Castlegram
The Voice of the Manor
June 2023
Dear Homeowners,
Memorial Day has come and gone. At Montauk Manor, as all through our country, people gathered with family and friends and remembered the brave men and women of our armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice. Now is also the time of year we celebrate “the unofficial start of Summer.” The Manor has been buzzing with activity. The outdoor pool is open and heated to perfection. The air temperature over the Memorial Day weekend was in the 60s which made coming out of the pool a bit “nippy” but we are now enjoying warmer weather and lots of sunshine. Our courtyard and grounds are all in bloom with beautiful flowers of Spring, and the sunsets from the great lawn and patio have been dramatic. We will be offering complimentary sunset yoga again this season. Speaking of good times, we are anxiously awaiting the opening of our new restaurant, “Monte’s at the Manor.” The restauranteur, Paul Monte is the son of the Monte family who owned and operated Gurney’s back in the day. Paul managed Gurney’s restaurant for many years. The restaurant is expected to open by the end of this month.
More good news! You will remember last year, due to ongoing COVID concerns, The Board moved our Annual Homeowner’s Meeting, Board Elections and Wine Tasting Party from the last week in June to a Holiday Festival in December. As it turned out, the homeowners are in a more festive mood during the holiday season and would rather be at the beach on a 90-degree day in June, so by popular demand, The Board has voted to make this change permanent, so our Annual Meeting, Election and Party will be in December.
Tortorella Pools has completed piping which has been inspected and approved by Suffolk County Health Department. They are currently back filling and prepping to pour the concrete slab, this will complete phase I for Tortorella Pools. Work will commence again after the season.
The Rental Committee met on May 9th to discuss the Rental Program for the coming year beginning July 1st. The Committee’s recommendations were brought to vote at the Board of Managers meeting May 20th. The full Board minutes and Rental Committee Report are available on The Manor website. Some of the “highlights” are, first and most important for fire safety reasons, all electric bikes, scooters, and any other battery powered conveyances are no longer permitted anywhere in the building. For the convenience of homeowners and guests who bring these popular vehicles, an electric charging station is being installed at the bike rack located at the southwest corner of the upper parking lot. This eliminates any reason to bring them into the rooms to be charged. Security chains and locks will not be provided by The Manor and are the responsibility of the vehicle owners. We will adjust our security camera’s to monitor the bike rack area.
Over the coming year the Rental Program will also be enhancing rental units with new bedspreads, blankets and linen, shower curtains and liners, plus upgraded coffeemakers at no cost to the rental homeowners. Also, replacement toasters, teapots, silverware and other designated rental items will now be replaced at no cost to the homeowners.
The Rental Committee recommended, and The Board unanimously approved an increase from 62% to 63% for the Rental Homeowner’s share of rental income.
This time next year, we will have converted one tennis court into four pickle ball courts. This involves removing the AstroTurf from one tennis court and replacing it with a firmer surface material for the pickle ball courts. This type of work is not done now during the high season.
If you haven’t checked out our new website yet, you should do so. The opening “flyover” is great. Hope to see you at The Manor this Summer.
All the best,
The Board of Managers