POA e-mail
 

For those of you not on the POA e-mail list, here is an e-mail that the POA sent out concerning this issue. The e-mail casts considerable doubt on the VHA/Daily Sun version of the facts:

POA
PROPERTY OWNERS' ASSOCIATION of The Villages
E-Alert

THE GREAT WALL OF PARADISE

Sometime between Friday evening August 9 and 6 a.m. Saturday morning August 10, 2013, the golf cart trail between Paradise Drive and The Villages Health System East Campus was closed off with two sections of concrete wall that matched the wall behind the properties on either side of the trail. This trail, which was maintained by the health system commercial property owners’ association, had been used for the last two decades by eastside residents as a way to access the medical facilities there. Over time, other businesses have sprung up just north of the medical facilities (Lowes, Beall’s, Aldi’s, Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, etc.) and many eastside residents have found it to be a godsend that they can satisfy many of their shopping needs via golf cart and not venture out on the always busy state road 27/441. Area residents we spoke to were beside themselves wondering how they could get to doctor appointments on the other side of the wall. While most residents have the alternative of using their car, clearly there are those who do not have a car, can no longer drive or are afraid to drive on busy roads. In some cases we were advised of couples where one uses the golf cart to get to a job at an eastside business while the spouse uses the car for other necessary trips. The recurring question we got from affected residents was Why?

The closure was done under cover of darkness, no prior notice of the closing had been given to residents and up until WednesdayAugust 14th, no one was taking responsibility for erecting the wall which is on Developer owned property. With no other recourse, eastside residents have been utilizing a section of amenity maintained property a short distance south of the closed trail, just north of the Boone gate, to access the south end of the medical campus via the parking lot of the Life Family Practice Center. Dr. Kraucak who owns the facility has been kind enough to allow golf cart traffic during this crisis. Some eastside residents were even “walled out” Saturday morning, having gone to their night shift jobs at eastside businesses before the wall was put up. Out of necessity, they had to drive their golf carts along the 27/441 grass right-of-way to get home.

On Wednesday August 14th, it was reported in the Daily Sun that the Developer indeed had put up the wall because of a concern for security and that the Developer would “donate to the district government the home site on Paradise Drive, which had previously been utilized as a golf cart path. As a condition of that donation, the district would build and maintain a gate that would allow access to Village residents only.” Not surprisingly, the Daily Sun headline stated “VHA president proposes solution to golf cart issue.” All of you who attended the “Take Down The Wall” rally Monday morning at Spanish Springs town square heard POA President Elaine Dreidame explain that the POA had engaged an attorney who had already begun working through legal channels to urge the Developer to find a solution to the problem the wall had created for residents. At this point, the VHA was still following the “party line” and denying the closing had anything to do with the Developer. Meanwhile, the POA President was also talking to AAC members and Lady Lake officials regarding alternative solutions if discussions with the Developer were not successful.

The important thing is that the wall will come down with the only change being that the amenity system will maintain the trail and gates rather than the medical system property owners’ association. If security was the only reason for concern, it seems like the solution was pretty obvious and would have saved all the time and expense it took for the Developer to cast the wall sections and have them installed and more importantly, avoided the tremendous amount of angst it created in hundreds of residents. And if security was the only concern, why was the wall put up in the middle of the night, on a weekend, with no notice to residents, and why the silence until Wednesday’s Daily Sun article ? We hope next time the Developer will provide advanced notice for changes that affect residents in such a major way, so that together they can come up with a solution before any heavy-handed action is taken. For now, it seems Eastside residents can relax without fear of losing their much advertised golf cart access to doctors and other businesses.
Property Owners' Association, P.O. Box 1657, Lady Lake, FL 32158-1657 Property Owners, Association of Florida

First of all, thanks EdV for providing that info regarding the bridge and it appears to be installed and paid for by The Villages after they received a permit from a permit from the FL DOT.

QUOTE:
Morse said although the bond money will pay for the overpass, the cost really will be incurred by the Villages at Lady Lake.

''The bond taxes us, so we end up paying for the bridge,'' Morse said.
QUOTE


Steve, as I read this:

QUOTE:
'Most of our residents use golf carts as a major means of transportation,'' said Gary Morse, vice president of the Villages at Lady Lake, formerly Orange Blossom Gardens.

''This bridge will expand their horizons of where they can go.''

The overpass is needed because golf carts aren't permitted to cross state highways. The bridge should be ready for use by next summer, Morse said.
QUOTE

I fail to see the mention of anyone other than "our residents" by Gary Morse of The Villages meant to use this bridge. It was built to attract businesses to Spanish Springs because at the time there wasn't much in the area but the historic section and they couldn't cross 27/441 legally in their golf carts.

In the second paragraph of the Overview Section of this piece, note that they promote golf cart accessibility to The Villages.

Stonecrest Summerfield FL - Stone Crest Florida

Might this another reason why the gate is being installed?

And Rubicon, you're right... we're probably beating this to death and it will be decided by people other than us. I think I need a timeout.

thank you, cabo 3 for that marvelous piece! such fun!
:bigbow:

Start another petition and set a date to meet on their front door......call the tv stations.

You have had many posts on this thread. I have agreed with some and disagreed with others (not that it makes any difference) BUT this post best sums up the thread and the issue........you did well.

thanks for the clarification
 

There is no room in any kind of public statement where an official emphatically states, "I run this district". She has overstepped her authority and is displaying unfettered arrogance and disdain for legitimate resident's concerns. And she is DEFINITELY a puppet for the developer!

Monday the lady lake commission will be addressing this, you all should attend. 6 pm town hall

Sure, after advertising for over a year that their facility will be golf cart accessible and selling some rooms based on that, they are going to not allow golf carts on their property. The owners of the ACL and Mr Brown have gone out of their way to accommodate golf cart riders.

This is exactly the kind of speculation that I was talking about and the kind of misinformation that MS Tutt is talking about.

"She is DEFINITELY" "I KNOW FOR A FACT" ETC., ETC.,

That's one of the reasons we have so much trouble in the world.

The golf cart trail you mentioned has been used by Villagers for decades, and therefore the use of it should be GRANDFATHERED and such use cannot be restricted. SHAME ON THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR BLOCKING ACCESS for the many who only use golf carts to access medical offices, stores, banks, etc.

It is so easy to attack people we do not know, especially when we do not have to face them when we make our comments. Pease do not forget when talking about "the family", politicians and other posters on this forum...they are real people with real families, hearts and feelings, just as you do. Try not to say anything that you would not say face to face with another human being. Also, please don't tell me what you THINK....tell me what you KNOW!

Ms. Tutt has butted heads with the developer on several matters resulting in costs being paid by the developer and not by the residents. I agree with Dr. Boogie that the reason for her statement was to emphasize that she is in charge of the districts and does not defer to the developer automatically. I suspect that people with the perception you display may have precipitated that comment.

And I've heard that if a restricted gate is installed, Mr Brown will close the path after the ALC, which he still owns. TV would only have access to to the medical facilities and the ALC. His intent was for everyone to have access across 441. Who knows? Just rumors? Only time and costly litigation will tell...

What a boondoggle this has become.......
Worse then the kids on the play ground.

Such sad commentary for all... people just want to get in the golf cart and spend money.... it's as simple as that... shouldn't matter where you live...money is money.