[bkcunningham1]

Hi VK. It is nice to see you. I wonder if you know how many employees there are in Lake County's Building Service Division and/or the entire Lake County Department of Growth and Management?

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by DianeM

I don't understand what the big deal is either.

Really, unless you live real close to the "dairy property" or if you live in Fruitland Park and not The Villages, there is no big deal.

Other than probably having CR 466A widened all the way to US 441, which might not happen if the Fruitland Park part of The Villages isn't developed, it won't affect the rest of us at all.

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by bkcunningham1

Hi VK. It is nice to see you. I wonder if you know how many employees there are in Lake County's Building Service Division and/or the entire Lake County Department of Growth and Management?

From what I can tell, the entire Lake County Department of Growth Management has 29 employees. The department is responsible for building services, contractor licensing, development planning, zoning and something called "enterprise zone development".

Among the 29 employees there are:

• One (1) Building Services Manager

• Three (3) Permitting Technicians

• Three (3) Plans Examiners

• Two (2) Building Inspectors

It's kind of hard to get really current information. But in recent years, Lake County has issued residential building permits in the range of 300 to 600 per year. The Villages is building and selling 300-400 houses or villas a month, all in Sumter County.

I tried to compare Lake County to Sumter County's Department of Building Services. I couldn't get any information on staffing. But their process for plan review and permitting seemed very precise. In fact, their website says that building inspections can be requested and conducted twenty-four hours a day and that any inspection requested before midnight would be conducted the next day. It's kind of hard to imagine that the two Lake County inspectors could deal with inspecting 19 houses a week for all the various of stages of construction requiring inspection (structural, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, final, certificate of occupancy, etc.).

While it's only anecdotal information, my neighbor is in the process of completing a really nice rental house on CR 468 in Fruitland Park. It took him almost two years to get the necessary permits to begin construction. At one point he became so frustrated with the slowness and inefficiency of the process that he almost put the property back up for sale. The house is almost done now, a dramatic improvement over the unoccupied, overgrown, windowless, unpainted structure that it replaced. But my neighbor said that he would NEVER do it again in Fruitland Park.

[The Buckeyes]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

From what I can tell, the entire Lake County Department of Growth Management has 29 employees. The department is responsible for building services, contractor licensing, development planning, zoning and something called "enterprise zone development".

Among the 29 employees there are:

• One (1) Building Services Manager

• Three (3) Permitting Technicians

• Three (3) Plans Examiners

• Two (2) Building Inspectors

It's kind of hard to get really current information. But in recent years, Lake County has issued residential building permits in the range of 300 to 600 per year. The Villages is building and selling 300-400 houses or villas a month, all in Sumter County.

I tried to compare Lake County to Sumter County's Department of Building Services. I couldn't get any information on staffing. But their process for plan review and permitting seemed very precise. In fact, their website says that building inspections can be requested and conducted twenty-four hours a day and that any inspection requested before midnight would be conducted the next day. It's kind of hard to imagine that the two Lake County inspectors could deal with inspecting 19 houses a week for all the various of stages of construction requiring inspection (structural, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, final, certificate of occupancy, etc.).

While it's only anecdotal information, my neighbor is in the process of completing a really nice rental house on CR 468 in Fruitland Park. It took him almost two years to get the necessary permits to begin construction. At one point he became so frustrated with the slowness and inefficiency of the process that he almost put the property back up for sale. The house is almost done now, a dramatic improvement over the unoccupied, overgrown, windowless, unpainted structure that it replaced. But my neighbor said that he would NEVER do it again in Fruitland Park.

Kahuna is correct about the situation. When our home was being built I asked our sales rep why they could build so quick down here and up north, even in good weather it takes 6 months. His answer was that a lot had to do with inspections and permits and not waiting days to obtain them. I assume (hate to use that term) that inspectors are on site throughout areas being built and permits are issued immediately when needed.

