[JohnM]

Originally Posted by villages07

JohnM....just read your post while writing this one; kudos to you for proactively calling the County for an explanation. Please share with us what you find out.

One of the five commissioners has responded thus far. Commissioner Gilpin supports stricter enforcement of existing laws and not restricting the use of the street. He encourages all with an opinion on this issue to attend the next Board of County Commissioners meeting (Tuesday, July 22d, 5 PM, Colony Cottage Rec Center).

FYI...

John

[bargee]

OK people whats next if this flies.Local use only of swimming pools,Golf courses,Rec centers?C'mon folks get real,this is a golf cart community.Limit the speeding,YES,but I can't drive on your road'I don't think so.

[villager99]

i may be in the minority but until crossing gates by golf cart is made safer i'll continue to find and use residential streets to get me where i'm going.
so if i can't use oak forest i'll use the streets of summerhill to get to southern trace, and buffalo ridge shopping and doctors.
will all residential streets eventually become no thru traffic streets?

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by villager99

i may be in the minority but until crossing gates by golf cart is made safer i'll continue to find and use residential streets to get me where i'm going.
so if i can't use oak forest i'll use the streets of summerhill to get to southern trace, and buffalo ridge shopping and doctors.
will all residential streets eventually become no thru traffic streets?

Exactly my point in my earlier post. In lieu of making each village a private enclave, I agree with the other posters who suggested stricter enforcing of speed limits and/or, perhaps lowering them.

[zcaveman]

When they designed the roads in TV, only certain streets get you from one area of TV to the others. In the case of Tally Ho, Oak Forest is the only through street to Summer Trace to get you to the Polo Grounds or to Summer Trace shopping district without going out to Buena Vista. I do not think that they ever thought that Oak Forest would be restricted to local traffic.

The only other way is for golf carts to take Addison and cut over to Davenport to get to Summer trace. That is going to get pretty crowded fast.

It makes me wonder if these commissioners think before they act.

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

When they designed the roads in TV, only certain streets get you from one area of TV to the others. In the case of Tally Ho, Oak Forest is the only through street to Summer Trace to get you to the Polo Grounds or to Summer Trace shopping district without going out to Buena Vista. I do not think that they ever thought that Oak Forest would be restricted to local traffic.

The only other way is for golf carts to take Addison and cut over to Davenport to get to Summer trace. That is going to get pretty crowded fast.

It makes me wonder if these commissioners think before they act.

That would be interesting background information and a good question to ask at Tuesday's commissioner's meeting...

John

[thegreenerside]

how about the county buy all the houses using eminent domain then tear the houses down and build a 6 lane Highway (toll of course). This will then allow the developer the opportunity to build houses on the less traveled Buena Vista.

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

When they designed the roads in TV, only certain streets get you from one area of TV to the others. In the case of Tally Ho, Oak Forest is the only through street to Summer Trace to get you to the Polo Grounds or to Summer Trace shopping district without going out to Buena Vista. I do not think that they ever thought that Oak Forest would be restricted to local traffic.

The only other way is for golf carts to take Addison and cut over to Davenport to get to Summer trace. That is going to get pretty crowded fast.

It makes me wonder if these commissioners think before they act.

Correction: Incorrect: Summer Trace; should be Southern Trace.

No criticism intended; merely helpful clarification.....b

[Happy Villager]

I too feel this is setting an awful precedent which many other areas in The Villages could also justify needing. I am sorry but Oak Forest Drive is part of The Villages and as such is open to all residents. We do use Oak Forest occasionally when driving our electric golf cart and we do not speed.

I have already e-mailed Mike Francis and Janett Tutt and encouraged them to reconsider this decision. I also received an e-mail tonight from friends that live in Allahambra and they told me there is a movement in their village to have all their residents to contact their district commissioner to protest too.

I can sympathize with vehicles speeding because we have that on our street too. I just wish their were more law enforcement available to do something about it.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by barb1191

Correction: Incorrect: Summer Trace; should be Southern Trace.

No criticism intended; merely helpful clarification.....b

Sorry for the misinformation and thanks. I get the streets and shopping areas mixed up all the time.

[villages07]

Cliff,

I can appreciate the problem from the perspective of the residents of this street. I guess what got my goat was the radical nature of the solution, basically setting up a verbotten zone for all but residents and their invited guests. The enforceability of this solution is daunting.

I guess I would have preferred a public information campaign first...with articles in the paper, perhaps advisory signs at the entrance to neighborhoods, asking nicely for "cut through" traffic to consider other routes to their destination. People of the Villages are by and large kind, thoughtful people. If such a gentle voluntary campaign would cut down on the volume by 20-30%, you'd all be much better off, enforceability would not be a problem, and there would not be the backlash we are hearing now.

Maybe the horse is out of the barn...but, just throwing these prohibited signs up without any advance warning or considering other less strident solutions seems a little heavy handed.

[Muncle]

"The I, me, my, people who say that they will disregard a lawful sign and continue to make life miserable for the people living on the street, are loading this thread with their selfish remarks."

No, not gonna buy that. If there are any "I, me, my people" involved in this situation, it is those vocal residents of the Oak Forest Drive area who have complained about the activities on that street and coerced a questionable government action. Oak Forest is not the only street accessed via this route. There are also about a dozen side streets and scores of homes that are being inconvenienced by the actions of their neighbors.

It's possible that original residents of this area thought that their new homes, across a obviously major thoroughfare from the polo fields, softball diamonds, and Saddle Brook rec center and between two executive golf courses and a major country club were going to remain in an isolated paradise. But somehow, I'll bet these same people were clamoring for the construction of shopping facilities closer than way up on 27/441.

No one wants changes that will make their home less appealing to themselves. When you have a lovely view, you don't want a house built in the way. However, unless you own the land involved or have a legal commitment regarding its use, you've no guarantees. Life's a :edit: . It's the same with this traffic situation. You can do various things to ameliorate the situation, but only within the rules of the community.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Muncle

"The I, me, my, people who say that they will disregard a lawful sign and continue to make life miserable for the people living on the street, are loading this thread with their selfish remarks."

No, not gonna buy that. If there are any "I, me, my people" involved in this situation, it is those vocal residents of the Oak Forest Drive area who have complained about the activities on that street and coerced a questionable government action. Oak Forest is not the only street accessed via this route. There are also about a dozen side streets and scores of homes that are being inconvenienced by the actions of their neighbors.

It's possible that original residents of this area thought that their new homes, across a obviously major thoroughfare from the polo fields, softball diamonds, and Saddle Brook rec center and between two executive golf courses and a major country club were going to remain in an isolated paradise. But somehow, I'll bet these same people were clamoring for the construction of shopping facilities closer than way up on 27/441.

No one wants changes that will make their home less appealing to themselves. When you have a lovely view, you don't want a house built in the way. However, unless you own the land involved or have a legal commitment regarding its use, you've no guarantees. Life's a :edit: . It's the same with this traffic situation. You can do various things to ameliorate the situation, but only within the rules of the community.

I so agree!

[gingersmom]

By the way, I just read F.S. 316.074 and I don't see anything in that statute that allows the residents to make this a closed or private street.

[Chazz]

Does anyone know the legalities of "No Thru Traffic" signs? I've been told that they apply to commercial traffic, only, not to vehicles such as cars and golf carts. If this is the case, I would have no objection to it.