Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve9930
You are correct about the public access. The Villages was built using tax free bonds. To do that it need to be classified in a way that allowed it to issue those bonds thus making it pretty much like any other city. This means that you cannot restrict access based on residential location. You cannot do this any more then Ocala can but up gates restricting outside access to their residential streets. I'm sorry some of the Villagers are upset about that and what they wrongly perceive as hordes of outsiders using their swimming pools, etc. Its just not happening. There probably is a solution however. Don't know if it would work or can be done. The Villages could call all those bonds, pay back the $400 million plus, reclassify the development and you could built a twenty foot wall around the whole complex. But I will tell you this doing so will not reduce any of the property taxes you pay to the county.
Another suggestion is to issue a trail sticker for any Golf Cart that uses the paths. You will not be able to restrict sale of those sticker to only Village residents but you would gain revenue from people that are not residents that use the paths. I do believe that would be within the authority of The Villages.
I could be wrong on these suggestions for what do I know I'm just a lowly outsider.
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No one is restricting access to the Village. They are only trying to restrict access
by golf cart. I'm not sure that that is legal or not, but I would think that if access by golf cart is only available by crossing private property then the owner of that property has a right to allow that or not.
No one is suggesting that "hordes" of outsiders using our facilities. It was stated that there are some. I have run into some. You simply do not know that that is not happening. I really don't think that that is the real issue, but the reason for this action is completely irrelevant.
It is simple. The owner of the property in question is going to allow Villages residents and no one else to transverse his property. I'm no legal expert, but I would guess that that a property owner has that right. Maybe it will be taken to court and we'll find out otherwise but until then, I believe that the property owner has the right to say who may and who may not cross their property.
A solution has been reached.