[njbchbum]

[QUOTE=Villages Kahuna;749712]Typically, the fees charged by governmental building departments basically cover their costs of operation, They're not "profit makers".
snipped
QUOTE]


maybe that's the issue - here in my little corner of jersey, our community makes a lot more than covering the cost of the operation. some in city hall refer to it as one of the town's cash cows! i just hate to see f.p. lose out on the funds generated by those permits and inspections!

thanx for the post - and i get it.

[chuckinca]

Will these new homes have bonds? Issued by?

.

[mac9]

Originally Posted by chuckinca

Will these new homes have bonds? Issued by?

.

But I thought that there are no bonds in Lake County.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

From what I can tell, the entire Lake County Department of Growth Management has 29 employees. The department is responsible for building services, contractor licensing, development planning, zoning and something called "enterprise zone development".



Among the 29 employees there are:

• One (1) Building Services Manager

• Three (3) Permitting Technicians

• Three (3) Plans Examiners

• Two (2) Building Inspectors

It's kind of hard to get really current information. But in recent years, Lake County has issued residential building permits in the range of 300 to 600 per year. The Villages is building and selling 300-400 houses or villas a month, all in Sumter County.

I tried to compare Lake County to Sumter County's Department of Building Services. I couldn't get any information on staffing. But their process for plan review and permitting seemed very precise. In fact, their website says that building inspections can be requested and conducted twenty-four hours a day and that any inspection requested before midnight would be conducted the next day. It's kind of hard to imagine that the two Lake County inspectors could deal with inspecting 19 houses a week for all the various of stages of construction requiring inspection (structural, framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, final, certificate of occupancy, etc.).

While it's only anecdotal information, my neighbor is in the process of completing a really nice rental house on CR 468 in Fruitland Park. It took him almost two years to get the necessary permits to begin construction. At one point he became so frustrated with the slowness and inefficiency of the process that he almost put the property back up for sale. The house is almost done now, a dramatic improvement over the unoccupied, overgrown, windowless, unpainted structure that it replaced. But my neighbor said that he would NEVER do it again in Fruitland Park.

You haven't posted for awhile and in fact a new-er poster calls himself Kahuna.

I had almost forgotten what a great ability you have to explain complex situations clearly and accurately.

It is so good to see you posting again.

[blueash]

"Beliveau�s study estimates that the Villages will pay more than $13 million in impact fees and inspection fees, building permits and the like the city will need to add and equip an estimated nine police officers at a cost of more than $1 million the first year and $750,000 per year annually. Improvements to the city�s water system will cost more than $3.5 million."

Does that sentence from the article not suggest that inspection fees are going to the local community? Otherwise how is that 13 million linked to the cost of increased police etc unless it is an asset to be drawn against.

If Lake County is granting the building permits and those permits require inspections, as they must, wouldn't Lake County have to maintain responsibility for enforcement? In the event of failures in the new construction which could in part be a result of inadequate inspections would Sumter County be responsible for those failures and the inevitable lawsuits if it provided the inspection services? The perception that Lake county is unable to do its own permitting and inspection would reflect poorly on Lake. If this project is going to go forward there would seem to be no reason that Lake County couldn't hire additional qualified persons to do whatever permitting and inspections are required. If Mr. Morse wouldn't accept that situation I would wonder why. I cannot imagine a county ever ceding control of one of its central functions to a smaller neighboring county.

[OldManTime]

Annex into sumter, then get permits

[OldManTime]

Which Gary?

Morse or Lester

[OldManTime]

I'm not gonna take issue with most of your comments, so many are not factual, just one that stands out, is Lake county has 5x the building officials for permitting than Sumter, but the permitting wouldn't be done by Lake county, it would be done by the city of Fruitland park, just as Harold Schwartz choose to do.

[thelegges]

easier to wait and see

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by thelegges

easier to wait and see

That seldom seems to be an option on TOTV!

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

That seldom seems to be an option on TOTV!

Thus the discussion forum's name, "Talk" of the Villages and not "Wait and see" of The Villages. ;~)