[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Harry Gilbert

NJBlue you are correct. This situation is different,

This is the assimilation of a neighboring town. TV is not moving into a parcel of land that is unincorporated. they are trying to utilize a portion of a existing town and limit access from that town into TV. and its not likely that the town of FP will remain the same.

Look at the numbers FP, Has 3000 (2010 Census over 18) possible registered voters and if TV moves in with 4000 potential voters then what will happen? FP politicians out and TV backed politicians in. Good thing or Bad? I don't know. But if I were A FP pol I wouldn't commit political suicide and let TV in.

The old sections, Orange Blossom, Country Club Hills are part of Lady Lake. Brownwood is part of Wildwood. This section is going to be part of Fruitland Park because they moved their borders right up against The Villages a couple of years ago.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by RVRoadie

I can't tell from the articles if this development is an extension of TV, or a new stand alone family housing development. Does anyone know?

This is exactly the same as Fernandina, Sanibel, Charlotte, Gilchrist, Collier. A couple of new villagers south of 466A , some are in Wildwood and have their police and some are going to be in Fruitland Park.

It will be.

And it will be fine.

Watch and see.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

The old sections, Orange Blossom, Country Club Hills are part of Lady Lake. Brownwood is part of Wildwood. This section is going to be part of Fruitland Park because they moved their borders right up against The Villages a couple of years ago.

no way to tell how many of those folks will be full-time residents vs snowbirds though. would be a shame for fp to be assimilated and lose their own identity!

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by njbchbum

no way to tell how many of those folks will be full-time residents vs snowbirds though. would be a shame for fp to be assimilated and lose their own identity!

Kiddo.

Most of the population of Fruitland Park is up by the post office, miles away from the planned extension of The Villages. None of them will be changed a whit. No more than Wildwood or Lady Lake is changed by us being near. We are already a huge presence. Their daily lives will be the same, the current residents of Fruitland Park, but they will have more money in their tax base.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

The old sections, Orange Blossom, Country Club Hills are part of Lady Lake. Brownwood is part of Wildwood. This section is going to be part of Fruitland Park because they moved their borders right up against The Villages a couple of years ago.

Maybe to take advantage of a situation, that is now happening?

[NJblue]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I have been as involved and as interested as any here and NO ONE told me what the ultimate plan was....a lot of villagers repeated a lot of stuff like it was gospel, but from the developer or his aides and assigns not a syllable.

The plan has been public (on the county website) for years. It included the two regional Rec Centers (Eisenhower plus the other at the end of Morse). It included the exec golf courses as are currently being built plus the three around Sarasota. It also included one more 27 hole championship course off Morse once it is extended.

The problem is that since that plan was put together, numerous areas have already been added to the house-count but not a single addition from a planning perspective has been made to the amenities that are already over-burdened during snowbird season. The pools and the fitness centers at Colony and Seabreeze are already overwhelmed, yet, apparently they have decided to not even add a fitness center to Eisenhower (perhaps as a result of a deal with MVP to get them to come to Brownwood?) Getting a tee time on executive courses during the winter is a hit and miss chance such that when I put in a request I have to keep the group point count to under 2 by eliminating anyone who has the audacity of playing more than three times a week.

When we bought 5 years ago, it was well known that TV would expand to 44 and Brownwood would be built. Hence any hand wringing for that development can only come from someone who was not paying attention. It was also stated by our sales agent that that was when the development would stop.

I would have a lot less of an issue with continued growth if the population growth was met with corresponding amenity growth. It appears that with the exception of neighborhood pools, this is not the case. I applaud the plan for an additional golf course in the FP section should it go forward. I only hope that this golf course doesn't come at the cost of one of the planned three courses around Sarasota.

[graciegirl]

We will wait and see.

It will be hellish-er during the high season, but should be about the same during the other nine months.

They haven't revealed their hand as long as I have been observing them and they usually come up with something better than any place I have ever lived.

If you don't like it or I don't like it, people will be lined up to buy our houses, as it is now anyway, buncha boomers coming down the pike every day.

I have a five dollar bet with papa someone on whether or not Fruitland park will vote yay or nay. Of course they will say yes.

Certainly no one forces us to buy here, live here, stay here.

My cup is always half full.

But most times it runneth over.

[mulligan]

The vote to allow the project may be taken at tomorrow night's meeting...it's on the agenda.

[Villages Kahuna]

All those people shopping at the Colony Cottage Publix.

It's a zoo now. Wait until "the season" starts, with an additional 1200-1400 houses sold. That store is always overcrowded even now. My wife has begun driving from Mallory over to the Publix on 466 or even to the stores down on 441. The law of supply and demand doesn't seem to be working as far as Publix is concerned.

And please don't tell me that The new Sweetbay over near Wildwood will help. I know grocery stores and Sweetbay is no Publix.

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by NJblue

I think you are raising a completely different issue than what I was talking about. In fact, I don't think the Fruitland Park addition breaks any new ground. It is my understanding (I could be wrong) that Brownwood and its surrounding land is part of the incorporated part of Wildwood. Certainly the Lady Lake part of TV has long established this precedent.

