America's Friendliest City????
 

America’s Friendliest City Just Became Unfriendly to its Neighbors! In a recent newspaper article regarding the “Berlin Wall” VHA President Gottschalk was quoted as saying “nonresidents had unfettered access, allowing them to travel in and out of our community and utilize our facilities paid for and maintained by Village residents.” I want to know what facilities he is talking about. I am unaware of any. If he is talking about the entertainment in the squares, nonresidents do help pay for those venues by spending their money in the Villages at restaurants, and other businesses. That can be the only thing he’s talking about. Walling off your neighbors will not stop your neighbors from visiting the Villages. It will only stop them from using their golf car to access the squares and the businesses. They can still use their automobiles to travel on public roads built with taxpayer dollars and adding to more congestion within the Villages. What a tradeoff is that? However, it could stop nonresidents from spending their money in the Villages and hurting all the businesses that need all the help they can get. Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.

I never once agreed with the VHA until now. I hope The villages replaces the wall because if they place a gate there it will only be vandalized time and time again. Non residents can enter The village through the front gate the golf paths are privately owner and privately financed and if non residents are traveling them then they are trespassing

We are a municipality. We function differently than others granted but we have a beginning and an end geographically and borders. There are those who come on this forum with scathing comments about the fact we AREN'T really a gated community and to ME...those folks make way too much of that.

What has now happened is that there was a gate closed and now due to hue and cry it is opened, kind of a strange form of democracy in this CDD form of government, but the population was listened to. We have so much time on our hands that we are now picking at scabs.

I think that since most of us represent the older population of this country we should just go on....try to forget the unpleasantness and keep on living life.

There is a very real possibility that in 20 years, we won't give a hoot about all this....maybe in two months.

Enough already as they say on the East Coast....and Least said, soonest mended as they say in Ohio.

Let's quit fightin. It is resolved.

:agree:

From what I understand they are using the facilities in the Village of Orange Blossom but the wall came down yesterday at 5:00 PM hopefully just temporary. Bottom line is this, if outside residents want to enjoy The Villages squares and stores they have every right to but they can drive their car. Our amenity fee pays for the golf cart trails and upkeep of our facilities. If our neighbors would like to take advantage of what The Villages has to offer there are plenty of houses for sale in the Villages.

I so agree! As "they" say..."don't worry, be happy!" LIFE is way too short to be angry and vindictive!!

how do you understand that - from personal fact or the tales that have been transcribed here? didja know that there are no golf cart trails in orange blossom, country club hills and silver lake villages - only public roads?

And which village do you live in?

One thing for sure, there hasn't been this much "excitement" in TV for a while. The wall sure "woke the TV Bears up" from their sleep. The fact folks couldn't get from here to there in their golf carts and that was their only personal transportation was the "thing" most disturbing. Put yourself in their shoes----would you not be upset? The unknown is the most fearful! Just a "little" transparency would have gone a long long way. Perhaps we learn from this and hopefully move on.

but...it gives outside visitors access to the cart bridge etc...

Who would want to drive on the golf cart bridge? There was a massive traffic jam there today with people coming to see The Wall....

which village is your rhetoric representing? or are you an outsider wannabe?

Lets hope cool heads prevail, and the wall/gate situation is resolved in an amicable and satisfactory manner. However, I think the instigators of the wall's creation understimated, or had no knowledge, of the power the Internet offers these days. I see as many "seniors" using their smart phones, as I did "kids" prior to moving to TV, and we seniors are more technically savvy than younger folks give us credit for. When this thread started, it was visited by a a virtual tidal wave of responses, which are now in the seventy thousands. i hope the "powers that be" recognized that we DO pay attention, and can mobilize. 70,000 plus, is a goodly number of Villages residents, if we lump the visitors to TOTV into that group. Even if they are not residents, people pass along such interesting stories as this one. "America's Friendliest Home Town", took a hit, IMH

lol

Well,there is the cart path that has been under discussion and there is the cart path that runs from Paradise Road through the dog park and up to the golf cart bridge. There is also a golf cart path from Tarrson Dr to the post office area and the Circle K and the old town square. There is also a cart path that runs from Turnberry into the Silver Lake Rec Center parking lot. Then there is the path that runs from LaGRande Blvd along 27/441 past Paradise Lake and to the dog park. Those are the ones I can remember. There might be more.

