[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by John41

Fire trap potential. If the proposed high rise apartments are wood framed and not built of steel and concrete, then there is a potential for a devastating fire. Even if there are sprinklers they could be installed by non English speaking workers who can’t read plans correctly. Can we depend on the building department in Sumter county? I hope so for the poor residents who live there. Lots of smokers in The Villages and smoking in bed is a major cause of fires.

I would sure hope for the residents sake that the Sumter building inspectors are on top of their game.

[Northwoods]

Originally Posted by npwalters

Yes, plus a resort style pool, a restaurant, sports courts, walking paths, and parking for cars and carts - on 8 acres. The lawyer hired to represent the developer assures it it will be wonderful and everyone in TV can enjoy all the amazing amenities.

Gonna be a crowed pool.

You said 280 apartments. The pool in our Village has to accommodate approx. 600 rooftops. Sounds pretty good to me.

[Chloe Girl]

Power does not corrupt men, fools however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.....................George Bernard Shaw

[crash]

Originally Posted by joseppe

I get why everyone's upset over this, but I don't understand the thinking that complaining, arguing or fighting it is going to change it. Those promises of a perceived lifestyle were never put in writing and are not defensible. I'd say the only reasonable option you have is to either accept its going to happen or leave the Villages before your property values and lifestyle are infringed upon. Those are the things you can change, the coming of apartments you probably cannot change.

What you say is probably true but too late the property values around Hacienda are already affected to the negative.

[gregcharlesnelson@gmail]

so glad we live way up north..near Hwy 42..

[riamd1954]

Very well said I hope it doesn’t happen for all the residents who live there !! I think it’s so underhanded!!

[jbrown132]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I think I remember you just moved here this year? We have been here since 2007. I don't see any reason why the Morse family would take to shooting themselves in the foot. Up until now they have made wise decisions. At one time I sensed that the family weren't all on board with going forward but they did continue. Those who harbor good feelings toward them will find good reasons and those others will call it greed.

I am not a renter. Really not fond of renters, but people rent their homes out here right and left. It is a fact of life. Many villagers buy homes in order to rent them out. Renting is allowed and will happen. I am of the opinion that it will not harm anyone's property values, but other people think differently. I think. I hope that when these much smaller version of Brownwood Lofts are built and people rent the upstairs at Spanish Springs it will be an..........Oh Well. No big deal.

I think you should sell your house, take the proceeds and an extra hundred thousand dollars for a golf course view and go buy one of those homes within 500 feet of HH, and see what happens to your investment.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by npwalters

These are my thoughts and my version of the truth. If a fact is wrong I’m sure there will many to rush in and correct me. I am positive there will be a few that do not live close to the Haceinda Hills site that will disagree with most of what I say. I live about 2 miles from the HH site and am concerned because 1) my neighbors in TV are being disrespected and 2) I realize that if it is done at HH it can be done elsewhere and probably will be. For the lawyers: this is based on my recollections and opinion only.

I attended the meeting with the Special Master for Planning and Zoning for Sumter County on Monday night. I was there. Got there at 5:15 for the 6 o'clock meeting and we got he LAST 3 tickets available to actually get in the room where the meeting took place. The exterior at 5:50 (when I was allowed in) was overflowing. Many folks could not find a place to sit or stand and hear the speakers set up in the lobby and left in frustration. Bear in mind this was at Everglades Recreation Center. South of the turnpike, well away from the areas actually being discussed, and not golf cart accessible to any but those living south of the turnpike. A request was made that the next meeting with the commissioners be held at the Savannah Center. That request was not acknowledged.

The county had the “special master", the chief staff member of the Planning and Zoning Board, and a few staff. The Villages had a Orlando based lawyer, a hired traffic engineer, and VP for something (presumably development). The residents had all the residents that would fit into the venue. The "special master" had the charge to recommend approval/disapproval to the Sumter County Commissioners.

The first few hours were spent hearing argument for/against apartments in the Lake Sumter landing area. That centered around amending the language in the current zoning restrictions to “clarify” that apartments can be built in the existing spaces. No actual plan for where or what was required of the developer. The “special master” recommended approval of the change. NOTE THIS: the developer has identified every second story space in Sumter Landing Town Square as potential apartments. The recommended amendment does NOT restrict similar apartments to only Sumter Landing and does NOT limit it to only the upper floors.

The second half of the 6 hour long meeting discussed the former Hacienda Hills CC site. The proposal was to “clarify” the usage language to allow a multi-story (up to 50 feet) apartment complex on the HHCC site. The developer proposes to put up to 286 apartments, a “resort style” swimming pool, sports courts, a restaurant, walking paths, and parking for all the residents on this approximate 8 acre site. Their lawyer actually said all this with a straight face. The Sumter county “planner”, Mr. Holly, classified this site as LARGE in his statement of facts. He later acknowledged that it is classified it as large since the classification for all the sites in this area are based on SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.

The special master was repeatedly asked to delay this decision until the facts were clearer. He admitted he had not actually visited HHCC site to view the existing neighborhoods. He was pled with to go lay eyes on the site before a decision was made. He did not acknowledge these requests and recommended approval.

There were at least 60 –I didn’t keep a count – residents that spoke. Some were armed with facts, some told their story of how the apartments are going to affect their homes and the small town Villages lifestyle they bought and planned to live for the remainder of their life, and a few were centered on ancillary issues such as the valid concern for increased traffic on Morse Blvd and lack of adequate water resources.