But, as long as you raise this topic, it will be interesting to see how FP votes on this. I don't know the current politics of FP to know whether the current elected officials might be at odds with the very large segments of new voters. If, for example, they are very liberal, then the typically conservative voting block of Villagers may indeed sweep them out of office. However, if they are conservative, they could be giving themselves job security for life by adding another 4,000 people who tend to be conservative.

If I were a parent or current resident in FP, however, I may be very inclined to want 4,000 new taxpayers who do not put any additional demand on the schools but will provide sufficient taxes to upgrade all of the existing school and recreational facilities ... and provide more jobs to boot. I don't know how many people who have this type of thinking there are in FP versus those who don't want any change or outside influence. If the former outnumber the latter, it may be political suicide to NOT let TV in.

The Fruitland Park board and residents appear to have one shot at improving their town, and their choice is right now. Your point on how new development such as has been proposed by The Villages would stabilize FP's finances, improve facilities for current residents, and assure the quality of the development of the "dairy farm parcel" are accurate in my opinion. If FP turns the proposal down, I might go so far as to say that the development of that property into tax revenue producing real estate might take decades. In the meantime, Fruitland Park will remain the hardscrabble, sleepy little village it is now.

To some degree it's up to the residents of Fruitland Park. If they like things as they are now, they can tell their elected board to reject TV proposal. They may think that will assure the long-term continuation of their current lifestyle, but it won't. The value of real estate will always migrate towards it's highest and best use. Always. It might take longer, but that 672 acres abutting TV, located on a major east-west county road is going to be developed. And the lifestyle of the FP residents is going to change. To believe otherwise is to believe one can stop a freight train by standing in the tracks in front of it.

The Mom and Pop general store will probably have to start serving latt�s. The class D strip mall with a barbershop and nail place on the main intersection in town will probably be redeveloped. The main city park won't be right on US 441 for much longer. The weekly flea market may not make it much longer. Better commercial uses will be found for the resale shop and massage parlor, both in decent commercial locations. I'll bet the library will be able to buy more books. Maybe the pressure will be off the police to fund the FP government with phony-baloney speed trap tickets. Yeah, things are going to change in Fruitland Park, one way or the other. Maybe it'll take longer, but things WILL change.

I believe their choice is to cut the best deal that they can with TV, and try to enjoy the modernization and financial stabilization of their town. It'll get busier and noisier, and some of the new visitors to FP will be loud, objectionable, big city northerners. That'll be too bad. But one way or the other, that's the way it's going to be.

[Bogie Shooter]

Can we expect a grocery store ,Publix,on every corner?
I drive from near LSL to the Publix on 466 which is not very far and , what, Mallaroy is another mile?
We all know that The Villages would like to rent some property to Publix for another store but, isn't it up to Publix?

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Kiddo.

Most of the population of Fruitland Park is up by the post office, miles away from the planned extension of The Villages. None of them will be changed a whit. No more than Wildwood or Lady Lake is changed by us being near. We are already a huge presence. Their daily lives will be the same, the current residents of Fruitland Park, but they will have more money in their tax base.

3 of the 5 Lady Lake town council members and the areas they represent are in the Villages - could be considered a slight change.

.

[Mr.Kris]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

All those people shopping at the Colony Cottage Publix.

It's a zoo now. Wait until "the season" starts, with an additional 1200-1400 houses sold. That store is always overcrowded even now. My wife has begun driving from Mallory over to the Publix on 466 or even to the stores down on 441. The law of supply and demand doesn't seem to be working as far as Publix is concerned.

And please don't tell me that The new Sweetbay over near Wildwood will help. I know grocery stores and Sweetbay is no Publix.

Do you know if the facilities, gym, etc. are having the same crowding problem? Would it be smart for a prospective new resident to look for a pre-owned home north of 466 and closer to 441? Would there be less crowding where the recreational and commercial facilities have had time to mature?

Thank you, in advance, for your response.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Mr.Kris

Do you know if the facilities, gym, etc. are having the same crowding problem? Would it be smart for a prospective new resident to look for a pre-owned home north of 466 and closer to 441? Would there be less crowding where the recreational and commercial facilities have had time to mature?

Thank you, in advance, for your response.

The answer to that is a resounding YES. People use all facilities much more at first.

We swam daily at first and joined all kinds of things at rec centers. Now we have a circle of friends with whom we do things with and do not use the amenities nearly as much.

We live in a new village on 466 and the art room at Laurel Manor is always less crowded than the one at Colony was, when we used to live in Hadley. The same with the nearby pools, and even the northern golf courses, except for high season.

The commercial businesses will catch up but we are just now coming out of a national economic bad time and it will take a while for new business expansion to be part of planning for some companies. I hope Publix gets the message. I don't want the overflow at our nice Publix on 466.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by OldManTime

I'm willing to make a wager that Fruitland Park will turn down the Villages offer.

I bet you five bucks on this.

Ready to pay up, fella?