I think what Gottschalk might be referring to is outsiders sneaking onto the executive golf courses after hours, and using the pools and possibly attending lifestyle club meetings in the rec centers. I've also seen some strangers in some of the rec center pool rooms. They might be guests but again, who knows. There is no one to check ID's at the Silver Lake Rec Center. The golf course starter building are closed at 7:00 and in the summer there is still almost two hours of daylight, plenty of time to get in 9 holes of par 3 golf.
Checking of IDs at the pools and rec centers is sporadic at best. For a little while everyone was being asked for IDs but I have been to some activities where I haven't had to show and ID in months. There has been a rumor that some people that attend some clubs are not residents. I don't want to get specific, but I belong to a club where a person was asked to leave because after attending for a long time, it was discovered that he was not a resident. I also know of another person that was attending a club and moved out of the Villages. He continued attending the club until it was discovered that he no longer lived here.

I'm sure that this is not a widespread problem and I honestly don't care if a few insiders get in and use some of the facilities as long as they are in interfering with the residents use of those facilities.

And the point that these people can come by car is well taken. But shutting down the Paradise Rd golf car gate will it less convenient and it should virtually eliminate people sneaking onto the golf course after hours.

I frequent the Paradise dog park and most there are not people living in TV and yes, some come in their golf cart. This is not a rumor, it is my personal experience.

thank you, good doctor. :) they are indeed golf cart paths - but not what i consider a golf cart trail.

and as far as sneaking into a meeting or to ride on the multi-modal path or take a swim in a pool or use the hot tub or play a couple of after hour holes of golf.....sheesh!

i get where all of the whiners are coming from...but ya know what gets to me - the fact that at our age some cannot shed the cloak of entitlement and share the blanket of generosity.

what do you do [or is one supposed to do] to see that the pets and their owners are ushered out of the park if they are not supposed to be there?

As a resident you pay for the facilities such as the dog park. Outsiders do not and are not entitled to use them. Therefore, you should report violations to Community Watch at 753-0550! Alternately, our Customer Service Center at 753-4508 will undoubtedly be happy to look into such matters.

Bchbum, you're kidding, right?

Without asking to see ID, how on earth would you know that someone "isn't supposed to be using the dog park"? Would you consider it your responsibility to usher someone out of an adult pool if you felt they were't supposed to be there? Yikes! I would think that responsibility would be best left to someone who has the authority to check IDs, an employee of TV.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion on this matter. Personally, I don't believe that people that don't want outsiders coming in and using facilities that we pay for are feeling unnecessarily entitled, not are they ungenerous. If I owned a golf course and found that there were people playing on it without paying, I would certainly take action to try to stop it.

But that is my opinion and you have yours and that's fine.

But the bigger picture here is that if this has been going on, and I've seen evidence that leads me to believe it is, the developer has been allowing a competitor to sell houses based on the fact that those homeowners will have access to the Villages and many of it's amenities by golf cart. Why would any business person allow his competitor to have such an advantage at his expense?

Also, no one said anything about residents ushering people out of our facilities when they find intruders. What was suggested is that one call Community Watch and allow them to do their job.

I've know of a person that lives here full time, is a homeowner and is under age thirty who was told to leave a neighborhood pool. If that person can't be in the pool, why should people that are not residents or guests be able to swim there. Why can't we be more generous to those under the age of thirty?

I imagine there are a few who use facilities they have no right to use. They're going to use them whether they arrive by cart or car. Some people like to cheat.

However, I can't see closing the paths (whether it is the ones we pay for or the ones paid for by the counties) for that reason. Those of use who travel to Lowe's, etc. via golf cart ride on private property. The new assisted living facility has even promised to pave part of that path. I can't imagine they're going to even have a paved path, let alone let us cross their property, if their residents are banned from coming to TV via golf carts. In the long run, it will be TVers who lose, not Stonecrest or Spruce Creek or .... We again won't be able to get to Lowe's, Taki's, Cracker Barrel by cart. Our stores and restaurants will lose some business -- something they can ill afford during the summer.

I'd prefer that the golf, rec and pool staffs be more diligent in checking IDs and preventing those not authorized to use these facilities than to close access to TV. Also, remember that the support-group clubs do in fact allow non-TVers to participate in their meetings. I remember the arguments when this was first allowed. It was not pretty and, personally, I thought it was dead wrong. To deny people help and support because of pettiness is ugly. To close the paths is just as ugly and petty.

Do you own here, people who are giving opinons?
 

It would be interesting to know among the posters just who are property owners.

It does make a big difference. If many of us have saved and planned and sacrificed and bought a home here, in many cases it is the biggest investment we have and will ever make and that fact alone makes a BIG difference in our opinions.

I think that property owners feel differently than people who WANT to live here, visit here for the season by renting and not owning and those living outside the gates.

If you live here, day after day and year around, you find that this place works, is more than just maintained, facilities are painted regularly, things are repaired without hue and cry, the Village watch makes their rounds through the villages at three in the morning. The flowers are changed in public areas each time their season changes and lovely color and trimmed bushes are the norm wherever your eye falls. If you own here the good businessman behind the curtain is protecting your personal ownership and may not ask you first but generally comes through with decisions that make this the nicest place to live I have ever experienced or even visited.

