[Marmaduke]

Originally Posted by elle123

When you buy a home adjacent to a vacant lot you take a chance, as you never know what will become of it.

Exactly! Ask several hundred folks in Ocala who bought their houses or lots abuting beautiful ranches, that are now multi-complex, 4 story apartment buildings which honor HUD Vouchers.

I learned a lot from lessons from my mother and dad, who taught their kids important things, often through osmosis.

Talk around the dining room table about a relative was, if you don't want to live near a 24/7/365 noisy, bright light Truck Stop, never buy property abuting open land.

Thanks Dad, your philosophy was always brilliant, pointed out in all of those funny Fathers Day cards.

[nhkim]

Originally Posted by Altavia

A few years back, another property on Marsh Bend Trail apparently ask too much money so put up a "for sale for $5 million" and built a band stand where held a couple of concerts in Villagers back yards hoping the Villages would change their mind.

Last time I checked, that land was rezoned for a large storage facility.

Across from Well Point, right? A piece of fenced land between The Villages and that new rental housing development? I commented to my husband last night when we were heading down Marsh Bend in our golf cart that I couldn't imagine what that structure was. It seemed like maybe an observation deck, but to observe what.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by nhkim

Across from Well Point, right? A piece of fenced land between The Villages and that new rental housing development? I commented to my husband last night when we were heading down Marsh Bend in our golf cart that I couldn't imagine what that structure was. It seemed like maybe an observation deck, but to observe what.

Ahhhh, I thought that was some contraption for loading cattle or horses into trailers. Guess not.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Only way can control land around your property is buy it when it comes up for sale. Providing around here you have millions to dispose of.

Optioning is a relatively cheap way to try to have a say in the future. Then form your own investment group comprised of affected neighbors.

[Beegoat]

We bought the house 15 years ago. It was a farm then and has been for 15 years. Never know what people are going to do with their land.

[BrianL99]

This doesn't happen often, but when it does, it warms the heart of Real Estate Developers everywhere.

I was once building an "Affordable Housing Development" in a very affluent community, west of Boston. We needed a Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals (40B, for those who might know of such things).

The meeting of course, was open to the public and when the time came, the snobs came out of the woodwork. One particularly obnoxious neighbor, basically said ... "we're not used to having people like that, living in our neighborhood".

The next one was a classic. One woman stood up and gave an impassioned monologue, of all the years she had been looking out her kitchen window, at this "wide open, beautiful, open land" (It was actually just a small, 1.5A lot, covered with weeds & junk).

When she got done, the Chairman of the Board of Appeals, said: "Ma'am, just to be clear, you've been living there for 20+ years and that land has been vacant all that time?".

"Yes", she replied.

His answer: "So you could have inquired about buying it, anytime in the last 20 years"?

Checkmate.

In another episode in front of the exact same board, a group of neighbors banded together, to protest a subdivision I was building, next to theirs.

After an impassioned plea from the Homeowners' spokesperson, who gallanted recited what an absolute travesty it would be, to see all those trees cut down and the land cleared for housing ...

The Chairman responded:

"Sir, isn't there a very large subdivision next to yours, that was built 5 years before yours"? "I'll bet you a dollar, those people were in this room, with the exact same complaint that you're making, when someone wanted to build your home."

"I guess it was alright that they stripped the land to build your house, but you're opposed to anyone else getting a home ... do I have that right?"

Checkmate.

Pull up the ladder, I'm up !

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by nhkim

Across from Well Point, right? A piece of fenced land between The Villages and that new rental housing development? I commented to my husband last night when we were heading down Marsh Bend in our golf cart that I couldn't imagine what that structure was. It seemed like maybe an observation deck, but to observe what.

It was a stage for a mini Woodstock - LOL

The land in front of Eden Village was zoned for a yet another mini strip mall last time I checked.

The establishment of isolated commercial zones adjacent to residential areas in Wildwood feels punitive towards homeowners residing within the Villages.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Altavia

It was a stage for a mini Woodstock - LOL

The land in front of Eden Village was zoned for a yet another mini strip mall last time I checked.

The establishment of isolated commercial zones adjacent to residential areas in Wildwood feels punitive towards homeowners residing within the Villages.

Almost every single piece of land in the USA, abuts another piece of land that may or may not, have the same zoning designation. If that zoning designation is different, it's up to the community to establish "set back requirements" to protect either use.

Most communities have increased "set back requirements" where differing zoning districts, abut. Common sense.

[tophcfa]

When shopping for our Villages home we feel in love with a house that had a beautiful pool with a big empty field behind it. We made an offer with a contingency that we would be satisfied with the zoning status of the land. After searching public records, we learned the land’s zoning status had recently been changed from agricultural to commercial, so we walked away. We eventually found our dream home, which abuts a wildlife preserve/flood management area (basically a glorified swamp) that can NEVER be developed. Just out of curiosity, I recently drove by the home we walked away from and witnessed a very large multi story building being constructed behind the home. Totally sucks for the homes in that area.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Almost every single piece of land in the USA, abuts another piece of land that may or may not, have the same zoning designation. If that zoning designation is different, it's up to the community to establish "set back requirements" to protect either use.

Most communities have increased "set back requirements" where differing zoning districts, abut. Common sense.

Understood but Wildwood has a history changing small pockets of residential to commercial in the Fenny+ area.

Warm Springs is a hodge podge of commercial development. At least along 466A commercial development was grouped together.

Which circles back to, not wise to purchase a home adjacent to undeveloped property.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Understood but Wildwood has a history changing small pockets of residential to commercial in the Fenny+ area.

Warm Springs is a hodge podge of commercial development. At least along 466A commercial development was grouped together.

Which circles back to, not wise to purchase a home adjacent to undeveloped property.

Which is why small developers love what they call "orphan lots". They are completely isolated like a "missing tooth". Everyone knows from the get go, what/who their neighbors will be. A known quantity, is always worth more than a gamble.

[justjim]

I understand several Village property owners are not pleased with some of the development in Trailwinds.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Wildwood has a history of altering zoning regulations for properties adjacent to the Villages to accommodate uses that homeowners oppose.

You voted against all who did this, right?

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

I’m still wondering why wildwood built parking garage in down town wildwood? Maybe Brightline or AMTRAC will be stopping in future?

I personally think it was built for cars to park in. Could be wrong.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by FloridaGuy66

The owners seem to have taken up a hobby of trying to antagonize the Villagers abutting their property by riding dirt bikes up around the fence and doing target practice with their guns during weekend afternoons. Not a situation that I would feel great about after paying a premium for that lot.

Originally Posted by Altavia

A few years back, another property on Marsh Bend Trail apparently ask too much money so put up a "for sale for $5 million" and built a band stand where held a couple of concerts in Villagers back yards hoping the Villages would change their mind.

Last time I checked, that land was rezoned for a large storage facility.

Originally Posted by Altavia

The establishment of isolated commercial zones adjacent to residential areas in Wildwood feels punitive towards homeowners residing within the Villages.

Why do people in the Villages always think everything that happens is about them?

I grew up in the country,which is what that area obviously was not that long ago, and we rode dirt bikes and shot guns quite a lot. That community was obviously there first and the people obviously did not buy dirt bikes and guns just to upset Villagers.

Small commercial centers are built for the convenience of the locals. The villages literally does this with town squares,, which are right next to villages.