Quote:
Originally Posted by npwalters
New owners and potential new owners need to pay attention to what is happening in The Villages now. If you want to get an idea of what your lifestyle is going to be in several years take a look at the Spanish Springs and Sumter Landing area this month.
The developer has petitioned both Lake and Sumter County to change the existing zoning restrictions to allow multi-family housing (apartments) in Spanish Springs town square, Sumter Landing town square, Brownwood town square, and in the former location of Hacienda Hills Country Club (HHCC). The current residents are vehemently opposed to this – especially the HHCC – and have let the developer know. The developer, so far, has basically said so what, we will do what we can get away with. County Commissioner meetings are being held on 21 SEP (Monday) and in mid October. This does not affect residents in Brownwood and south but IT COULD IN several YEARS. If they choose to do it here they can choose to do it elsewhere.
You can quit reading here if you like but the remainder gets into the details you need to be well informed.
FACT: The developer plans to build a multi-story apartment complex in area that was Hacienda Hill Country Club. This complex will completely change the character of the neighborhood. It puts up to 280 apartments and about 500 new residents into plat that was a single story country club surrounded by single family homes. It will add about 500 new people to the already stressed amenities. The Amenity Authority Committee (AAC) was pressured by the developer to give about 280 amenities to the developer to make this possible. There was a hearing and the residents were firmly opposed. The AAC ignored the residents and voted to give the amenities to the developer.
OPINION: The AAC was played, rolled over like a puppy dog, and gave TV what it wanted. The affected residents are furious. You can read much more on TOTV and in the Property Owners Association (POA) newspaper.
FACT: There will be a meeting with the Sumter County special master for planning and zoning on 21 September. There are 2 meetings scheduled with the Sumter County commission in October. They will consider rezoning HHCC and 4 Sumter Landing Square locations to allow multifamily housing.
OPINION: The meeting venue with the zoning master is Everglades Recreation Center. Far from Sumter Landing and HHCC and not golf cart accessible to most. You can guess why. The developer has paired apartments in Sumter Landing and Brownwood and apartments at HHCC as an issue. This is because apartments in Sumter Landing is less egregious (although still with significant issues). They hope to muddy the water on the HHCC issue by considering them together.
The County Commissioner meeting is scheduled in October because the current commissioners change soon after that. The current commissioners are widely believed to be the developers’ lapdogs. Three incumbents were soundly voted out for that reason but will not change until after this decision.
OPINION: The developer is taking steps to change the character of the lifestyle in The Villages. They are doing this to generate additional income streams in a long developed area. The residents are firmly opposed and feel betrayed by “the family”. We love it here in our village inspired lifestyle. We want to see it stay that way. We do NOT want high density/city style life. We want the developer to recognize our concerns and forego a few bucks now to continue the long term quality lifestyle they advertise. These could well be your concerns in a few years. It is something you need to consider before you buy here.
NOTE: There will be several here that will call me a complainer – say I don’t speak for most- say some hotshot does this every few years- say the new apartment are going to be beautiful (as long as they aren’t in my neighborhood), etc. I can almost name them ahead of time. Just goes with the territory on this blog. You have to have thick skin to post here. I say go to the meetings and listen to the people speak. I have yet hear one dissenting voice other than the developers’ men.
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Quite the contrary, I think you have put a LOT of research and RATIONAL analysis into this based on what HAS happened, not the emotional "gut" feelings of what "might" happen ( though I do share your vision of what is coming, I am not naive. I know very well what you mean by " labeled a complainer". For that reason I am very discrete about my personal opinion on this whole subject the the gradual changes and downward trend (some disagree with that analysis of course) in the community. There are many reasons, some have similar "gut" feelings, but don't want to say or do anything that my de-value our property even more. Others, simply lack the financial ability to just "pick up and leave" as many will so flippantly suggest, perhaps for them its very easy, for others, not so much. Some just want to close out all bad news, I understand that emotion too, why be unhappy when we can simply continue to believe this is a true "Disneyland" for adults", I would love to continue like that too, but it's getting more difficult everyday. Maybe there are silent others like me, not selling, not contacting RE agents "just to get an idea", but silently keeping score of what is happening and what seems to be accelerating; the loss of that small town feeling and a definite march toward impersonal, high rise, diversification. Interesting that many of us built our homes here to escape from. Others will see this as a very good trend, I respect that, but for me personally, I am beginning to put together some contingency plans. Maybe things will take a turn for the better once, instead of the most financially lucrative moves. There CAN be a balance of quality of life intended for the residents of these types of communities, while also making a "reasonable" profit.