I have seen the Morse organization make a couple of lulu mistakes in my view in the six years I have been here, but for the most part I think they deserve the respect that I feel towards them.

A good amount of criticism of the Morses in my opinion is based on not what they do but the fact of their being very financially successful doing it and the contributions that they make to certain organizations.

I could be wrong and frequently am. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

After 30 days you have to throw the baby out.

Gracie, as you know, I rent. I still have a very vested interest in this community.

1. It's my home.
2. Like the homeowners, I could get twice the place if I chose to rent outside of TV. I chose the lifestyle.
3. My rent pays the amenity fees.

I believe the Morses are very astute businessmen and I don't begrudge them their wealth. I don't particularly admire them. Some of their practices are downright underhanded and some, to me, obscene. I can and do appreciate the concept of TV and the work and risks that went into making and maintaining it. I'm not grateful to them. I don't owe them anything. I pay my money to live here and to enjoy everything TV has to offer.

It is your right to admire them but to imply that those who don't own here are not as vested is not right nor fair. Even seasonal renters pay a hefty price to come here year after year. If it is not kept up, if outsiders do abuse their visiting privileges, it affects them as well. I can see asking if those posting are residents of outlying areas of TV because they might have a different agenda, but those who are staying in TV whether owning or renting have a vested interest in making sure TV is not abused.

As I said, using our facilities without the right to do so is wrong. I still see no harm in using the cart paths -- there just aren't that many folks that come from Stonecrest and Spruce Creek to make a difference. I do ask that they respect our home and not litter, not drive drunk, not be too loud, stay on the paths and off the grass and please don't pick the roses.

I love you Redwitch. You know what I think about your heart. ;)

Even if they're not in bath water? :laugh:

The Villages for Villagers!! :doh:

Owner here...long time.
I have used area pools and executive golf courses hundreds and hundreds of times.
This was never a problem till that ill conceived wall went up.
Lets not get so sidetracked by what's mine is mine issues that we forget what started this whole mess.
Make sure we are treated with respect and we can go on living our happy Village lives.

It is my understanding that the cart bridge over 441 is public access.

Interesting. It is my understanding that it is private property, owned by the Developer.

barebones1191
Member Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 34

Property Owners Attorney

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I am a little unclear about the developments that happened but it is my understanding the Villages Developer tried to assess the property owners for sinkholes in ponds on his land and the property owners filed suit and was successful. I am looking for information on this issue along with the name and telephone number of the attorney that represented the property owners. We have a similar situation in Stonecrest and need your help. Thanks!

The OP lives in Stonecrest. Oh. I see.

Yes the developer set up that we Villagers were responsible for maintaining retention ponds on his private land, i.e, Nancy Lopez golf course. CDD #4 was also charged with maintaining landscaping along the right of way on CR42. I believe that also applied to commercial properties at Mulberry Grove as well. Contact The Villages Property Owners Assn. at poa@poa4us.org. They can provide complete details and direct you to applicable articles from the monthly Bulletins archived at their website. The POA, not the HOA, has done a superlative job in standing up for the residents and has some truly dedicated people working in our behalf! Send me a private message if you'd like some more 'unofficial' info on the developers shenanigans over the years.

I believe that the post you are responding to was posted to show that the OP lives in Stonecrest. This was an old post dated 2011.

It was not a current request for information on how to sue a developer.

Nope, don't need any additional information. OP never responded to requests as to what village he/she resided in...........I found the answer in an old post.
Besides if you want to bash the developer, you can start a new thread.

Private property with public access similar to Lowes parking lot.

I believe EdV showed that it was built by the Spanish Springs CDD (or the same thing with a more formal name) using tax free bonds as if it was a public municipality to provide public access to their shopping area.

The IRS thinks differently. If you also feel it is a private bridge, the IRS might be interested in discussing it with you.

.

It is most definite a public access bridge.

the gate discussion has a variety of opinions,so I thought I'd throw mine into the hat....Stonecrest residence do use our our golf paths to other areas other than town sq.,they use our recreational facilities also , the people outside the Village know how to work the system, or what door to go in that's not supervised etc. I know someone that told me that about 15% of the people who play at her pickelball ct. are from outside the Villages. Now for Villagers who use that gate on the E. side I would suggest not to allow any one to follow you in after you've used your card, or if their waiting in a cart outside the gate and say they forgot their card,9 out of 10 their" tellin ya a story ". I actually don't want people riding free on my dime. ya"ll got the gate,now protect it.