Your starting place for what is allowed is the Architectural Review Manual for your CDD VCDD Community Standards and the deed restriction for your community Village Community Development Districts and the District Adopted Rules for your CDD VCDD Community Standards

The ARC must follow these rules to determine if the desired changes are allowable. In the newer areas (CDD13) where the communities are not fully completed the approval comes from a representative of the developer's office, who follows the same sets of rules.

If you feel that your ARC application was denied unjustly or improperly, there is an appeal process to the CDD board that can address the issue and render a final decision. The CDD Board of Supervisors sets and has final say on the ARM and Adopted rules for their CDD. The ARC answers to the CDD boards, not the developer. There are no unwritten rules by the developer being enforced by the ARC.

Spend some time on ToTV and you will learn that "the Developer" makes their own rules even if contrary to ARC rules. Like granting RV garages in tight home site spaces like the house next to Water Lily Rec Center in DeLuna. Until property is transfered to TV from "the Developer", the Wizzard of OZ has a different yellow brick road for some Villagers. Pavers just might be what's allowed.

After transfer of property, it may not be a written rule. Other Villagers complaining is what determines anything not "written", selective enforcement, and don't ask don't tell. You may or may not have to remove them.

Tommy McDonough works for the developer. In a legal sense, the developer is a corporation. In a practical sense, the developer is the Morse family...Mark Morse, CEO, and his sisters Jennifer Parr and Tracy Mathews.

The Morse family.

H. Gary Morse - Wikipedia

Spoke to spoke to Tom who is a very nice guy. He represents the Construction entity that is the Morses.

Asked him about a birdcage being put in a landscape buffer zone. There are numerous houses with pools and birdcages in this area but ARC denied our permit. He said had we submitted the permit before the district was turned over to The Villages, he would have approved it as the developer as an exception to the rule however, once the districts get turned over all management falls to the villages.

The ARC commissioner is not a friendly person and has said “I stick to the restrictions 100% and no one gets an acception for any reason, period”. He is very rude and disrespectful and drunk with the power he has thinking he is a little dictator.

Unfortunately, if your district is under The Villages only other action is a civil suit if you want to pay and hope you win.

Your story doesn’t add up
 

Your story is odd/vague on a couple of levels. I think it’s either how you are describing the story here or to the ARC.

1). Reputable contractors that regularly work in The Villages know the rules very very well and don’t propose any project that won’t pass ARC approval. So either your contractor is not reputable or a newbie to The Villages or are you planning to do the work yourself??

2) You didn’t include what type of home you have- patio villa, courtyard villa, designer, veranda

3). I think the term retaining wall is the issue. Do you mean, the low stone (made of cement not rocks but stone like paving stones) edging around landscaping or as tall as the stone walls around the cement pads? Retaining wall is something that holds back or retains a mountain of dirt from eroding- can’t imagine you mean that. There are low walls- usually no higher than knee height around the cement pads or front porches - with seating and/or fire pits, etc all the time so I think there is either something wrong with your wording or the contractor you chose.

4). Did you submit actual plans to the ARC or just speak to someone ?? I don’t know if a situation of a rule that would be enforced that isn’t written down.

The Developer is the Morse family.

Nobody really knows...but rumor has it that The Developer is a nasty old curmudgeon who has his office in one of those second-floor "apartments" across from Kilwin's in Spanish Springs.

Has a bookkeeper named Bob Cratchit, I believe...

Pavers
 

Everyone says to look at deed restrictions. If my deed says one thing and ARC says it has been changed, how can they change it without notifying everyone affected?

Tommy said it’s ok just do it and worry about it later….

Might your plans reduce the amount of front lawn to less than 51% sodded? There is a rule re external landscaping which states "Each home and homesite must contain a concrete driveway, the lawn must be sodded, and a lamppost erected in the front yard of each homesite. To qualify as sodded, al least 51% of the yard area visible from all adjacent roadways and golf courses must be sodded."

Don't know if it is in the rules for your District, but you can look that up here
VCDD Community Standards

The Developer is the Morse Family. If you drive through neighborhoods in The Villages, you will see many paver patios in the front of houses.

Are you in CDD 13 (new area)? I have been told by my contractor that in that area of the villages they will allow pavers, just not cement in the front or sides of the house. The pavers have to be laid in sand. If you had plans showing pavers over a cement pad, that might be your issue? Many homes in that area have exactly what you are referring to.

That’s odd. I live below 44, in the new area and about 10% of all the homes have had paver driveways, sidewalks, patios, etc. put in. The one I personally know did have ARC approval.

You need to look back into the documents you signed at closing. The deed restrictions should be one those items. If it is down in CDD 13 look to see if you signed something saying you are aware the developer could change the deed restrictions at any time until the property is turned over to The Villages. In the absence of that you probably have a winnable case if you were to take it to a lawyer but I wouldn't do that until I went through the appeal process with the CDD.