There were NO residents that spoke in favor. Sumter County sent letters to the 68 homes within 500 yards of the proposed apartments. 60 responded and ALL were opposed. This information was not offered by the staff and had to be pried out of Mr. Holly. He also stated he had received “numerous” emails on the subject but had not “had time” to read and classify them.

Both local papers stated there were catcalls from the residents. There were. Some of the things that the developers’ hired guns said in an effort to put lipstick on this pig were CLEARLY untrue and the residents reacted. Some of the things (such as the large tract) that Mr. Holly said were technically correct but were taken from data that applied “across The Villages” as a whole and were based on single family home data. Those comments were met with the derision they deserved.

The worst scorn was reserved for the current Morse generation. The speakers and audience members know full well that these apartments can and should be built in areas that are NOT fully developed. They think that greed is the prime motivator for the apartments. They know that many long term residents that bought into TV lifestyle are being totally disrespected. They believe with good cause that TV actions are causing the value of their homes to decrease dramatically. They KNOW that a 4 story apartment building literally surrounded by single family homes is NOT compatible use. Many quoted assurances from one on one conversations with Harold Schwartz and Gary Morse and KNOW these promises and assurances are being broken by the current generation. They KNOW the current generation is aware of all this and feel betrayed.

One speaker put it well at the end of his 3 minute allocation to speak ‘ There will be no statues built for the current Morse generation.

There are not different version of the truth. The truth is very narrow. There is simply only the truth. If it is your version before facts have occurred then it is your opinion.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by jbrown132

I think you should sell your house, take the proceeds and an extra hundred thousand dollars for a golf course view and go buy one of those homes within 500 feet of HH, and see what happens to your investment.

Too late............IF there is going to be a drop in value, it's already happened. Since everyone within the 500 foot range is truthful and 100% transparent and will disclose any & all possible future activity.......they will discount their house for the fallen sky.

[jjp2532]

Originally Posted by donassaid

So much for "representative" government. Amazing that elected officials can be this tone deaf to the will of the people.

When we bought here we were fully aware there was no government. We live in a citified resort, not everything is perfect but I can’t find another place as good as here. We were all aware this is not a “representative “ government.

[collie1228]

I live less than one-half mile North of the former HH, just a few steps off Morse, and don't give a whit about my property value. I plan to live right here until the end. But I do drive my golf cart daily to the mail station at HH, and if the developer is allowed to build such a large facility full of new people, cars and golf carts, without major changes in the two-lanes of Morse Blvd., then I will know for certain that the fix is in. It doesn't surprise me, but it does disappoint me. Clearly the safety of local residents is not a big consideration here.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by crash

What you say is probably true but too late the property values around Hacienda are already affected to the negative.

All of the people with their negative speculations are doing their share . I just found these listings on the street adjacent. I will be watching them. These homes are listed for the middle three hundreds and were last sold for under two hundredK. One appears to be renovated and one needs carpet and wallpaper removed. I doubt this talks helps them sell.

My guess is that if they are hard to sell now because of all of this talk BUT things might change once the apartments are built. That is just my guess. I don't sell real estate but enjoy watching the prices in The Villages.

Here look at them;

1116 San Antonio Ln, The Villages, FL 32159 - realtor.com(R)

1111 San Antonio Ln, The Villages, FL, 32159 | realtor.com(R)

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by collie1228

I live less than one-half mile North of the former HH, just a few steps off Morse, and don't give a whit about my property value. I plan to live right here until the end. But I do drive my golf cart daily to the mail station at HH, and if the developer is allowed to build such a large facility full of new people, cars and golf carts, without major changes in the two-lanes of Morse Blvd., then I will know for certain that the fix is in. It doesn't surprise me, but it does disappoint me. Clearly the safety of local residents is not a big consideration here.

One would think that they would modify Morse due to the expected increased traffic.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

One would think that they would modify Morse due to the expected increased traffic.

Modifications would be determined by the County and related traffic studies. Until a study is complete, no one knows the impact of a couple hundred more units compared to the current traffic volume. Probably not significant.

[npwalters]

Originally Posted by FishnFool

I’m hoping someone on here might be able to help me understand something I noticed. I looked at the Exhibit A map on the Revised Master Plan for North of 466. I see where they added the “Multi-Family Residential” for the definition of Mixed Use, but it is also uses that text in the definition of Residential: “Residential may include: Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential”.

Is that a modified definition or has it always been the case and had already included the "Multi-Family Residential" portion? I didn't see anything in the text call out a change of the definition for all the "Residential" areas only to the "Mixed Use" definition? Is that deliberate or an oversight? Either way if approved as written, using one of the new calculations provided in Exhibit 3: Revised Land Use Conversion table, especially of the ".571 single-family units converts to 1 multi-family units" could make things interesting, not quite a duplex but close!

Looks like most folks are focused on the immediate impact of the HH area but doesn't this open the door for request of rezoning to Multi-Family in the future of any of the residential properties on the map?

I sooo hope I'm wrong...

Reference your last paragraph. YES, the board recommended approval to a change in wording that essentially allows the developer to place multi-family in any TV property located in Sumter County. That is my layman's understanding of it anyway.