Plans
For New Paradise Center Starting to Emerge;
Not All New – But Still Nice |
Preliminary plans for a new Paradise Center
are starting to emerge. These are not plans for the complete demolish
and replace alternative favored by residents. But the plans are,
nevertheless, interesting, comprehensive, and attractive.
The focus group organized by the VCCDD
staff was convened recently to review the initial plans developed by the
architects and engineers. This study of the structure, utilities,
and condition of the entire Paradise Center recommended demolition of most
of the buildings on the South side of the Center and a full gut-rehab of
the auditorium building. Most of the Mark Twain Library and the swimming
pool will be saved.
The study found that the South side buildings
were too dilapidated to consider renovation. Most of these buildings
are termite- and vermin-infested and beyond saving. It is not clear
at this time how far East the demolition would go and how much of the Mark
Twain Library will be saved. The new building here will include several
good-sized meeting/recreation rooms, a recreation office, and a better-designed
floor plan.
The auditorium building was found to have
a foundation worth saving and good condition steel girders for the basic
framework. The preliminary thoughts here are to save these components,
strip the walls, ceiling, and roof down to the framework, and completely
re-do the insides. The floor plan would be revised to include a new
and modern kitchen in the middle, a 300-seat performance auditorium in
the front, and a large meeting/recreation room in the back. The Cantina
and pool restrooms would be revised and better incorporated into the auditorium
building.
All of these plans are preliminary and
subject to change. The architects and engineers are revising the
plans to recognize initial inputs from the eight-member focus group (actually
a resident advisory group). A number of revisions and fine-tuning
may be necessary. The VCCDD staff is preparing to schedule the work
and related costs into the 2005 fiscal year beginning October 1, 2004.
Most of the construction should fall into the summer months of 2005.
A good deal of advanced planning for temporary relocation of activities
and events will be necessary during the construction period roughly estimated
at approximately ten months.
The recent survey of residents conducted
and tabulated by the POA, found that 62% of Village residents favored the
full demolish and complete replacement alternative. The 62% figure
was a 3:1 margin over the second-place choice, the modified renovation
alternative.
Although these preliminary plans fall
short of the complete demolish and replace alternative, Villagers should
be happy that the VCCDD is moving forward on plans that result in a greatly
improved Paradise Center. If done right, this should be an attractive
community facility.
The shortfall is that this plan doesn’t
consider a better utilization of the available land area that a full demolition
of the auditorium building would accomplish. That would permit a
better footprint for the entire center, improved parking, and a more attractive
facing on Golfview Lake. Hopefully, these issues will be taken into
consideration by the focus group and the VCCDD.
Updates on the plans should be forthcoming
from the VCCDD soon, and especially at the monthly meetings on the last
Friday of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the district office building.
The POA will also report on progress as new information becomes available.
| Unit One
Asked to Change Covenants for Bob Evans |
Residents of Unit One are being asked by the
developer to approve a change to their Covenants and Restrictions.
This change would allow the old golf driving range near the golf cart bridge
on the East side of the highway to be used for commercial purposes.
This would enable the Bob Evans company to build a restaurant at the Wales
gate entrance to The Villages. Other commercial developments might
be enabled as a result of the change to the Covenants and Restrictions.
If residents do not approve this change, the developer has stated that
the matter will be taken to court where a favorable outcome for the developer
is eventually expected.
Some residents have said the restaurant
is not welcome. No matter what, these residents oppose the idea of
changing the Covenants and Restrictions.
Other residents do not oppose the restaurant
idea but have expressed concerns about the plans for just an earthen berm
and shrubbery separating the Bob Evan parking lot from Paradise Drive.
These concerns are five fold:
1. Residents do not consider shrubbery
an adequate barrier to prevent Bob Evans customers from entering the residential
areas across Paradise Drive. In this day of increased security concerns,
residents want better protection and security provisions. |
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2. Shrubbery is not considered an adequate
barrier to restrict rats, which might be around the wasted food and trash
dumpsters behind the restaurant.
3. There is no provision for Paradise
Drive and Aloha Drive residents to be adequately protected from restaurant
traffic and noise.
4. There is not adequate protection
for residents from odors emanating from the Bob Evans facility.
