[DonnaNi4os]

The lines “they paved Paradise to put up a parking lot” comes to mind. Those of us who live in the northern section of TV are not happy at the notion that their square will be taken away. More broken promises. I moved here after the “Historic Tour” bus ride I drank the kool aid as they say. So much for the statue of the creator of TV, the line that Ponce de Leon discovered the fountain of youth at that spot and so many more lines that were meant to entice me to move here. The tour ended by driving through the new homes that were just completed and even allowing us to go through an open house, which happens to be where I purchased my home. I cry FOUL!

[RUCdaze]

Kahuna, your ideas take first place in 'The Worst Suggestions Ever' contest.

[geobar]

Seems that the new generation in control that I now call "The Morse Money Hungry Moguls" have no concern whatsoever presently of attracting new people to the villages in Spanish Springs. Spanish Springs was the 1st town Square with Kattie Bell's and Cattle Baron Restaurants to attract new purchases.

The closing of Kattie Bells and they are trying to add apartments to replace K. B.. This will ruin Spanish Springs forever. And now if they ever get permission to the additional apartments in the La Reina Building it will certainly kill Spanish Springs. The poor restaurant and store owners will lose their businesses as people will not come there anymore to support them.

We as owners in TV were unhappy when the 2nd generation decided to close "The Church on the Square as it offered free entertainment in the Church. The positive outcome was 'The Sharion" which was built in addition to the church. TV offers top names entertainment for people to enjoy without traveling to other Cities.

Still feel sorry for all the purchases south of CR-44 as they did not have one supermarket for about 4 years. Homes make money to line their pockets, not stores or Rec Centers.

Two years ago we moved out of "The Villages" as it definitely became too crowded. We lived in Pine Hills and saw too many changes in "The villages" since moving there in 2009. Overcrowded Stores and Restaurants north of CR-44 thanks to their lack of concern of people.

Harold Swartz (the originator) always was always concerned about the well-being of the people who purchased his manufactured homes in the Historic side of "The Villages". Every morning he would walk the community and speak with the people who supported him.

After Harold's control was taken from him promises were broken more than once by the Morse Family now more so by "The Morse Money Hungry Moguls".

Hope you do as new residents enjoy "The Villages" as it is today as you do not know any better. Before you buy please talk to people who have lived there more than 12 years, to hear from them first hand what has changed to their unliking.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by geobar

Seems that the new generation in control that I now call "The Morse Money Hungry Moguls" have no concern whatsoever presently of attracting new people to the villages in Spanish Springs. Spanish Springs was the 1st town Square with Kattie Bell's and Cattle Baron Restaurants to attract new purchases.

The closing of Kattie Bells and they are trying to add apartments to replace K. B.. This will ruin Spanish Springs forever. And now if they ever get permission to the additional apartments in the La Reina Building it will certainly kill Spanish Springs. The poor restaurant and store owners will lose their businesses as people will not come there anymore to support them.

We as owners in TV were unhappy when the 2nd generation decided to close "The Church on the Square as it offered free entertainment in the Church. The positive outcome was 'The Sharion" which was built in addition to the church. TV offers top names entertainment for people to enjoy without traveling to other Cities.

Still feel sorry for all the purchases south of CR-44 as they did not have one supermarket for about 4 years. Homes make money to line their pockets, not stores or Rec Centers.

Two years ago we moved out of "The Villages" as it definitely became too crowded. We lived in Pine Hills and saw too many changes in "The villages" since moving there in 2009. Overcrowded Stores and Restaurants north of CR-44 thanks to their lack of concern of people.

Harold Swartz (the originator) always was always concerned about the well-being of the people who purchased his manufactured homes in the Historic side of "The Villages". Every morning he would walk the community and speak with the people who supported him.

After Harold's control was taken from him promises were broken more than once by the Morse Family now more so by "The Morse Money Hungry Moguls".

Hope you do as new residents enjoy "The Villages" as it is today as you do not know any better. Before you buy please talk to people who have lived there more than 12 years, to hear from them first hand what has changed to their unliking.

I’ve been here for over 20 years in 6 different houses from Springdale to the tip of Fenny and I can tell you this place keeps getting better and better , yes it was so terrible having no supermarket out in Fenny,I mean I’m 83 how dare they make me drive 10 minutes to a supermarket, the family will do whatever they need to do to make Spanish Springs better not worse , all over USA people are moving into empty or new places in small and big towns bringing some vitality back to empty spaces , why shouldn’t it work here, a lot of people need to get over there Mayberry fantasy , sherif Andy is no longer here it was nice while it lasted but it’s better now because of the 2nd generations vision

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I’ve been here for over 20 years in 6 different houses from Springdale to the tip of Fenny and I can tell you this place keeps getting better and better , yes it was so terrible having no supermarket out in Fenny,I mean I’m 83 how dare they make me drive 10 minutes to a supermarket, the family will do whatever they need to do to make Spanish Springs better not worse , all over USA people are moving into empty or new places in small and big towns bringing some vitality back to empty spaces , why shouldn’t it work here, a lot of people need to get over there Mayberry fantasy , sherif Andy is no longer here it was nice while it lasted but it’s better now because of the 2nd generations vision

We are here just over two years and very happy to be here. Changes come some good for us and some not quite so good but mostly positive.

