New Bridges coming!
 

For those of you living out of town with homes in TV, check out Skip Smith on YouTube. His video “Sinkhole and Bridge Update” shows the latest info on where the new cart bridges will be and other new amenities. If you are away and unable to read The Village Sun, this video is excellent!

Skip
 

I watch all of Skip's video, he is the best, cuts thru all the BS...

Just watched the video, thanks for pointing it out. Looks like there are lots of plans for the new southern build out including lots of amenities and three golf cart bridges. However, it was very disappointed that the map did not appear to include any new championship golf courses. Does anyone know what the plans are regarding new championship golf courses?

I agree, 5 planned villages and not one championship course. Appears to be a glaring omission. However, I understand there will be a Southern Oaks course located bordering east of 468 and south of 470

You would think it would be difficult to sell homes down there without concrete advertised plans to add at least one Championship course? One of my favorite things about the Villages is the ability to load up the golf cart in our garage and be able to get to 8 different championship courses in a half hour or less. And the other 4 courses are only between about 35 and 50 minutes away. Where else could this be done?

I seriously doubt that they're going to try to build a bridge over the turnpike. A bridge across the turnpike would have to be very high and 100 yards or more long. Since the turnpike is an interstate road, the federal government would have to be involved in any new existing bridges.

I saw a plan that showed a cart path running alongside 468 and then heading north-west parallel to the turnpike and eventually crossing 468 just south of Brownwood. That seems like a more feasible plan.

I can't recall where I saw it, but I'm thinking that it was posted here on TOTV.

And yes, it's going to be a hard sell with only two executive courses and no championships. Even if they build a championship course, residents in those Villages would be restricted to that one course unless they want to travel a long way in their golf carts.

The nearest championship course is Bonifay and that about 5 miles as the crow flies and I'm guessing 8-10 miles by golf cart. And that's the closest.

I have friends who will be moving to The Villages in March. They are considering Fenny and I strongly recommended against it. Unless you like being isolated from the rest of The Villages, and lot of people might, this is not the area for you.

The Turnpike is a state road, SR91.


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When you go to the sales office the map has the golf cart bridges on it. Bridges were pointed out to us in October.

When the whole new area south of 44 is developed it will be quite large. And, as we all have seen, the development could continue. We haven't seen what are in the plans yet for the area west of Fenney including across 301 to I-75. So don't write off another championship course or two for that area. And even if the turnpike bridge never happens being isolated from the rest of the Villages doesn't necessarily make their world small. It will be a VERY large part of TV even without golf cart access to/for the rest of us.

The bridge over the pike is already there use to be a farmers equipment overpass.

::agree:

I remember back when the chatter was who would buy in the villages around the "proposed" Brownwood.....so far from everybody and everything....nothing down there.....ditto much of what has been said in this thread.

Fenney is temporarily disconnected. When it fills in it will be continuous.

Is that such a big deal?

Does anybody who lives in Chatham (for example) feel more connected to a home in Brownwood area and disconnected from Fenney?
And what about residents on the historic side? I don't think connectivity to anywhere south of 441 is a big deal for them!

The unknown always invites speculation, and wag (wild a$$ guessing).

The Villages just builds it and the new folks just keep coming.....like the past 30 years!!!

:coolsmiley: we bought in pennacamp and had many who told us it was so far removed no one would live there much less be able to sell. :1rotfl:

Championship courses will be added
 

All in due time.....
The developer knows what sells homes. They are not releasing all the plans now. We will receive news a bit at a time, as always. That gives us something to look forward to, right?
I just think they have been brilliant with their development so far. If that wasn’t the case, none of us would be here now!

We love being down Brownwood way. More amenities, younger demographic, easy access to the turnpike and elsewhere for wonderful country drives. shopping will come now that just about all of 466a to 44 is built and the growth down Fenney way.

It may just be my own sense of direction but wouldn't both Belle Glade and Evans Prairie be closer?

If you love golf, this could be a problem for those who choose to live down there. Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Championship Courses
 

There are 12 Championship courses, and about 75 Villages from Brownwood north.