5. The Covenant and Restriction
changes are very broad and allow more than one restaurant, medical buildings,
and other commercial buildings. Adjacent residents are concerned
about too much development close to what was originally deeded as a residential
area.
Given these concerns, residents need assurances
from the developer regarding these issues. At the very least, Bob
Evans and the developer need to incorporate modifications to the facilities
to overcome resident fears before the approval of the change in Covenants
and Restrictions is approved.
Many residents have expressed an interest
in having a barrier wall or fence, fabricated from block and stucco, comparable
to those walls at the Medical Gate and the back of the Bodega Post Office,
constructed in place by the Bob Evans restaurant and/or the developer.
This wall would parallel Paradise Drive from roughly the golf cart bridge
to the Wales Plaza entrance to Bob Evans. The Villages has set a
precedent for walls of this nature separating residential and commercial
areas on Highway 27/441.
Residents are asked to come to the next
POA general membership meeting on Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at 7:00 p.m.
at the Paradise Center to discuss the options and next steps that residents
can elect to take.
| The
Second Annual POA Survey |
Below is the Second Annual POA Resident Survey.
All residents are asked to spend a few minutes filling out this form.
Please rate each question with your opinion on a scale of 1 to 10 where
10 is the highest, best, or most satisfactory rating – all the way down
to 1 which is the lowest, worst, or least satisfying rating. A rating
of 5 would be an average, or middle-of-the-road, opinion. If you
have no opinion about a question, please put in “NR” (No Rating) for that
question. Then, either bring this form to the next POA membership
meeting or mail it to The POA Survey, P.O.Box 1657, Lady Lake, FL 32158
by May 19th. Thanks in advance for your help in completing this survey.
Results will be published in the next issue of the POA Bulletin.
Rating:
1. _________ Entertainment Programs
on the Square
2. _________ Overall Safety and
Security in The Villages
3. _________ Traffic in The Villages
4. _________ The Cleanliness of
Villages Streets and Common Areas
5. _________ Landscaping in Common
Areas throughout The Villages
6. _________ The Villages Taxi Service
7. _________ The Neighborhood Watch
Service
8. _________ The Trash or Garbage
Service
9. _________ The Water Utility’s
Service
10._________ Emergency Fire Services
11._________ Emergency Medical Services
(EMS)
12._________ The Villages Hospital
13._________ The Lifelong Learning Center’s
Patron Discount Program
14._________ The Monthly Amenity Fee
15._________ The Daily Sun Newspaper,
in General
16._________ The Daily Sun Newspaper,
Objectivity of Reporting
17._________ The Villages TV station,
in General
18._________ The Villages Radio Station,
in General
19._________ The Property Owners’ Association
(POA), in General
20._________ The POA Bulletin Newsletter
21._________ The Villages Homeowners’
Association (VHA), in General
22._________ The VHA Voice Newspaper
23._________ The Community Improvement
Council (CIC), in General
24._________ The Villages District Administrator,
Mr. Pete Wahl
25._________ The Villages Center District
(VCCDD) Government
26._________ The CDD or Government Unit
in Which You Live
27._________ Condition of the Executive
Golf Courses
28._________ Condition of the Championship
Golf Courses
29._________ The Priority Golf Program
30._________ Greens Fees on the Championship
Golf Courses.
The previous issue of the POA Bulletin mentioned
that an informal survey was conducted recently among members of one of
the dance clubs and one of the nationality clubs. A total of 456
members were asked in a written questionnaire if they supported the College
Patron Program. 99% responded “no.” Only 1% responded “yes.”
This informal written survey was extended
to two other clubs: out of an additional 385 Villages residents questioned,
only one (1) favored the Patron Program with a “yes” response.
There is no doubt that this program is
hugely unpopular with the vast majority of Villagers.
Most residents believe that the Patron
program is institutional bribery for special considerations by an elite
group of residents willing to offer a $50.00 bribe to the Learning Center.
The POA again requests that the Lifelong
Learning Center and the Villages developer terminate this program as soon
as possible.
The Special Speakers’ Program can be funded
by residents who can contribute their $50.00 directly to the Learning Center
and the developer who will no longer have to lose revenue by giving special
discounts to Patron members.
