An Open Letter to Janet Tutt

[quirky3]

(I sent this as a separate email to Janet Tutt. The open letter is for greater awareness).
-------------------------------------------
Janet, I bought a house on the Amberwood golf course, Tee #7 in May. The Villages had built hills and grassy mounds that function as visual barriers along the border between the golf course and non-villages land.

This Friday they took away an entire grassy hill to use for tee #5, leaving flat, bare earth and no visual barrier. Today they removed a hill topped with planted grasses. They plan to remove another hill tomorrow.

Please tell me what the plan is to restore the visual barrier at Tee #7 and how much more The Villages plans to take away. Thank you

[bagboy]

I think that was a nice letter and you presented your concerns in a very professional manner. As a homeowner on a golf course where alot of work is being done, you have every right to have your concerns addressed and questions answered. It's only a guess on my part, but I think the Villages, the district, and Ms. Tutt will work with you and come up with a satisfactory resolution that works for everyone. I hope I am right and best of luck.

[Mikeod]

I may be wrong, but from your photos, it looks like you're looking at the changes they are making to the 5th green. They are moving the 5th green out from the trees, so the mounds are being removed as they would block the green.

A view of the 7th tee would show homes in the background.

This obviously doesn't mean you should not ask and get an answer, but perhaps it would be faster to contact Eric VanGorder, Director of Executive Golf Maintenance. 753-3396.

[Bogie Shooter]

Is this similar to having a water view that may or may not have water? I doubt the deed states the dirt piles would always be there.

[Polar Bear]

I wish you the best of luck, but I'm not sure what your legal position would be to prevent or modify such an action.

[quirky3]

The view is from the back of my house on the 7th tee. They are moving the dirt to further build up the 5th tee.

[Jima64]

Just how tall were these mounds of dirt? Were they originally put there in advagnce of this golf course change? Did they provide a lot of privacy for you? I understand your concerns and wonder why nobody bothered to tell you about the possible removal of this dirt at the time you were buying this home.

[graciegirl]

When you live adjacent to a piece of property, change may come to that piece of property.


We once lived on a golf course to see it change to residential.


Some have lived next to a pasture with horses to see it change to a strip mall.


From your pictures it appears to still be a nice view.

[TVMayor]

Is that non-village land not one of two parcels purchased by the developer to build 300 new court yard villas?

[DonH57]

I know those mounds of dirt. A few of my golf balls have disappeared over that grassy abyss like things go missing in the bermuda triangle. I bet they shake a few hundred balls of those bushes.

[Challenger]

Would never buy if the plans for adjacent parcels were not firmly established.

Realtor "You will have that beautiful farm just behind your home to view and enjoy"

Several places on the outer fringes of TV are going to bring massive dissapointments in the years to come/ Not the developers fault. An open space is not necessarily a good neighbor . "Caveat Emptor"

[TVMayor]

The best way to get and answer to your question is to attend the Welcome Wednesday meeting. At the meeting you can ask your question directly to Janet and ask any questions that you may have as a result of her answer.

On the Wednesday preceding the second Friday of the month her staff conducts the meeting because Janet is at the AAC meeting.


This is from
Village Community Development Districts (http://www.districtgov.org/index.aspx)

Please join us for Welcome Wednesday!
Welcome Wednesday is a program designed to give residents the opportunity to learn about ongoing projects, address rumors and have their questions answered by District staff. Please join us each Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the District office located at 984 Old Mill Run to have the opportunity to hear first-hand about the latest rumors and meet District Board Supervisors from your CDD and others. We have also revised our weekly handouts into a new easy to read newsletter! To view this weekly newsletter, please visit the Welcome Wednesday quick link for updated information. For additional information, please contact the Customer Service Center at (352) 753-4508 or click on the header of this announcement. We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday!

[quirky3]

Thanks to those who gave me some good ideas and info. I will measure the hills today after the golf traffic has died down.

Yes, the land beyond the hills is non-Villages property. It is not part of the two parcels to be developed by The Villages.

I completely understood that things can change on non-Villages property, and I was OK with that since The Villages had put visual barriers there on Villages property as part of a golf course.

Having that Villages golf course landscape destroyed three months after moving in....most people in my position would see what can be done to make that right.

[Challenger]

Thanks to those who gave me some good ideas and info. I will measure the hills today after the golf traffic has died down.

Yes, the land beyond the hills is non-Villages property. It is not part of the two parcels to be developed by The Villages.

I completely understood that things can change on non-Villages property, and I was OK with that since The Villages had put visual barriers there on Villages property as part of a golf course.

Having that Villages golf course landscape destroyed three months after moving in....most people in my position would see what can be done to make that right.

Quirky: (aren't we all)

My post was meant to be a generalized heads up to newbies buying in TV or anywhere.
Many years of experience has made me especially wary about unknown conditions surrounding (especially) new homes.

Sure - you should definitely ask questions and get the best result you can--Good Luck!

[quirky3]

Here are some measurements:

The hills average 6.5 feet in height at the center plateau.
- The first hill they removed was 59 feet across and 30 feet deep.
- The second hill they removed was 44 feet across and 35 feet deep.
- The next hill to be removed is 67 feet across.
- They may also remove an additional hill that is 58 feet across.

