[handieman]

Over two years ago, my wife and I visited The Villages and although we loved the homes, we were a bit squeamish about the covenants. Upon returning a few more times and understanding the reasons behind the covenants, we became avid advocates of such rulings.
One only needs to drive through the villages to get the feel of conformity. Some would call it a term we used to use on planning commissions and ZBA's back home, called "sameness". Drive through a senior community not related to the villages nor its immediate neighbors and view the lawn trinkets, spinning tincan wind thingies, the ceramic set of snow white and the seven dwarfs starring at the roadside and multiply this by the number of homes we have here. I mean no offense to some of these ornaments, however one persons taste may not comply with the neighbors taste. Therefore in our instance the term "sameness" is a virtue.
Not allowing fences, out buildings, greenhouses, sometimes is a hard pill to swallow and leave back home, however I praise the management of our villages for what they have accomplished with these covenants.
I'm extremely in favor or the way most villagers have expressed themselves and their individuality by using mother natures beauty to enhance their properties. Using trees and plants and flowers brings us all together in a mutually pleasing theme.I know it hurts to leave our barns and outdoor "stuff" at home, but after all were here to enjoy ourselves and not "rebuild an empire"
Handieman