Originally Posted by mrdills (Post 446228)

Is Morse going to build Electric plug in stations for our golf carts?

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida (Post 446480)

I am quite sure, if my memory serves me correctly, that a "deal" of some sort is what quieted Dan Farnsworth and allowed building to move forward. There is likely an article explaining just what happened but I have not been able to locate it on the net anywhere....yet. Also, I could swear that back then I read somewhere that Dan Farnsworth had made his fortune, whatever that is or was, doing some kind of developing in S. Florida. At the time I remember thinking that it was OK for him to be a successful developer but not OK for the Morse family. I have saved some Daily Sun newspapers over the years that reported on major development news in the community here. I do not think I have any articles pertaining to Farnsworth but I will go through them when I get a chance.

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 446486)

A few news items I found. Do google search on Dan Farnsworth the villages.


From POA archives:
The CEEB Articles - Resident living here about three years ago will remember the legal fight with Dan Farnsworth, an Oxford farmer, over whether the Villages developer should be allowed to build south of highway 466.

An organization of suppliers, vendors, workers, construction firms, Villages employees, etc., formed a group known as CEEB. The group's main function was to agitate and demonstrate for proceeding with the development and construction work. Many believed that the developer of The Villages was ultimately behind the group. Many, if not most, of the CEEB members were from outside either The Villages, Sumter County, or even the state. Most had a direct financial involvement with the planned construction.

You could scarcely not pick up a copy of the Daily Sun without seeing story after story describing the CEEB goals of starting the construction and discrediting Dan Farnsworth. Farnsworth was effectively ridiculed for his belief that the development would destroy the rural way of life in Sumter County that he and many others valued. Many residents could see what appeared to be the Daily Sun's one-sided coverage. Farnsworth's reasoning was never given much if any coverage in the paper. You might not have agreed with his reasoning, but you never saw it fully explained in the Sun

Was this fair and balanced? Don't think so!

================================
Daily Commercial 3/19/02
Villages angered by neighbor delaying expansion

=====================
Orlando Sentinel 11/2002 Covers the settlement
Towns See Villages As Mixed Blessing - Page 3 - Orlando Sentinel

Originally Posted by Pturner (Post 446516)

Thanks VillagesFlorida and Bogie Shooter for the historical perspective. Change is often resisted before being eventually embraced, if not just taken for granted.

Originally Posted by VillagesFlorida (Post 446469)

I remember the day back in 2002 when The Villages development plans came grinding to a halt. Dan Farnsworth, a farmer from Oxford, didn't like what he was hearing about The Villages' proposed plans to develop land south of Rt. 466. After witnessing so much building and site work, since moving here in 1998, it seemed surreal to see huge earth-moving machines sitting silent in the middle of half-developed fields. Piles of pipes and reels of wire lay covered with dust. Contractors and sub contractors laid off workers and many of them sought work elsewhere. For months the landscape looked eerie and it seemed like a plague of some kind had gone through the whole area. I was able to find an old article that the Orlando Sentinel printed in 2002. Perhaps someone on this forum knows exactly what happened to end the standoff. The word around town was that The Villages settled on a "deal" with Farnsworth. "You stop this nonsense and we'll stop our lawsuit against you".

Speaking Out Has Its Price - Orlando Sentinel

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 446486)

A few news items I found. Do google search on Dan Farnsworth the villages.


From POA archives:
The CEEB Articles - Resident living here about three years ago will remember the legal fight with Dan Farnsworth, an Oxford farmer, over whether the Villages developer should be allowed to build south of highway 466.

An organization of suppliers, vendors, workers, construction firms, Villages employees, etc., formed a group known as CEEB. The group's main function was to agitate and demonstrate for proceeding with the development and construction work. Many believed that the developer of The Villages was ultimately behind the group. Many, if not most, of the CEEB members were from outside either The Villages, Sumter County, or even the state. Most had a direct financial involvement with the planned construction.

You could scarcely not pick up a copy of the Daily Sun without seeing story after story describing the CEEB goals of starting the construction and discrediting Dan Farnsworth. Farnsworth was effectively ridiculed for his belief that the development would destroy the rural way of life in Sumter County that he and many others valued. Many residents could see what appeared to be the Daily Sun's one-sided coverage. Farnsworth's reasoning was never given much if any coverage in the paper. You might not have agreed with his reasoning, but you never saw it fully explained in the Sun

Was this fair and balanced? Don't think so!

================================
Daily Commercial 3/19/02
Villages angered by neighbor delaying expansion

=====================
Orlando Sentinel 11/2002 Covers the settlement
Towns See Villages As Mixed Blessing - Page 3 - Orlando Sentinel

Originally Posted by janmcn (Post 446569)

I remember the Farnsworth episode quite well. One of his arguments against development was that there is not enough water available to sustain a large population. I guess we'll find out if he was right when more sinkholes develop. It was inferred that he got a large settlement, although no amount was ever mentioned. He was still living on 466 out toward I-75 the last I heard, and he made his money laying cables in south Florida.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 446734)

We will never know if he was concerned about the cows and farms and bucolic atmosphere going away as it talks about in the Sentinel or whether he was concerned about getting top dollar for his property.

Since I think The Villages is a wonderful place to be and most of us agree, I think it turned out great. Angie Fox is probably living right where his chickens were.

Life continues and then it's history.

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 446734)

Angie Fox is probably living right where his chickens were.

Life continues and then it's history.

Originally Posted by skyguy79 (Post 446782)

I heard a rumor that when they've sold all the properties in Sanabel that their going to put those chickens right back there again! :shocked:

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 446789)

All's well that ends well.

Originally Posted by skyguy79 (Post 446782)

I heard a rumor that when they've sold all the properties in Sanabel that their going to put those chickens right back there again! :shocked: