From the Villages Dist Gov YIKES!
 

Published by the media source not to be named here:

"During its regular Welcome Wednesday presentation this week at the District Office at Lake Sumter Landing, District officials announced restrictions on personal chairs at the town squares.

"The announcement follows:

"For the safety of patrons, personal liability, and maintenance of the aesthetically pleasing town squares, no personal chairs or property are allowed at the town squares unless otherwise approved by the District. Chairs or other property may be removed by District Property Management. We appreciate your attention and support in helping keep our squares safe and well maintained."

Sheesh, the next thing they will be trying to do...is to outlaw dog poop in public places. :D


Should be fun to watch the responses. :popcorn:

Are they referring to the personal chairs left unattended in the dance or foot traffic areas of the square? I think it would be hard to remove a chair with butt in it.

Watch out what you ask for because you may get it!

Villagers have long been carping over “saved seats” at our town squares, especially on “big” days like St. Paddy’s. Numerous personal chairs appear in prime seating spots as early a 8 AM on some days. “Our” chairs (meaning those owned by The Villages and placed by the Entertainment Division for the enjoyment of all visitors to our squares} are often ’reserved’ by ribbons, string, ropes, cushions, etc. minutes after being put out by Entertainment staff – with no one in sight to use them. How many posts have you seen on this forum and in local news media complaining about these inconsiderate ingrats who glom all the good spaces, sometimes not even bothering to show up until well after the event is underway. There have even been fights and arrests over “reserved” seats – hard to believe!

It appears that in response to resident demands, your local government and the Entertainment Division are stepping up to the plate. They will start addressing these issues. We’ll see how that works out.

Frankly, I think it’s well past time for them to start enforcing all the rules. I wish then great success in curtailing all this “seat saving” – whether they be personal or public chairs. That will be one less minor irritant to interfere with my retirement.

The Villages government seems to tread lightly when it comes to entertainment (ie ambassadors v golf rangers).
Explain to an ambassador that there is slow play and they smile and drive away.

So the communication presented by the OP is surprising because by TV standards its a bold move.

Personal Best Regards:

I think if they really want to address the issue, they should have started with the seat saving of public chairs. It's their chairs, and they can control what people do with them if they want. It's also a bigger issue and has led to more conflict than personal chairs. And having made this announcement, just what do they plan to do with personal chairs? Confiscate them? Hold them for ransom? Looks like a classic cart before the horse situation.

We bring our personal chairs whenever we go to the Squares. If we move, we fold up our chairs and take them with us.

They control coolers, why not chairs

I went to the Johnny Wild (formally Johnny D) show at LSL last Saturday and I noticed the 5pm recorded announcement had changed. Now it's something to the effect, no saving of chairs is allowed before 5pm unless a member of the party stays with the chairs.

With this new stragedy of no private type chairs, they are going to need to buy a lot more chairs. We arrived at 4:30 and all the white plastic chairs were already gone. It was one of the largest crowds I've ever seen and I seen some big Rocky N the Rollers crowds, it looks like Johnny Wild and the Delights is the new king of crowds. I saw dozens of private chairs already in use, if they had been disallowed the standing room only would of gone up a couple of hundred more than the already large amount.

I'm glad they are stopping the saving of chairs, however I never considered that LSL had the big a problem, it was mostly SS. I can remember going to a movie at SS that let out at 4pm and going over to see a 5pm Rocky N the Rollers show and every chair was already saved at SS an hour before the show and nobody was around or with most of these chairs. I would of been happy to sit in a chair at 4pm and waited an hour if there had only been an available chair.

We had also gone to Brownwood the night before (last Friday) and saw Cactus Jack. We arrived at 4:30 and the brown folding chairs had already been set up in advance, which is a good thing because if you leave it up to the residents they are all over the place. However all the chairs had already been taken, however we just sat in the bleachers which there was room for to do. We eventually were able to move into an empty chair when it became available a few minutes later. So Brownwood hasn't quite reached the overflow condition as yet, but Cactus Jack hasn't quite reached the big level yet. I did notice at about 6 to 7pm more than a couple of hundred people were standing, I guess as people had finished dinner. So maybe more chairs are needed at Brownwood as well, especially during a Johnny Wild, Rocky N the Rollers or Uncle Bob show.

In response to Chatbrat - Yes but the coolers are cutting into their profits on drinks, so it is money driven, surprise surprise. The chairs are another story. I'm assuming this is their way of dealing with the saving seats situation but the way it's worded is rather weird. Most people who bring a personal chair will sit on it then take it with them when they leave, no harm done.

I'm very much against it, but could it be because of possible liability issues with private chairs blocking aisles.

I don't know. Could someone block an aisle with a public chair?????

Maybe a Villages rent a chair concession would solve the problem.

Some of the parades would bring in a lot of people bringing their own chairs to sit on the parade route outside of the Square. We did this a few times. Once in a while the sidewalk would be blocked but usually by people gawking at the parade golf carts and people.


Seems though that this would be a hard case to win if someone fell when bringing in their own chairs or caused someone else to fall. Unless there were some other strange facts brought in that would make the Villages' Developers liable. Like hiring a stilt walker they knew was a drunk who then fell over on people and hurt some of them, etc.

As long as there are enough supplied chairs and they are kept clean, I will be OK with the change. I have noticed that many of the white plastic chairs are very dirty.