The new development has introduced about 6 new Villages. I would expect an announcement within the next year about a new course.

Of course none of us are a part of the inner circle to know exactly what is planned for the future of The Villages. What was shared with the city of Wildwood in May of last year was a proposed master plan for the VOSO area that showed what is obviously a championship course along the turnpike. I would be shocked if this is the only one planned.

Like everything these plans are subject to change and undoubtedly will change as the areas continue to develop. What likely will not change is the elimination of the turnpike exit at CR468, based on the plans that have been made public the NE, NW, & SW corners of the intersection are already full. For the exit to even be a commuter exit (like US27) you need considerable land on at least two corners of the intersection, none of which is now available.

Championship courses
 

For those residents south of Rt 44 (Village of Fenney) Belle Glade slightly closer in driving time and Evans Prairie and Bonifay pretty much the same by car. None of the three would be more than 4 or 5 minutes difference by car. You could put Havana in the mix too.

No doubt in my mind there will be one or perhaps more golf courses built south of Rt. 44. Patience.....

Are there cattle crossing in the area under turnpike? Which would make prefect golf cart tunnel?

There are no crossings under the turnpike, only the Bailey Bridge south of the service plaza going over that is a cattle crossing form when the turnpike cut the farm in half 40 years ago. The Villages owns the land on the north side of the turnpike/bridge but currently not the south. It's not a difficult dig to find it is only a matter of time for them to own the land on the south side and make the cattle bridge a golf cart bridge.

Refer to my topic on Revisiting the 468 exit. FDOT appears to have taken over this project for 2019 completion. Part of the post Irma planning.

GWN, just curious, where did you find this info.? When I went to the FDOT website I saw Turnpike widening from 468 to I-75, but nothing mentioned about a new interchange/exit at SR468.

The cattle bridge info came from an old Lakeland FL newspaper clipping I found about a year ago.

There is currently no plan for an exit at 468 based on an article about 18 months ago in the Daily Sun that the decision was made to not build the exit and instead improve the US301 exit.

All the land on all four sides of the intersection of SR92 and CR468 is owned by The Villages development company according to the data available on sumterpa.com. All recent plans and designs show TV developing the entire area around the intersection, most of these plans can be found at the city of Wildwood web site.

With development now planned to go down to and beyond CR470 and having a main road (Buena Vista?) running from CR470 to CR468 to Brownwood AND CR501 is being widened and will run from CR470 north to CR468 and likely beyond there is little need for the CR468 exit.

Any post-Irma plans will most assuredly be squashed by the aggressive construction that is already in motion at the crossing. Would it really serve much purpose anyway? There is no existing facilities and no land to build them nearby that isn't already under control of The Villages and the city of Wildwood that would provide any substantial relief during a hurricane evacuation.

Moving to TV very soon!
 

Thanks to Skip, I will be moving soon to the Villages. I have watched all his videos on YouTube and coming down next month to purchase a home or villa. All of Skip's videos are excellent and anyone thinking of moving to the Villages, should watch them.

My bad, I meant to respond to Aloha1 about their posting of this.

"Interesting note in the Article in Today's Daily Sun about post Irma FDOT plans to widen the Turnpike to 6 lanes. States that the 468 turnpike interchange will be funded for 2019. Widening then planned for 2023 from Lake/Sumter county line to 468 interchange and from there to I 75 in 2025. Page C4. Looks like the State is now picking up the costs."

When I went to FDOT, I saw the plans for widening SR92, but it didn't mention a 468 turnpike interchange.

That's why homes north of 466 will always be in demand. Much closer to the golf courses and shopping too.

In demand, but not as valuable as those south of 466A.


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Actually the areas in the north are getting younger too. After all the people who bought these homes 15 years ago are now either dying or moving back north because their spouse died. Some older folks moved into assisted living.

That’s depressing [emoji33]


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Not sure about that. But homes north of 466 have that huge reserve fund. Homes below 466 do not. I think the fund is around $25,000,000. This is why you see updates to the recreation facilities.