[784caroline]

Please DONOT DONOT even try and compare Bison Valley to the Village of Parkwood. Totally different complexes....and I would never recommend anyone ever deal with the Villages Of Parkwood.

Bison Valley is NOT a 55 plus community and it has never been advertised as such. It is family orientated. However the builders that build the houses that you and I live in (TV) are the same builders that build Bison Valley Homes....and to the same construction standards for homes in The Villages. The Warranty department for Bison Valley is the same for the Villages. Residents of Bison Valley get NO VIllage ID card thus no amenities that are afforded by having an ID card. Bison Valley residents pay no Bond, minimal amenity fee (a POA is just organizing) and in fact the irrigation water is well water for each lot has its own separate well drilled on site. The only amenity the Bison Valley residents get, that residents of other communities surrounding the Villages donot get, is Golf Cart access ...Period. Bison Valley was built specifically to fill a nitch in the need for affordable family housing near and acccessible to The Villages.

The Villages of Parkwood is totally separate from Bison Valley (and the Villages) and so it should be. Bison Valley may not be part of the 55 plus community of The Villages but they are clearly and most definitley associated with the Villages...and from what I understand a GREAT place to live!!

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Sigh, what a brouhaha over nothing. Bison Valley residents have the same rights anyone living outside of TV does -- they can shop here; they can visit the squares; they can enjoy our restaurants; they can join and attend the public service/support group clubs meeting in the rec centers; their kids can attend the charter schools IF they are employees of TV. If their parents happen to live in TV, they can get the tri-county guest passes which allows them use of all the amenities so long as they are accompanied by their "host." The one thing they have that other tri-county residents don't have is true golf cart access (yes, others like Spruce Creek can travel to TV in carts but it is not as easy and involves dirt roads).

Now, I'm going to get blasted for this but I think it would be nice if Bison Valley residents could use our amenities if they are employees of TV (not the ones living there to be near their parents). TV employees are notoriously low paid. It wouldn't hurt us to thank them by allowing their kids to use the neighborhood pools on a hot summer day, by allowing the parent to join the clubs. Yes, a few would behave inappropriately (so do some TVers), but the majority would treat the amenties with respect since it is part of their community. This is a bill we could easily foot since we are already paying these fees -- it would cost us nothing in the dollar sense. Would it make the pools and rec centers a little more crowded? Yes, but only in the winter when the snowbirds are here and, let's face it, everything is crowded then. (And maybe even less of an impact than expected since kids would be in school and have homework, etc.)

I know the majority of you totally disagree with this and are worried that it would spill over to all residents of the Tri-Counties, but I don't think so. We are talking of a very small group -- not even all TV employees, just those living in one small area and, remember, not everyone living there works for TV. So, blast away.

Hi Red,
Is your suggestion that if you work for TV and live in Bison Valley, you can use TV amenities; but if you work for TV and live nearby but not in Bison Valley, you cannot use TV amenities? If so, help me understand the rationale.

If family use of TV amenities were offered as an employee benefit, how could this benefit be offered only to residents of Bison Valley? Because the same developer built it? Bet other employees would resent the heck out of that-- if not sue for discrimination. Developers of competing subdivisions might try to challenge the legality as well.

And if you opened TV amenities to families of all employees, nice as it sounds, it's no longer an age-restricted community, overcrowding would be an issue, etc.

What am I missing?

[GMONEY]

Holy Smoked Bacon.... BATMAN,, Not happening never will. We love where we live, dont need Village ID cards. We get along fine in Bison Valley. Same rules apply to those in Spring Arbor and Oak Meadows.. Why so a big BREW-HA over little ole us??? Go BV

[redwitch]

The reason I say limit it to Bison Valley is the ads are so dang misleading. Yes, you do find out the "amenities" you are offered are simply the stores and squares, but sometimes it is after or during the closing.

As to employees who do not live in BV, they don't have true golf cart access and this could be the argument for not allowing all employees to use the pools, etc.

As to this being a 55+ community, the reality is there are pools specifically restricted to those 30+ and there are those open to anyone who is eligible to use them. The rec centers and sports facilities are actually open to anyone who has a TV ID and that includes the 19-YO grandson living with his grandparents. So, saying it would change the basic atmosphere of TV is not accurate IMO.

I don't think it would cause resentment in employees outside of BV simply because BV is the only (that I know of) local community/development that is specifically allowed entry via golf cart. (Yes, I know others do it, but they skirt around the rules and are not technically invited to use their golf carts here.) BTW -- I'm talking strictly about EMPLOYEES, not contractors or sub-contractors.

And GM, I understand and appreciate how happy you are to live in BV and don't mind not getting the use of the amenities. I just happen to think there would be little to no harm in allowing employee residents of BV to use at least some of the amenities.