From Districtgov under welcome Wednesday -> Dropbox - Screenshot (8).png

Usually the provided chairs are arranged to keep an aisle free. With no other source to park a public chair the aisles start to fill up.

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I have seen personal chairs set up at 11:00 AM when I leave MVP at Spanish Springs. I would imagine that is what they are talking about. To me setting up your own chairs is no different than saving seats. Since they really don't enforce the no seat saving rule they probable won't enforce the personal chair rule.

Naw. I don't think they are greedy. I think they are just successful and have made much more money than they will ever need, and they are now reinvesting it into their business, again.

And for those who say they haven't tried to enforce it, maybe some don't understand people born in Illinois and Indiana and Michigan and Ohio where people are expected to do the "right thing", especially those who have lived on this earth at least five decades. It is an attitude that I like.

Some people still won't do it if they are told to do it and forced to do it.. It won't make much difference, except there will be some kinds of ugliness when some people get their chairs confiscated. I think the Morses think that it shouldn't have to come to this and know too, this won't work. Some people come for the fight and just want what they want and the hell with what others might need or like.

Tonight, when I am at the Blues Jam at the Alley in Sanford, this will weigh heavy on my mind. Just one man doing his part to cut down on overcrowding in the squares.

Makes you wonder why there are ambassadors (Ass) on 9 hole course. One Pulled beside me said no driving on the grass. I was 2 foot off the path with one side tires. I said I wouldn't of got off the pass if an Ass wasn't coming up the path the wrong direction on single lane asphalt path. Then he drove off in the grass to hock golf balls. :popcorn:

As the population explodes the square drunks will get worse. And of course the old square drunks aren't going to change the old habits.

It might be one way to limit the numbers at the squares as the population grows. Next we will need tickets for the squares? :)

So when my sister comes down next month and who can't stand for long periods wants to visit the square to see Scooter, guess I will have to tell her we can't go because we can't bring our own chairs like we used to do. Guess we just will not go to the squares anymore. Problem solved.

"unless otherwise approved by the District"

That could mean about anything, including; bring your own chair, sit in it while you're there, and remove it when you get up.

From the other news site and I quote->
"The District Office on Thursday afternoon offered the following clarification on its policy with regard to personal chairs at town squares:
As a follow-up to this week’s Welcome Wednesday information, the District would like to clarify the use of personal chairs on the three town squares as it relates to weekly Entertainment. Personal folding chairs are allowed to be brought to events. The setting up and leaving of chairs prior to 3:00 p.m. is prohibited. Any chairs set up and left on the square prior to 3:00 p.m. will be removed by District Property Management. Our efforts are to manage and maintain a safe environment for visitors, staff and contractors at the squares. We appreciate your attention and support of this matter which will allow our Squares to continue to meet our high community standards."

And on the districtgov.org site ->Village Community Development Districts

OK, so who was starting rumors now!:icon_wink:

Stop building and there won't be a chair problem!
 

I can deal with more traffic, getting numbers at Rec Centers and not always being able to get tee times. But, entertainment at the squares is supposed to be the heart of The Villages.

If we arrive at the square between 5:00 - 6:00 and all the chairs are taken or reserved, we will have to stand or leave if we can't bring our own chairs. Why have entertainment, if the residents can't go to a popular event because there are too many people.

Before someone suggests - go earlier to get a chair, that will only mean that people will start arriving earlier and earlier to stand in line to get a chair.

I have a better idea, mark spots where private chairs can be placed like a parking space. That would resolve the safety issue. Don't ban private chairs, please!

Never mind! I just read the post above regarding chairs being allowed!

I should have read the entire post just proceeding mine.:ohdear:

So our folding chairs are allowed, after 3 pm. I can live with that

You folks do realize there is no real way to enforce this! If Dpm
can remove the chairs they have to have a place for folks to to recover them. I'm going to go buy a $4 chair and say the $50 chair is mine when I go to get it back lol...This is a public area.. How can you advise other folks coming into the squares who don't live here... to enjoy the music.. the car shows.. special events.. etc.. That their chair has been removed because they did not comply to the policy without knowing it.. This is the same thing as coolers and kids running around.. it's a policy.. Not a law .. so the folks who can really enforce it.. i.e. Lady Lake police.. Sumter County Sheriffs and Wildwood Police do not have a law to uphold, just a policy.. They will not uphold a policy and they are the only enforcement in the Public areas! So basically.. if peer pressure does not uphold the law.. it'll be the same ol same old..

Whoa Lol....that's a little heavy handed.:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: That's it we're moving to Fenney!:clap2::1rotfl::clap2::1rotfl:

Are you threatening to start another poop thread?


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Don't let the lobsters slap you on the butt! Then again, let's eat the lobsters before they do! Whoo Hoo. Go Nucky.


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HE** NO! :oops:

And don't you be starting no chit with me either. :D

I wonder how they settled on 3:00? Th entertainment starts at 5:00. I would think that 4:30 would be more reasonable.

Or allow chairs 1/2 hour before the start of an event.

Two hours seems to defeat the purpose.

The new square announcement proclaims a member of your party must be present to save seats. Does this mean AIS at 3:00 pm for personal chairs?

I am constantly amazed at people blocking aisles with chairs. They plop them down wherever there is free space without any regard to accessibility to the dance area or the ability for emergency personnel to gain access.