership or taking any of this for granted.

Getting Started

The Long Range Facilities Planning Committee (LRFPC) was established in 2006 after a building audit identified major concerns about the viability of the clubhouse, particularly the supporting structure. Periodic flooding was increasingly common from a combination of sea level rise and deteriorating conditions. The Committee’s charge was to investigate all options, but solve for what would be the most likely outcome – the eventual replacement of the clubhouse. Recognizing the challenges ahead, the Committee dedicated themselves to a process that would involve significant membership outreach and engagement, beginning with seeking survey input on a variety of issues including how the members felt about present conditions and what they wanted the Club to offer in the future.

Building Reserves

The Committee and Board did not know the specifics of the ultimate proposal when they started down the planning path, but one thing they were certain of was that they would need capital. That is why very early in the process, the leadership asked the membership to start paying into a capital reserve fund. They explained the rationale for the increase, structured it as a monthly payment to avoid an assessment later on and committed to putting the funds in an account restricted for clubhouse improvement uses only. This was a fairly sizeable request at the time, but it was essential to start funding all the plans, studies and permits that would be required. This account eventually grew to some $7 million by the time the final vote was taken on rebuilding the clubhouse, amounting to nearly half of the required funding.
Temporary Facilities

Another critical aspect of this program was developing an effective solution for Club operations during construction. Member focus groups and surveys identified an extremely strong demand to keep the Club active during any major construction project. This is a challenge for all clubs, but one that is even more difficult on a few acre site on a bay.

As part of its goal plan, the Committee dedicated themselves to finding a solution that kept the main dock and boatyards available during construction and offering a full boating and racing calendar. No national or international regattas will be staged, but the Club will offer its signature racing regatta. Private parties will need to be suspended, but a dedicated entertainment committee was formed to stage member-focused special events including food truck hosted “Food Fests”, progressive parties and more events at the Club’s outstation on Catalina Island.

The winning part of the formula was to rent a large party vessel from an area touring company and temporarily moor it at one of the Club’s docks. Nearby modular structures will provide food preparation areas, administrative offices, meeting rooms and storage. This will provide a full schedule of member services and dining operations, albeit on a more informal basis. The members responded warmly to these ideas, not only for what they are intended to provide, but the level of thought and concern the Committee exhibited in putting it together.

The Plan

Of course, all the prudence and consensus building would go for naught if the proposal didn’t ultimately include the amenities, look and feel the members wanted. The Committee also met this challenge by:

• Developing a two-story solution with harbor views from the second floor, a special opportunity that the existing one-story clubhouse couldn’t provide.
• Presenting a strong nautical look and feel, including a much stronger focus on cataloguing and presenting the Club’s rich and important boating history.
• Expanding member-focused spaces, including a larger Pirate’s Den, the Club’s bar and grill and providing greater separation between private events and member-only spaces.
• A larger, more flexible and functional junior sailing facility to support the Club’s family orientation and commitment to nurturing and growing the sport of sailing.
• Reducing energy costs and the Club’s carbon footprint with a sustainable design and materials.
• Reducing the risk of exposure to flooding from the seawall overtopping due to higher tides.

Summing It Up

Private clubs are such special places. They are the ultimate civic organization – a group of people banded together for a common purpose. Achieving that purpose requires leadership. The volunteers that have made this possible at NHYC have given an inordinate amount of time and energy working through all the politics and emotion that exists within any organization, as well as the special challenge of building a new waterside facility in a highly-regulated community like Newport Beach and the state of California. This remarkable persistence has paid off and positions the Club to fulfill its Mission: “To provide a physical and social environment for our members and families to pursue and to perpetuate the highest ideals of yachting, yacht racing and sportsmanship to assure…leadership in the sport.”