Buena Vista and Old Mill
 

Now that is the first suggestion I find credence in......a bowling alley, then cutting down the Oaks makes all the sense in the world to be used as pins in the alleys. Duh!

stop it
 

you can't stop progress....I wander what was changes to build the house you live in that someone else enjoyed....Just a thought

Buena Vista and Old Mill
 

Wandering had nothing to do with it. Money did.....and don't YOU every forget it. The only thing that is important here is the BUCK! And if YOU think different, buzz off.

vacant land west of the hotel
 

the villages planning map i saw a while ago had that area being built with villas.

Do you like it here?

LOL I was thinking the same thing.

I whined, whimpered and even shed a few tears at the loss of our buffalo. I understood that the developer had the right to take them away. The excuse was lawsuits. The reality was the land was wanted for the lifestyle cottages and whatever else is to be developed on those lots in the not-so-distant future. I do wonder if the buffalo are thriving elsewhere or have become dinner at Lopez. I'll never know and I doubt anyone else not already in the know will, either.

I won't whine nor whimper about the trees, but I'll resent whatever is built there took them away. I'll be hard-pressed to believe that there wasn't a way to keep the trees and still build.

It truly angers me that we are told about how environmentally conscious the developer is, how the ponds are wildlife preserves, how the buffalo were protected. Of course, it was not mentioned that the ponds were also retention ponds with reclaimed and smelly water; that the tax writeoff is the real reason behind the wildlife preserves; that once they've maxed out the writeoff or have found something more profitable, the preserves will disappear. Fortunately, the ponds will stay since they serve other purposes (water for the common areas, premium lot prices [I wouldn't want to fight the lawsuit that occur if the ponds were drained and not refilled]).

There is much to love in TV. There is much to not love about the Morses. We can appreciate what has been accomplished in the concept and building of TV, but that was due more to Harold Schwartz than Gary or Mark Morse. I can admire the business acumen of the Morses, but I certainly don't have to respect their greed any more than I have to like their political bent.

BTW -- Before anyone gets on their high horse, there are things I do admire about the Morse family. They are generous. They are good business people. They were/are visionaries. They are also greedy. They will nickel and dime Villagers as much as humanly possible. We can love TV without loving the Morses. We do have to tip our hats and respect what they have done in the past but that doesn't mean we have to like the decisions of the present or the future.

Redwitch, well said. My thoughts exactly. Do I like the Morses and their corporate bull$$$t? No, but I will enjoy The Villages on my own terms.

ok, once again I have been lurking on the sidelines following this discussion over the past few days. I guess I will wade into this discussion and state my two cents and MHO, though I know it may make some mad but again JMHO.
Ok, TV is a business, it was started like everyother business, to make a profit. That is the American Way which I believe 99% of us at TV believe and support. That is what makes and will make America great. A business can either be private as TV is, or publicly traded, doesn't matter it still is in business to make money. BUT remember, even though a business makes money, it also puts a lot of that money back into it to make it better, grow, etc. Yes, a business gets tax write offs like nature areas, wetlands, etc like TV does. BUT that keeps money from going to the IRS and distributed ???? (ok, that is where I stop with that comment to not be policitical!) And allows more money to be put back into the business. So yes, some may say the Morses are "greedy", I say they are smart business people, they make money that then allows them to develop and start new things and future businesses which allow job growth. Look on the "Big Home in Pennecamp thread" go to Hawkwinds link and see just what the Morses have developed all in the process of developing TV for US, i.e. those of us that "CHOSE" to buy here. Look at all the jobs created for an otherwise rural area. Look at how many ventures were created to increase the value of both OUR property and the Villages quality of life. And REMEMBER the Morses live here, even when the older family members retire, they still want TV to thrive for both their quality of life as well as profit.
Next, trees. Yes, nature as a whole is beautiful and I love big old Southern Oaks covered in moss, as well as the next guy, but look around TV, they have a pretty good record of replanting areas after construction, yes the new trees will not be 100 year old oaks, BUT that is progress, and that is part of the business of TV. If it is a bowling alley, I will bet after it's built many Villagers will enjoy it, have good times there with family, friends, Grandkids, etc making memories. If we don't bowl, and neither me or the wife do, I will bet many of us will go and eat there, like Tony Packo's, etc. It will become part of TV life. The oak will not have died in vain, just like the other trees, prairie areas, etc that existed before our homes in TV were built. But as in all things, new life has come from old.
Again, just my two cents.....

Army Guy

Well put and I agree with you concerning the abundant green space and planting of trees after construction (have 2 stately 15 foot oaks in my yard). Hard to believe the condemnation regarding the present topic by some. They I am sure were or have always been unhappy no matter where they lived. Lighten up and enjoy the years left to us before the big villages in the sky calls...............

Chuckster, Great Comment!! I agree 100%

Army Guy

Thank you, very well said.

Much more than two cents worth.

I am sorry Bogie, but you are right, guess it is more like 50 cents!

Army Guy

Two cents or 50 cents Army Guy, your post, to me, just made lots of sense.

Army Guy, I too was trying to say that you added a great deal. I agree with what you said.

I know Bogie, just having fun with you!

Army Guy

Army Guy, Great post agree with you 100%!

As to a previous post questioning the Buffalo, yes they are thriving or appear to be thriving in a field west of hole #6 off Amberwood.

Respectfully I'd like to say: Of course we should be wary of lost old growth forest trees. BUT if TV had left the majority of trees then TV wouldn't be TV as we now know it.

Does anyone know if they took strides to keep as much as possible?

Some good points in this thread. I definitely see the point about TV being a money making venture that benefits not only the developer but also the residents and the local economy. I have no questions there.

However, I wonder if any outside-the-box thinking went into the planning for this development. Assuming that this will be residential of some sort (I highly doubt the bowling alley theory - I can't imagine prime, waterfront property being wasted on something that would not take advantage of it), I wonder if the developer considered deviating from his normal model for residential areas and considered making a pocket park around the trees. Yes, he would lose revenues from the land devoted to the park. However, the addition of a small park, especially if it had a water view, would increase the value of his remaining plots, possibly to the point that his net profits increased. This would have been a win-win for everyone.

The land is zoned for a particular purpose. Any changes might need approval by the land use permit providers, correct? It's not always feasible to change horses in mid stream.

The park would be lovely, but again, I'm not sure how easy it is to change the proposed and approved use.

I doubt that any zoning board would ever object to a park that benefits the community. (Usually it is the zoning board which grants a request for residential use only if a park or something to benefit the community is included.) However, my comment still applies. When the original zoning was applied for, the outside-the-box planning by the developer would already have been done and the zoning request would include the park.