[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by BiPartisan

Thank you for the URL to the website. I don't understand what (besides Hacienda) we have lost. I still play golf, pickleball, and prior the pandemic go to yoga, cross fit and pilates. I have 5 pools within a mile radius, archery, and shooting range. We have plenty entertainment at Savanna Center, the Sharon and the Squares. I go everywhere in my golf cart.
So what am I missing? Oh I have been to the Polo matches (boring).
Why would I join this group?

People are worried this is only the beginning of what could happen.

[Ladygolfer93]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Some premiers off Pinellas were $150k for golf views. Don't forget the $500k lots over looking the swamp down past Belle Glade.

Kind of highlights the obvious "anything the traffic will allow" line of thought. Even if I were wealthy, I don't think a $500K investment in a lot in a very mixed community like The Villages would be a serious investment for me, but, while doubtful (legally), I would want some kind of guarantee (highly unlikely) that I would not find changed in a major way in a year or two. Think at $500K, or even at $150K, for a lot only, I would give some serious consideration to other areas and properties, but, to each their own investment considerations.... hummm, seems $500K would go a long way to put in a few holes in your own backyard for your own private use ?

[Worldseries27]

1. Dont go quixotic and support your local shyster's favorite charity
2. The developer can bring into any hearings thousands of golfers signatures petitioning for their drainage issues.
3. Invest your 50k in finding a different golf course home that's proactive not self destructive
4 heed the words of mr spock. The needs of the many outweigh the view
5 long live and prosper

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

What result might happen if the developer actually heeded the concerns of the residents? I mean - if they decided "y'know what - this is bad press even though it's a great idea. But bad press = outsiders being less interested in moving in."

So what happens then? A thought - maybe instead of a big 200+ unit apartment building, they could do something like they did with the townhouses at Spanish Springs.

They are absolutely gorgeous. They're beautiful to look AT if you're outside them, and they're beautiful inside. They have lovely courtyards.

So what if..they built a 50-unit townhouse complex instead? With super-premium rents, a *private* shared pool (like the apartments at Brownwood have), maybe a private but limited outbuilding for rec activities: a kitchenette and card/meeting room, a front foyer lounge/reading area (a "quiet" foyer), bathrooms, and a modest craft area.

The entire complex could be built in two semi-circles, with a courtyard, rec-room building, and pool in the middle. Parking lots could be located at each corner of each semi-circle, with the walking and golf cart trails/paths between each parking lot. The parking lots could also have covered golf cart ports assigned to tenants who choose to pay an additional fee for the privilege, maybe even with charge ports for electric carts.

Meanwhile also have walking paths and golf cart paths with open access to other villagers.

They would STILL pay amenity fees, but because they have a few of their own private amenities (paid for with their rents), they wouldn't need to go to a different pool or have their meetings in a different rec center, for example.

I could see something on this smaller scale in that location. It would reduce the footprint, the number of residents and as a result the number of visitors, it'd provide luxury accommodations for those who are "done" being property owners, it would pretty much eliminate the traffic concern completely, as you could usually expect at least 50 cars moving in and out of the property on a given day, even when Hacienda restaurant and clubhouse were open and running.

I agree that your visionis GREAT!......but ONLY for normal times.....like AFTER CV (ACV). The biggest reason is that indoors is 15 times worse for CV than outdoors. when you put large groups of unrelated people (older types like us) INSIDE, then the CV goes rampant. Unfortunately, during this Plague, the best housing strategy would be a micro-home, that was set up for OUTDOOR living and on 1 acre - and inhabited by related or life partner type Seniors.

Yes! my home solution was pie-in-the-sky marginally practical. But, I assumed that your solution was more ideal than practical. Just MY opinion - I may have mis-read the intent - I do that sometimes.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Ladygolfer93

Kind of highlights the obvious "anything the traffic will allow" line of thought. Even if I were wealthy, I don't think a $500K investment in a lot in a very mixed community like The Villages would be a serious investment for me, but, while doubtful (legally), I would want some kind of guarantee (highly unlikely) that I would not find changed in a major way in a year or two. Think at $500K, or even at $150K, for a lot only, I would give some serious consideration to other areas and properties, but, to each their own investment considerations.... hummm, seems $500K would go a long way to put in a few holes in your own backyard for your own private use ?

I heard there will be house boats in the swamp behind the $500k lots.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

I heard there will be house boats in the swamp behind the $500k lots.

They will be fully furnished

[Ladygolfer93]

Originally Posted by mneumann02

When I bought my new golf course home from The Villages Real Estate in 2014, the agent said I was paying over a $100,000 premium for my view of the golf course, a large lake, and the fact there was no golf cart path behind my house. Because of golf course drainage issues, the golf course is now proposing to plant evergreen trees that will partially block my view and add a golf cart path behind my house. When I expressed my concerns to a Ricky, who was behind my house this morning and who I was told was in charge of all the golf courses, I got an arrogant attitude of they can do whatever they want.

So my questions are:
1. Can the golf course do whatever they want, even if it means decreasing the value of adjacent properties? (I'm trying to avoid hiring a lawyer if there really is no recourse.)
2. What is Ricky's last name, title, and email contact info. Same information for his boss.
3. I've tried contacting the CDD and Sumter Co. and can not get a straight answer regarding their need to get a permit. Do they need a permit?
4. Has anyone had success dealing with The Developer to get them to be a good neighbor or taking legal action against them?

Any truly helpful information or comments are appreciated.

This one is "probably" a dead end but, depends on what it is worth to you to pay for a legal opinion.

Keep in mind, it will be difficult to find an attorney who wants to go against such a power house family with unlimited legal resources.. think David and Goliath when you consider.

Also consider when reading this and many other social media sites that Villagers post on; there is a devoted group of individuals living here who are so supportive of "the developer(s)" that they are completely blind to genuine grievances and concerns. There has been an arrogance and almost autocratic philosophy here from way back and people do not seem to object. Most of us have been happy "enough" to stay, and the true robot like devotees have only one reply, if you don't like it "move". That's not a really realistic, or even mentally healthy view either. While we want a calm peaceful community, it is also not healthy to close our eyes at every small autocratic step. It's one of the major pitfalls of this kind of community where there is essentially no real representation, no real community government. Obviously, you can see all over Florida many retirees are perfectly willing to submit to this. Rather it will finally go too far, perhaps ? But, in the end, the only actual alternative may be that advice given by those who refuse to accept any evidence that this is not a perfect fantasy-land. Maybe because none of us want to think we made a mistake ? Maybe many of us don't want any negatives out into the nation at large at the danger of lowering our property values ? Maybe we just don't want the bubble to burst, don't want to know the emperor is actually naked after all ? One thing for sure, many of us stay, but it's also obvious many are moving. In the end, it's always an individual thing isn't it ! ?