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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | NOVEMBER 2025 | 7 Good ings Ahead for Four Seasons: After an impressive 20- year run, our Four Seasons Lodge and interior amenities could use a refresh. Before moving forward, CIC members have been touring 55+ communities – both old and new – looking for inspiration and the best ideas that we can bring back to our own Lodge and amenities. Cautionary Tales: It's helpful to learn from the mistakes of others. We visited a community where upgrades were done in an ad hoc manner without an overall design plan. The result was that community residents were upset and already planning to replace what had been done. As visitors, it made us very proud of our Lodge and its cohesive design. Another community replaced previously carpeted areas with plank vinyl tiles. The new flooring was already scratched and the material cheapened the overall aesthetic. The beautiful drama of their architecture was clearly at odds with cut-rate flooring. This was definitely a lesson learned. We want to maintain or improve the level of luxury we currently enjoy at Four Seasons. What Works Today: After visiting these cautionary examples, we visited two new 55+ communities to see their Lodge and amenities. Both had ideas that could work well at Four Seasons. We took special note of the choice of materials in their facilities and the amenities popular with the current wave of residents purchasing homes. Both new Lodges had ceramic tile in high-traffic areas. Carpeted areas were done using carpet tiles instead of broadloom carpet. Each Lodge had a featured bar area where residents could socialize with food and drink. These areas are very popular and were in use when we visited. Another prominent shared feature was a large and airy exercise area. Pickleball is the most popular sport with new retirees at both communities. Lessons Learned: After visiting the refurbished communities, it became clear that while our amenities have good bones, they have become worn with age. Some amenities have dwindling usage, while at the same time, we are running out of room for meetings, storage, and social gatherings. In short, we need not only to refurbish, but also to rethink how we can better use the facilities we have. Another important consideration is that we want to be fiscally prudent with our choices. That is, we need to use quality materials that will last so that we won't have to repeat this exercise for many years. We also want to retain and reuse as much as possible. Undertaking a project of this magnitude can't be done in a piecemeal fashion. Fortunately, the Board (with the help of the CIC) was able to hire an experienced interior designer, Kristen Bradshaw, to create a comprehensive plan for refurbishing and re-imagining our Lodge and facilities. You can see her work here: kristenbradshawinteriors.com. Here's Where You Come In: Starting early in 2026, look for a community workshop notification. This is your chance to see the new designs for Four Seasons and offer your thoughts. At this workshop, and in the Lodge, you'll have the chance to vote on the design and approach we will use to improve our Lodge and amenities now – and for the future. Welcome New CIC Members: The CIC has recently expanded by two new members: Pita Garces and Joe Kozma. We look forward to the new ideas that they bring to our committee and community. Capital Improvements Committee e Lodge replace at Altis, a new 55+ community.

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