Tricks of the trade: Large-scale managers gather for immersive workshop

Bright smiles, camaraderie, and sharing tricks of the trade were on sharp display as managers from large-scale communities across the country gathered in Montgomery County, Md., earlier this month for the annual Large-Scale Managers Workshop.  

Large-scale communities provide municipal-type services with a minimum of 1,000 units or 1,000 acres and a $2 million operating budget. During the workshop, participants tour planned communities and have access to networking events and education sessions expressly designed for them.   

Workshop participants truly enjoy and appreciate the event. T. Peter Kristian, CMCA, LSM, PCAM, general manager of the Hilton Head Plantation Property Owners Association, in Hilton Head, S.C., says he’s been attending the workshop for more than 30 years, has made lifelong friends through it, and values the collaboration with colleagues. “We learn from each other, ask questions, and relax,” he says. “We get to see all the new things being done and get innovative ideas.”   

First time participant Thomas Guest Jr., manager of Reunion, a large-scale community in Madison, Miss., says, “We’re getting a lot of good information on design and details. We will kick around the ideas and see how we can incorporate them” into the community of more than 1,000 families located outside of Jackson.  

Chris Bosarge, Reunion’s executive director, adds that he came to the workshop to “see what they can do to improve and also confirm what we are doing right.”  

During a site visit to the Villages of Urbana, developer Tom Natelli of Natelli Communities told participants that building a large-scale community is a combination of “art, science, and instinct.” The company has developed several successful large-scale communities across the mid-Atlantic region. He said the Urbana project was complex because of its location, scale, historical significance, and zoning and infrastructure issues.  

Located outside of Frederick, Md., the community of 4,100 homes is near the Monocacy National Battlefield, the site of an 1864 Civil War battle. Natelli says embracing and incorporating the area’s history including the restoration of an original building on the property was important to the success of the project.  

Natelli urged large-scale managers to work collaboratively with residential and commercial aspects of the community. “How you overcome challenges is a big part of the success of the development,” Natelli says. “Think broadly and create special places.”

Designing distinctive communities also must encompass federal guidelines to prevent discrimination. During a session on the Fair Housing Act, Ruth Katz, an attorney with Lerch, Early & Brewer in Bethesda, Md., told workshop participants that requests for accommodations be an interactive and cordial process based on three key elements. Boards and managers must determine whether there is a disability, how they can be accommodated, and the relationship between the two, Katz told participants.  

Armed with information and collegial support, workshop participants clearly enjoyed the event. “The large-scale managers section of CAI is like the Ritz Carlton,” says Nico March, founder of The March Group in San Diego. It represents “the highest level of experience, knowledge, and trust. The camaraderie and transfer of knowledge and education is one of the biggest pluses of the workshop.”

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