So for sure they will remove 170 feet width of visual barrier, scraped to the ground, with a possibility of 58 more feet, for a total of 228 feet across.

[graciegirl]

Here are some measurements:

The hills average 6.5 feet in height at the center plateau.
- The first hill they removed was 59 feet across and 30 feet deep.
- The second hill they removed was 44 feet across and 35 feet deep.
- The next hill to be removed is 67 feet across.
- They may also remove an additional hill that is 58 feet across.

So for sure they will remove 170 feet width of visual barrier, scraped to the ground, with a possibility of 58 more feet, for a total of 228 feet across.



They are removing a barrier to looking at the golf course?


Some folks illegally cut down trees to improve their view.

[quirky3]

This doesn't relate to Villager's view of the golf course. I have used my unequaled (thank heavens) artistic abilities to draw a very rough sketch

[njbchbum]

quirky - If The Villages could take out trees because their roots were interfering with houses and leaves were a constant clean-up headache to the homeowner, surely someone can find enough dirt around to restore landscape buffer on their property behind your home!

[zcaveman]

I am confused. Tee # 7 on Amberwood has village houses on both sides of the tee. On the right side of the tee they are on the other side of the pond. Tee #6 (the par 4) has the setting that you are talking about. Houses on the left of the tee and fairway and farms/buffalo on the right.

Z

[quirky3]

Zcaveman, I have always regarded you as a TV expert and you may be right! When I bought the home I was told it was on tee #7, but I don't golf.

The thing that concerns me is that they didn't just truck dirt in from somewhere. They decided to destroy a large amount of such pretty and well established plantings on the golf course. I am hoping that phone calls this coming week will yield information that is hopeful about the plans for that space.

[Sonny39]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the location you are referring too is on the 5th hole on Amberwood, not the 7th.

[CWGUY]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the location you are referring too is on the 5th hole on Amberwood, not the 7th.

I think you are correct. :undecided:

[quirky3]

OK - thanks very much for the correction!

[Mikeod]

OK, now that we have the solved the confusion on where the work is being done, what you are seeing is the rebuilding of the #5 hole on Amberwood. It previously was a long par 3 (before that it was called a par 4). The green was placed within a semi-circle of trees that made it difficult to grow grass. Play also tended to back up on this hole as players waited for the green to clear even though they couldn't reach it with their tee shot.

As a result, it is being redone to a shorter par 3 with the green pulled out of the trees and closer to the tee. The mounds being removed were hazards for the hole at its former length and green position, but now would interfere with normal play in the new design. These mounds are on the other side of the hole from the houses, so they were not a visual barrier blocking the view of the course from the houses, but a barrier reducing the chance of a ball rolling out of TV property.

My recommendation is still the best, IMO. Contact Eric VanGorder. Janet Tutt will refer your question to Recreation, which will ultimately refer it to Eric. Cut out the middlemen and get to the person who knows what is happening.

[quirky3]

Mikeod, thanks for the helpful information. I will follow your advice and ask to see a diagram of the finished rebuilt tee. Maybe there is a way they can put up a visual barrier without encroaching on the golf space.

[buzzy]

Mikeod, thanks for the helpful information. I will follow your advice and ask to see a diagram of the finished rebuilt tee. Maybe there is a way they can put up a visual barrier without encroaching on the golf space.

I am missing something. Beyond the mounds there are woods, and some empty fields further beyond the woods. Are you saying that you don't want to look across the fairway to see the woods, now that the mounds have been leveled? It's not like you've lost your golf course view.

[quirky3]

Directly across from my back yard there are currently woods. In the future, it could be a strip mall, parking lot or something else less desirable to look at. The grassy hills would have blocked that.

When you look to the right, you see some rooftops. If they remove those hills you will see a long open shed filled with junk, an RV, two trailers, 4 or 5 cars and I'm not sure what else right along that fence line. I think they will probably not remove the hills there.

When I bought the house I thought that it was unlikely that The Villages would change what they had established in a golf course but they are.

[buzzy]

OK, got it. Reasonable concern. Hope it works out.

[quirky3]

Things are looking good and I am optimistic. Eric VanGorder called me this morning to talk through the plan for Amberwood #5.

The soil that was originally used for the hazard mounds was not growing plants well and they decided to use it for fill during the rebuild, then restore the hazards with better soil and plants. He said they don't need a larger green. It will be an equally effective visual barrier as there is today. They are not changing the hills in front of the buildings on non-Village property.

They will also be closing the entry access point being used currently to move equipment in and out of the course that was created. This temporary road will have the fence area repaired and re-landscaped upon exiting.

They have an end of September planned completion date for the work. I feel much better now. Thanks to Eric and Janet.

[quirky3]

///duplicate

[Mikeod]

I knew Eric would have the answers to your questions. He's a standup, no BS guy.

[Challenger]

I knew Eric would have the answers to your questions. He's a standup, no BS guy.

As are most of the TV managers/administrators etc, in my experience

[manaboutown]

Glad to hear it will work out well for you!

[Villageswimmer]

Very happy for you. I think you handled the problem in a mature, intelligent manner.

[downeaster]

Very happy for you. I think you handled the problem in a mature, intelligent manner.

I agree and would add the responses to this thread were handled in a mature, intelligent manner.