You make a comments as this place is better due to the second generations vision. What do you think of the third generation?

[Villages Kahuna]

…17 years for me.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Even better!!!

[justjim]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

That's just so adorable - people referring to a 100% artificial, developer-planned 4-square-block commercial property that didn't exist in 1980 as "history."

Meanwhile, back north (the place everyone says all us haters come from) our town was organically built in 1714. The Memorial Town Hall was built in 1886 as a functional monument honoring the men who died in the Civil War. THAT is history.
The only "history" regarding the Villages is that it's testament that a couple of mail-order real estate salesman (Schwartz and his partner Tarrson) could make a fortune selling crappy property as a trailer park near a few orange groves and horse farms. That's it. That's the history.

Perhaps Spanish Springs is “family history” that the Morse family would like to keep rather than history from the civil war. I wouldn’t call the so called historical side of the villages as a crappy trailer park. Those are peoples homes. But we can agree to disagree and to each his own.

[missibu@gmail.com]

Lol 😂

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Luggage

Yup 7 people will complain . So what . I find it ridiculous that everyone's upset about seven apartments or even 10 apartments or 100 apartments, haven't you ever lived in a city wherever your apartment is on top of the store levels? You guys think that someone buying a $300,000 condo is lower class than you? Not everyone needs 2,000 ft to live in there are many people happy to live in 700 or 1000 square feet with no shrubs to cut or trees to worry about or grass to fertilize or roof that needs maintaining or to worry about getting insurance every year

This is why I'm not merely not opposed to apartments in the squares, but I think it's a great idea. I'm ONLY opposed to the idea that it starts with 7 over Katie Belles with reserved parking out front.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by justjim

Perhaps Spanish Springs is “family history” that the Morse family would like to keep rather than history from the civil war. I wouldn’t call the so called historical side of the villages as a crappy trailer park. Those are peoples homes. But we can agree to disagree and to each his own.

It isn't a crappy trailer park. But that was the initial vision of Schwartz and Tarrson, when they sold off undeveloped lots via mail-order. That is the actual history of Orange Blossom Gardens, which would one day become the anchor for what is now known as The Villages.

There's nothing to agree or disagree on, this isn't opinion.

[Villages Kahuna]

Originally Posted by Mushkie

Your comment about closing down the music and making the square a big parking lot was either a joke or ludicrous. The nightly entertainment is a HUGE draw $$$$$ for business each late afternoon/evening. BTW - our amenities fee doesn’t pay for the nightly music- the funding comes from the businesses surrounding the square and from the Sumter tourism board.
The Developer wants these businesses to make money and parking lots don’t make money.

The Spanish Springs town square doesn't contribute anything to Sumter County. Lady Lake is in Lake County.

[jjombrello]

The Developer could take the equivalent of 14 parking places in the lot behind the former Too-Jays, put them under cover, and that would suffice for the seven apartments planned for the old Katie Belles. This would accommodate a car and a golf cart, or two cars for each apartment. The public would not miss those parking spaces as there is plenty of parking for the events held in Spanish Springs.

[ronsroni]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The Developer doesn’t need nightly entertainment in Spanish Springs to attract home buyers anymore. All the development is many miles south. Little marketing benefit would be lost in discontinuing nightly entertainment or events like the monthly drive-in. Those enjoying those events are probably already Villages homeowners, or residents of surrounding communities.

By discontinuing nightly entertainment at Spanish Springs the entire town square could be re-purposed to a large, attractive parking lot. It could be gated with assigned spaces for use by renters in the planned apartments as well as the rumored apartments in the two stories of existing health club space in the La Riena Building. Parking for new apartment renters? Solved! Complaints from renters about too much noise? Solved!

If the movie theatres are re-purposed into a re-located health club as rumored, the main entrance could be in the rear, with parking spaces immediately behind the theater space made private, gated, for use by health club members only.

Complaints would be temporary, coming only from those not likely to be new home buyers. All the businesses in the area, including the Developer-owned Sharon, would likely view the idea favorably. Of course, the Developer owns all the commercial space in the area, so commercial renters would view the idea of less parking pressure very favorably.

New apartments on two floors of the La Riena building is based on a rumor, but it makes sense based on health club employees already having been told of the relocation plan to the theatre space when the health club lease in the La Riena building expires.

Negatives to the idea?

One would need to break out one’s abacus to list the negatives.
Why penalize the northernmost residents for the comfort of apartment dwellers who are nonexistent?

Problem NOT solved.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

How about constructing a two level parking garage behind World of Beer and reserving spaces for the apartment dwellers and leaving the rest for others.

It would surprise me to see golf carts only in the squares themselves once the apartments are finished.

Actually, since the Katie Bell's building is two stories a parking garage behind there could have three levels. Two under cover and one on the roof.