Brownwood (all-wood) Apartments
 

Home after a five week National Park road trip out west, was very surprised to see the Brownwood apartments built Three stories high, entirely framed in wood and sheathed in chipboard/oriented strand board. Fire Safety and Security questions..........smoke free buildings? Prohibited open flame within apartments? Regular scheduled fire evacuation drills using stairways in lieu of elevators? Tenants with mobility issues only placed on ground floors? Villages Firefighters familiarization with building and apartment floor plans, truck/ladder access to exterior of buildings in complex?

Give these folks a call:
Building Services | Sumter County, FL - Official Website
VCDD Public Safety

Brownwood (all-wood) Apartments
 

Cheaper than steel & concrete.


"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
George Orwel

Fire trap

Typically such structures have a fire suppression system capable at all exposure points.


"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
George Orwell

After scanning the Florida building codes I'm quite sure a fire sprinkler system will be installed throughout the building....

Normal construction around the country, they seem to keep up with the latest building codes.

Wonder where residents will put their golf carts?

The apartments are one year lease, when you sign lease will determine where your apartment is. Not sure i would invest in a cart to sit outside in a parking space, but at other care facilities they park their carts outside, some have a car port. As for the structure the structure had to have approval. Not worried if we chose to live there.

Looks like brick veneer around the first floor.

https://thevillagescommercialpropert...ts-BWLofts.jpg

The elevator shafts were built first out of block.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...04&oe=5E2D4959

Most motels I stay anymore will have these, apartments shouldn't be any different.

https://www.claimsjournal.com/app/up...i-26416367.jpg

Great input from all, a sprinkler system for fire suppression should do it.

You can also bet that they will have fire risers allowing the Fire Dept to pump high pressure water to the upper floors.

The wood construction is a standard building technique for a 3 story building. Even many hotels are constructed with wood. It should not present a fire hazard. The problem is that, if I were to live in the building, I would want a top floor unit. Otherwise, you will very likely have a noise problem with the people living above you, especially if the people above you are heavy. I have never seen a wood floor constructed in a way that will eliminate noise transmission to the unit below. Sometimes, they will install a thin concrete floor topping which doesn't work. And, over time the wood floor joists will start to squeak, and the noise problem will get worse. Just my opinion.

Brownwood (all-wood) Apartments
 

I would think renting a home all year in TV would be a lot cheaper than renting these apartments. Either way, no maintenance for the tenant and full amenities.
I see no benefit to living in an apartment building unless it's in a downtown big city location.
When we were first married the tenants above us would practice their bowling with a real bowling ball.


"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
George Orwell

I agree. It reminds me of people who worked in downtown Washington, DC, and would buy a townhouse 40 miles from work with more than an hour daily commute.

I can see the need for the apartments and you can bet The Villages Developer has done his due diligence on construction of such. These will rent quickly IMHO regardless of price and no garage.

Problem with these apartments, 1) no secured garages 2) if you have a neighbor who has roaches--everyone gets roaches 3) hauling groceries to an apt via an elevator is a real pain--the Admiral wants to move into these apps.--I told her she has to wait till I'm dead--

We lived in a Palm Coast Condo for 8 months--too long-bailed & moved to TV

:1rotfl::1rotfl:“The Admiral wants to move into these apps and I told her she had wait till I’m dead”. :duck: It could come sooner rather than later. :ohdear:

There will be enclosed garage spaces for some units. They are the 11 rectangles in this screen shot.

Some have already been built and can be seen in this video at about the 7:50 mark: The Villages 9-8-19 Construction Update Credit for video goes to Gold Wingnut Productions!

A wood sub-floor doesn't require a wood floor over it. They could put a layer of soundproofing down over the subfloor, followed by a thin layer of concrete, followed by a layer of cushioning, followed by a layer of carpeting. You might hear someone tapdancing on in the kitchen if there was a tile floor there, but that's about it.

As for "why rent" - every time people come to ToTV to ask advice about moving, the #1 recommendation is always "try renting for a year first." This offers an excellent alternative to renting a house, for folks who need that transitioning buffer. If you've always lived in city apartments/condos, and this will be your first actual single-family free-standing house, the Brownwood apartments are an excellent choice for that year's "tryout" of the Villages.

Are these apartments available to anyone or is it open only to 55 plus? If you rent one are you a villager and you pay the same amenities as home owners and have access to everything?

The amenity fee is supposedly built in to the rent. The developer owns the building. So theoretically the developer pays 100% of all units' amenity fee to the District. There is no bond per unit, and since it's just one building it'd theoretically be $901 impact fee they'd pay for the building. I don't know if there's an impact fee for the 11 garages but I doubt it.

From the blurb I read on the website, it is intended to be a rental-only version of the Villages, which means at least one person occupying the unit must be 55+.

They will have access to all Villages amenities, but they will also have amenities that are exclusively for them. This should result in fewer of them wanting to go to other pools and rec centers since they have their own that no one else is allowed to use.

Lofts at Brownwood bringing apartments with amenities to The Villages

Villages News - July 28, 2019

The Lofts at Brownwood, which for the first time will offer apartment living with full use of amenities in The Villages, has begun taking shape a stone’s throw from Paddock Square.

The Lofts at Brownwood will include 265 age-restricted apartment-style units. The residents of the apartments will have their own private resort-style pool, clubhouse and fitness center. They also will have a dog park. In addition, 100 percent of residents of the Lofts at Brownwood will have Villages amenities built into their rental fee.

As the apartment buildings rise, many are wondering what the future holds for apartment life in The Villages.

Condominiums and apartments will be allowed in the new Villages of Southern Oaks, a sprawling development that will stretch from U.S. 301 east nearly to County Road 470 on both sides of the Florida Turnpike.

Apartments and condominiums would squeeze more money out of the acreage it is located on and provide a steady income for The Villages.

However, some residents who bought homes, pay amenity fees and pay property taxes are not happy about the idea of apartments in The Villages.

https://thevillagescommercialpropert...ts-BWLofts.jpg

FYI a 3 story building is not required to have a sprinkler system.

Nothing to worry about. The buildings will have these finishing touches. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9cac301545.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...772c04e61d.jpg

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Perfect for outdoor gardens and a constant supply of high pressure water to feed them.


"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears..."
George Orwell

Intensification means more money, but... for some of us, the historic area keeps looking better and better.

“In season” Forget Brownwood, You will never get in there !!!
WTF were they thinking.
$$$$$$$$$$$

Should help justify the next square to happen sooner than later :icon_wink: