[mrdarcy]

I think Peachie has identified the reason why the wall was erected in the first place. Whenever something abrupt and dramatic happens to change the status quo, in addition to asking "Why?", one should also ask "Why now?"

After being used as a thoroughfare for 15+ years, the wall was erected on the weekend 2 days before Villages representatives appeared before Fruitland Park officials to discuss expansion south of 466A into Fruitland Park's jurisdiction. Fruitland Park officials want agreement for Fruitland Park residents to use Villages multi-modal paths to access merchants at Colony Plaza as one condition in the negotiations.

Fruitland Park officials could have pointed to precedent of the longstanding "breech" in the northern Villages perimeter on Paradise Drive, that is until the "breech" was sealed right before the meeting with Fruitland Park.

I think impending negotiations with Fruitland Park prompted erection of the wall on Paradise Drive. Harbor Chase and the new assisted living facility would not explain the "Why now?". The Fruitland Park negotiations certainly would. They would also explain why the Developer was not really paying attention to the impact on the historic section, if his focus is concentrated on new expansion. If one's head is in the realms of multi-million dollar expansion deals, one is not thinking about interruption in Villagers' day to day lives. Indeed, not paying attention to such impact is thoughtless, but in the scenario I described above, it it understandable.

What I really hope happened is Mr. Morse was reminded by those who knew his father, that his father would never have overlooked the impact of his actions on his neighbors. Though we don't know what caused him to dismantle the wall, perhaps Mr. Morse could be afforded some measure of forgiveness, if reminder of his father's generosity and good character, instead a legal technicality, prompted him to remove the wall so quickly after he installed it.

We Villagers could take the high road on this one, as the view is better from the high road. The Developer can most definitely be thoughtless, and even heartless, as he's demonstrated on a number of occasions. But he can also be incredibly thoughtful as he's demonstrated by planning and implementing the most phenomenal retirement community in the country. Good and bad can exist in the same person. We are all examples of that.