Muncle
03-23-2008, 06:01 PM
Okay, I messed up. This story's 2 years old even tho it's came up on today's web page!!! Never mind.
http://tinyurl.com/2zpla3
200 Villagers want to secede
Residents sign petition to leave development, be part of Lady Lake
Megan Shannon
Staff Writer
Thursday, February 09, 2006
THE VILLAGES � Charlie Harvey and 200 others no longer want to live in The Villages.
A petition has been passed around The Villages of Lady Lake. So far, 200 of Harvey�s neighbors have expressed their desire to secede from The Villages and become citizens exclusive to Lady Lake.
Villages and Lady Lake attorneys say the process is much more difficult than just collecting signatures. According to Bruce Duncan, attorney for the Villages Center Community Development District, the residents might not have control over the succession.
�I will not look into the matter until it heats up,� Duncan said. �It�s a laborious process that definitely takes 120 days or more.�
Town Attorney Derek Schroth said it is up to the district�s board of supervisors to file for contraction, the opposite of annexation. Then Lady Lake must approve it, he said. If the town agrees, the residents vote. He doubts a petition filled with signatures is going to work.
�I�ve never seen anything like this,� he said. �They are already paying Lady Lake taxes but getting Villages service. It doesn�t make any sense.�
Harvey said he plans on speaking with Lady Lake commissioners before the town meeting next week to discuss contraction. He said he is not sure if the people can sway The Villages to let them go.
According to a Villages official, there are about 7,049 residents in The Villages of Lady Lake. This number was calculated by multiplying the number of households per village by 1.9, which is the average number of residents per household in a retirement community.
The Florida Statute concerning center development districts states that contraction requires written consent of all landowners whose land could be deleted from the district. The statute limits the contraction to no more than 50 percent of the land in the initial district. No more than 500 acres should be contracted. The petitioner would also have to pay $1,500 to Lake County and Lady Lake.
According to Lady Lake consultant Sean Parks, the Villages districts within Lady Lake exceeds 500 acres. He said the districts cover approximately 1,000 acres.
Duncan said he does not understand why anyone, particularly in that district, would want to secede from The Villages.
�Those people still get free cable and they pay amenity fees that are considerably lower than what rest of the residents pay,� he said. �All Lady Lake portions are very old districts.�
Residents living in that district pay amenity and maintenance fees to The Villages but also pay Lady Lake taxes. Town Attorney Derek Schroth said things would generally stay the same for Lady Lake�s tax base. It would be The Villages that would lose money in tax revenues.
Harvey said the district gets very little from the district. He said Lady Lake is taking care of the people.
�The thing we say on this side is they do very little for Orange Blossom and unincorporated Lake County,� he said. �They don�t have to do much because Lady Lake takes care of us too.�
Harvey bought land in Orange Blossom Gardens in 1988. He and his wife, Rose, said people used to be much more friendly in The Villages until the growth became overwhelming. Harvey said the original amenity fee was $79 a month for use of the Paradise Center and other recreation centers. He said the fee has been increased to $113 since then. His district still receives free garbage pickup and free golf, he said, but only after fighting for it.
�We went on strike in 1989 when they tried to take away the free golf,� he said. �It was only because we fought that we still have these things.�
Harvey said he and his neighbors are sick of paying for developer debt.
�Our amenities are paying off these bonds,� he said. �We pay for everything they build on the other side of U.S. 27 down to CR. 466 and into Marion County.�
According to Florida Statutes, the petition would have to include which services and facilities are currently provided by the district to the area being removed and the future land uses for the area provided in the future comprehensive plan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Content � 2008 Daily Commercial
Software � 1998-2008 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved
http://tinyurl.com/2zpla3
200 Villagers want to secede
Residents sign petition to leave development, be part of Lady Lake
Megan Shannon
Staff Writer
Thursday, February 09, 2006
THE VILLAGES � Charlie Harvey and 200 others no longer want to live in The Villages.
A petition has been passed around The Villages of Lady Lake. So far, 200 of Harvey�s neighbors have expressed their desire to secede from The Villages and become citizens exclusive to Lady Lake.
Villages and Lady Lake attorneys say the process is much more difficult than just collecting signatures. According to Bruce Duncan, attorney for the Villages Center Community Development District, the residents might not have control over the succession.
�I will not look into the matter until it heats up,� Duncan said. �It�s a laborious process that definitely takes 120 days or more.�
Town Attorney Derek Schroth said it is up to the district�s board of supervisors to file for contraction, the opposite of annexation. Then Lady Lake must approve it, he said. If the town agrees, the residents vote. He doubts a petition filled with signatures is going to work.
�I�ve never seen anything like this,� he said. �They are already paying Lady Lake taxes but getting Villages service. It doesn�t make any sense.�
Harvey said he plans on speaking with Lady Lake commissioners before the town meeting next week to discuss contraction. He said he is not sure if the people can sway The Villages to let them go.
According to a Villages official, there are about 7,049 residents in The Villages of Lady Lake. This number was calculated by multiplying the number of households per village by 1.9, which is the average number of residents per household in a retirement community.
The Florida Statute concerning center development districts states that contraction requires written consent of all landowners whose land could be deleted from the district. The statute limits the contraction to no more than 50 percent of the land in the initial district. No more than 500 acres should be contracted. The petitioner would also have to pay $1,500 to Lake County and Lady Lake.
According to Lady Lake consultant Sean Parks, the Villages districts within Lady Lake exceeds 500 acres. He said the districts cover approximately 1,000 acres.
Duncan said he does not understand why anyone, particularly in that district, would want to secede from The Villages.
�Those people still get free cable and they pay amenity fees that are considerably lower than what rest of the residents pay,� he said. �All Lady Lake portions are very old districts.�
Residents living in that district pay amenity and maintenance fees to The Villages but also pay Lady Lake taxes. Town Attorney Derek Schroth said things would generally stay the same for Lady Lake�s tax base. It would be The Villages that would lose money in tax revenues.
Harvey said the district gets very little from the district. He said Lady Lake is taking care of the people.
�The thing we say on this side is they do very little for Orange Blossom and unincorporated Lake County,� he said. �They don�t have to do much because Lady Lake takes care of us too.�
Harvey bought land in Orange Blossom Gardens in 1988. He and his wife, Rose, said people used to be much more friendly in The Villages until the growth became overwhelming. Harvey said the original amenity fee was $79 a month for use of the Paradise Center and other recreation centers. He said the fee has been increased to $113 since then. His district still receives free garbage pickup and free golf, he said, but only after fighting for it.
�We went on strike in 1989 when they tried to take away the free golf,� he said. �It was only because we fought that we still have these things.�
Harvey said he and his neighbors are sick of paying for developer debt.
�Our amenities are paying off these bonds,� he said. �We pay for everything they build on the other side of U.S. 27 down to CR. 466 and into Marion County.�
According to Florida Statutes, the petition would have to include which services and facilities are currently provided by the district to the area being removed and the future land uses for the area provided in the future comprehensive plan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Content � 2008 Daily Commercial
Software � 1998-2008 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved