Talk of The Villages Florida - Grand Oaks Annexation Denied

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- The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)

- - Grand Oaks Annexation Denied (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/grand-oaks-annexation-denied-353050/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2371636)

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Weirsdale is in Marion County. Grand Oaks is in Weirsdale, and should appeal to Marion County for services that allow for MODEST development that preserves the rural atmosphere while allowing for family housing and modest amenities (a couple of pools, rec center/meeting hall, luncheonette, and maybe a commissary/canteen). Maybe have a community garden where people can grow vegetables and have communal harvesting/sharing to save money and support that whole idea of rural living.

FWIW: Regardless of the USPS address, google maps believes the Grand Oaks property is in Lake County.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2371636)

Annnnnd for the folks in back who were too busy on their cell phones to pay attention the first two times:

LOW INCOME HOUSING IS NOT THE SAME THING AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Affordable housing provides people starting out in their careers (such as medical professionals who've completed their internships, certifications, doctorates, etc, and now have a craptastic amount of loans to start paying back) the opportunity to live closer to where they work. That means they'll be paying taxes on these properties, paying taxes whenever they go to OUR restaurants, paying taxes on anything else that involves taxes, spending money to contribute to the continued and future success of all kinds of other businesses, keeping the accountants employed, maybe even BEING the accountants, and so on and so forth.

These won't be people living on welfare checks and section 8 housing. They'll be the younger people who support the Villages. There aren't enough nurses or doctors to staff the hospital or nursing facilities in The Villages. Do you want some 80-year-old attendant who is physically incapable of getting you from your wheelchair to your bed if you need an overnight stay in the hospital, because that's the best you can get within a half hour drive, willing to work for only $18/hour? Or would you be overjoyed knowing that your attendant is the 28-year-old husband of a gal who finished her residency at NYU last year and the good doctor moved her family south, but wanted to be closer to the Regional/Spanish Plaines/Whatever hospital than what she'd get in Middleton, at half the price?

You might not remember that the hospital actually put a bounty out for new doctors last year. They offered a reward to anyone who could refer one that got hired and stuck around. That's how bad it is. We need "affordable" (NOT LOW INCOME - it means something different) family homes that aren't owned or developed by The Villages.

Weirsdale is in Marion County. Grand Oaks is in Weirsdale, and should appeal to Marion County for services that allow for MODEST development that preserves the rural atmosphere while allowing for family housing and modest amenities (a couple of pools, rec center/meeting hall, luncheonette, and maybe a commissary/canteen). Maybe have a community garden where people can grow vegetables and have communal harvesting/sharing to save money and support that whole idea of rural living.

Grand oaks is definitely in Lake county The plan was to build 797 manufactured homes on the 400 acres.

I thank everyone who worked hard to prevent the annexation of the property which was in rural protection status

Next Stop development in another rural preservation area with fragile marsh lands named Emeralda preserve next to Lake Griffen where developers want to build 1000 homes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topspinmo (Post 2371406)

Why does some developers get special treatment and some don’t?

Maybe because some complete around ten homes a day adding over two billion to the property tax base a year while employing 15,000+ people.

At the same time, they complete three a state off the art charter schools without tax payer funding.

And have two major new comercal areasin advanced development.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ponygirl (Post 2371643)

I'd read the plan was to have more than 800 units on fewer than 400 acres. I think that's way too much, and if they had asked for 250 units they probably could've gotten it done.

You do know they already have mobile homes there right? And tiny home cottages, and full-sized site-built houses. 30 houses in total. And it's an RV park with 60 full-hookup sites that come with sewer hookups.

If they really want to make trouble for the "neighbors" they could lower the rents significantly and let the riff-raff stay there by the week. Maybe turn a few closest to the road into luxury no-tell motel rooms with waterbeds and mirrors on the ceiling, that rent by the hour.

I repeat - I do NOT think that the scope of their plans was appropriate, it should not be anywhere near 800 units. I think even half that might be too much. But they're supposed to be a profitable equestrian venue and they haven't really been profitable, now that Ocala has the big equestrian center that takes all of the primary attractions, and the Villages Polo club has its own stables and paddocks. They need to be encouraged to change the details of their plan, with the blessing of WHATEVER COUNTY they happen to be in.

Otherwise - there's really no one to blame but the people who gave them a hard no with no room for re-designing the plan, if the owner abandons the property, or just lets it fall to neglect and turns it into Ocala Forest Homeless Camp, Part II.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2371636)

Sigh... low income housing is affordable housing. One receives more subsidies in designated low income, which also happens to some in the so called affordable homes. Either way, people need homes and a quality of living and not being packed in like rats. Think of the additional traffic on local roads with that number of homes.

There aren't very few startup professional professional people who want to live in a manufactured homes, if any. And I see there is agreement that attracting doctors to Florida is like pulling teeth.

All those nice amenities that are suggested come with a hefty price tag and new, low income/affordable housing costs are already out the door without the addition of those features. The restaurants and businesses in The Villages who rate high enough to create great foot traffic, don't need more.

IMHO, the whole plan needs to be reworked with greatly reduced unit numbers. People who require low-income/affordable homes don't have a lot of extra change for eating out and shopping these days. But they would be like to enjoy a yard without someone peering in their windows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2371636)

Annnnnd for the folks in back who were too busy on their cell phones to pay attention the first two times:

LOW INCOME HOUSING IS NOT THE SAME THING AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Where is the delineation?...I'm asking for those on their cell phones.

The thing many forget, is Affordable Housing is only affordable to the initial buyer.
After that, market prices dictate values, and affordability.