[CrosbyStills]

Originally Posted by Nana2Teddy

As a Delunatic, I agree with this comment. 😊

Love that!

[PilotGuy]

Originally Posted by CrosbyStills

"Off the beaten path" is another way of saying "isolated" which is exactly the point being made. There are certainly some like you. Maybe many. But the fact The Villages multi-million dollar marketing strategy advertises the heck out of Town Squares and recreation centers indicates the majority of potential buyers want to be in the thick of things, not "off the beaten path."

We are certainly not "isolated." Newell has an excellent recreation center with a wide variety of indoor activities, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and other amenities, along with a par-3 golf course right behind it.

Sawgrass, one of The Villages' major entertainment areas, is only about two miles away. It offers live entertainment every night, numerous restaurants and bars, and another large recreation center. Eastport, the largest town square in The Villages, is only about a 15-minute golf cart ride away, and Middleton is just a few minutes farther. While Middleton doesn't have nightly entertainment, it functions much like a town square with plenty of amenities. We also have what I believe are some of the best walking and biking trails anywhere in The Villages.

I would think that anyone making what is potentially the largest financial purchase of their life would invest the time to thoroughly research the community and perform their due diligence before buying a home. If someone chooses to move to an area without fully understanding what it offers and later decides it isn't what they wanted, that responsibility ultimately rests with them.

One thing about The Villages is that no one is forced to buy a home in any particular location. If you voluntarily purchase a home and later decide you don't like the neighborhood or the area, you're free to sell it and move somewhere that better suits your preferences.

I'm genuinely curious about your criticism of this area. Are you someone who moved here without doing adequate research and now regrets the decision, or are you someone who doesn't live here and has formed an opinion based on incomplete or inaccurate information?

[CrosbyStills]

Originally Posted by PilotGuy

I'm genuinely curious about your criticism of this area. Are you someone who moved here without doing adequate research and now regrets the decision, or are you someone who doesn't live here and has formed an opinion based on incomplete or inaccurate information?

Nicely posed question, worded so there's no possible positive response available. A true Catch-22.

That's okay, you like it, and you want to defend where you invested hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have a biased financial and emotional interest. I get it. It's normal, it's human nature. You shouldn't apologize for it. Heck, there're are tens of thousands of people in this country who chose to buy and are perfectly content living backed up to multi-lane interstates, highways, and freeways. It's no disrespect or criticism of you.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by CrosbyStills

Nicely posed question, worded so there's no possible positive response available. A true Catch-22.

That's okay, you like it, and you want to defend where you invested hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have a biased financial and emotional interest. I get it. It's normal, it's human nature. You shouldn't apologize for it. Heck, there're are tens of thousands of people in this country who chose to buy and are perfectly content living backed up to multi-lane interstates, highways, and freeways. It's no disrespect or criticism of you.

Not sure the years you have vested in TV, or are relatively new. Our parents came in “04”, we followed in “07”. 4 homes between the “6’s” current home south of 44.

When Enclave was first mentioned as the next Premier site, our interest was peaked. It’s quiet, isolated, those who wanted to drop 1+million to build. Many the area just where they wanted to live. After 18 plus years of between the “6’s” we definitely wanted Enclave on the list.

If you are relatively new, the squares are important to you. But after a few years, sometimes a few months you find squares are literally off your list. If you have company you may visit occasionally. Our kids and grands dislike the squares, I thinks it’s been 3-4 years since we bothered, to drive 4 minutes for entertainment. We spend time in Orlando, Gainesville and other locations.

The Enclave location, near the turnpike, the quiet, the less crowded, for those that built.

Our change of mind wasn’t lack of due diligence, we have years of that experience….We turned down the location, because it was “NOT” built as a Premier Village. The second designers, and zero custom build came to the mix we were out. Our friends live in Enclave and love the move, after living between the “6’s” for 11 years.

For more than 20 years those who choose to move farther south in TV, confuse those who are rooted to their location.

[PJ_Smiley]

South of County Road 470 the land formerly owned by 470, LLC, once planned for apartments and commercial development, has been purchased by The Villages. A Multi Modal Path (MMP) along CR48 under the Turnpike was approved which would give access from the west to the 470 LLC property.

I think there will be a tunnel under 470 from the end of Meggison Road or Dabney that will connect to the 470, LLC property and then give access to the MMP under the turnpike at CR 48. Probably 5 years plus, but The Villages has long-range plans 15-20 years out.

I remember 10-12 years ago driving north on the turnpike near Okahumpka rest area and telling my family that The Villages may not own the farm land and pastures on the north side of the turnpike but they definitely had an option to buy that locked up the property. I was thinking small, because I didn't even conceive that The Villages had the south side of the turnpike locked up and were planning a golf cart bridge over the turnpike.

CR 48 will probably run right into the next town center which should be about 5 miles south of Eastport.

[Teed_Off]

Originally Posted by PJ_Smiley

South of County Road 470 the land formerly owned by 470, LLC, once planned for apartments and commercial development, has been purchased by The Villages. A Multi Modal Path (MMP) along CR48 under the Turnpike was approved which would give access from the west to the 470 LLC property.

I think there will be a tunnel under 470 from the end of Meggison Road or Dabney that will connect to the 470, LLC property and then give access to the MMP under the turnpike at CR 48. Probably 5 years plus, but The Villages has long-range plans 15-20 years out.

I remember 10-12 years ago driving north on the turnpike near Okahumpka rest area and telling my family that The Villages may not own the farm land and pastures on the north side of the turnpike but they definitely had an option to buy that locked up the property. I was thinking small, because I didn't even conceive that The Villages had the south side of the turnpike locked up and were planning a golf cart bridge over the turnpike.

CR 48 will probably run right into the next town center which should be about 5 miles south of Eastport.

Hypothetically you are thinking that there would be a tunnel under 470?

[MrBeans]

I love the isolation in Newell and hope it stays that way.

[PJ_Smiley]

Originally Posted by Teed_Off

Hypothetically you are thinking that there would be a tunnel under 470?

Yes, I am making an educated guess, but I think logically it is what The Villages probably has on the drawing board.

And further projecting: Meggison will probably be extended east parallel to the turnpike and connect to CR 48. At some point in the future, you will most likely see a major intersection at Meggison and 470 - 4 lanes and left/right turn lanes and stop lights. A Multi Modal Path will traverse next to it and connect to CR 48 underpass.

If you look at Rusty Nelson's YouTube video, : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfhHcbfx2zc, he shows the CR 48 turnpike underpass. It was definitely designed for a four-land divided highway. The 2-lane current roadway is on one side of the support pillars, but the other side (grass & weeds) is ready for upgrading and 2 additional lanes. The turnpike widening project to six lanes won't have any effect on the underpass. It is ready for 4 lane divided CR48.

You have to understand that The Villages Developer is the premier master planned community developer in the country. The developer is years ahead in planning. Other master planned community developers come here to see how its done and to replicate the process.

Do you think the Bexley bridge was an after thought? It was originally Baily Bridge and was a connection for the farmer to access his property on both sides of the turnpike. It was built with the original construction of the turnpike and probably as a condition of the farmer in the sale of the land to the state for the turnpike. As far as I know, it is the only "farmer bridge" anywhere on the whole turnpike. Now, in steps The Villages Developer with an option to buy the farmer's land on both sides of the turnpike. Why? That farmer's bridge saved the Developer probably $1 million to $2 million in planning, permitting, regulator costs, and other upfront costs since it's access was "grandfathered in" by the state. It kind of like people who buy waterfront property in Naples or Sarasota and tear the house down but leave the foundation. Then it's not a "new" build but a renovation and "grandfathered in." They can build without all the "new build" upfront permitting and regulatory costs.

The golf cart bridge across the turnpike at Water Lilly Rec Center cost the Developer considerably more since that bridge was built from scratch.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Teed_Off

Hypothetically you are thinking that there would be a tunnel under 470?

A tunnel under 470 went from unlikely to possibly economically feasible with this purchase.

One factor is The Developer so far does not seem to have as much influence with Lake County as they do Sumter. The lack of a 470 MMP across the Turnpike is an example, especially considering a 5ft sidewalk was included. Or they knew a better alternative was coming.

We'll see...

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Teed_Off

Hypothetically you are thinking that there would be a tunnel under 470?

Don Wiley mentions mentions a tunnel under 470 is likely and discussed planning for a future multimodal crossing at CR 48. about the 30 min mark in this video (Villages owns the land under the Turnpike bridge).:

Gold Wingnut Live #121 6/21/2026 at 3:00 PM - YouTube

Screen scrape of the under Turnpike plan.