Incidentally, did you notice that many
of the special concerts at the Savannah Center post a discounted price
to Patron members and another higher price that is the same for non-Patron
Villages residents as well as the general public? Villages should
be incensed at this – we have to pay for the Savannah Center through our
amenity fees and then the non-resident general public is charged the same
as us non-Patron resident to use the facility.
So, residents have to pay more than Patrons
and get their noses rubbed in it to boot!
| POA Announces
Discount Program |
The POA is pleased to announce a special Discount
Program for POA members sponsored by various Discount Partners in The Villages
and around the central Florida area.
All you have to do is identify yourself
as a POA member and present your valid membership card before ordering
the product or service.
Please also mention that you saw the listings
of the Discount Partners in the POA Bulletin. And, be sure to thank
the merchant for making this special offer available to POA members.
The listing below is in effect right now.
Additions to this list will be made as new Discount Partners sign up.
Pizza Hut at Spruce Creek - Show
your POA membership card before ordering for a 20% discount on every guest
check.
Vic’s Embers - Complimentary after-dinner
cocktail or dessert for each person in the party. Great Day On The Water
Boat Tours - $5.00, $7.00, or $10.00 discount per person on various
boat tours. Call the office toll-free at 1-866-269-6584 for details
and reservations.
Grosvenor Resort Hotel - In Downtown
Disney in Lake Buena Vista. Call toll free at 1-800-624-4109 for
special POA rates (as low as $69.00 plus tax) based on availability, day
of the week, and time of year.
Adam’s Mark Clearwater Beach Resort
- Call 1-727-443-5714 for special POA rates (as low as $89.00 plus tax)
based on availability, day of the week, and time of year.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car - In Leesburg
just off of Hwy 441 on Mount Vernon Road. Call 1-352-787-1128 for
special rates for Villagers. A pick-up service is available.
Gourmet Go Go - A local delivery
service for full dinner menus from ten local restaurants. POA members
will receive a 50% discount off the regular delivery fee of $4.99.
Call 205-0829 for more details or the 30 page menu.
Herman’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shoppe
- On Main Street by The Villages Square. Buy one single ice cream
cone, get one single ice cream cone free.
Ollie’s Frozen Custard - Next to
Blockbuster in the Spanish Plaines Shopping Center. Either use the
Ollie’s Coupon in the POA Bulletin, or get a 10% off discount by showing
your POA membership card.
The POA board needs volunteer help from the
membership in the following areas:
An experienced sales representative to
sell advertisements in The POA Bulletin on a part time basis. A generous
commission will be paid. Previous experience selling newspaper or
magazine ads would be helpful, but not essential.
An attorney to advise the board on a variety
of organizational matters. Previous experience in the areas of real
estate law, contracts, and/or corporate law would be helpful, but not essential.
Please call Joe Gorman (259-0999) for details.
| Pick
Up Unclaimed Bulletins in Vacant Home Driveways |
If you see that the POA Bulletin and the Lady
Lake Magazine, both enclosed in a single plastic bag, are delivered but
left on the driveway or the lawn of an unoccupied house, or where people
are away for a few days, please be a good neighbor and remove these from
the driveway or the lawn. Either dispose of these papers or hold
them for your neighbor’s return.
Papers left for several days in a driveway
might signal an unoccupied house. Our delivery service tries to avoid
tossing the papers on these driveways, but it is not always evident which
houses are unoccupied.
So, please help us avoid these situations.
Thanks in advance for your help on this.
April
Fools Day Revisited
(Don't Believe Any Of This) |
VCCDD revenues are not keeping up with expenses
due to the unusual charge called Debt Service. This is needed to
repay the bonds issued to pay exorbitant prices for common property bought
from the developer. Therefore, the VCCDD has announced that toll
booths will be put into all entrance gate facilities. The toll fee
for resident cars will be $0.25; $0.20 for Patron members; and no charge
for VCCDD employees.
May
19, 2004
THE NEXT POA
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Third Wednesday of the Month – 7:00
p.m.
Main Auditorium – Paradise Recreation
Center
The CEOs of the Leesburg Hospital and
the
Villages Hospital Will Talk About the
Need
For the New Sumter County Hospital
Tax
COFFEE AND DONUTS FOR ALL AFTER THE
MEETING
ALL RESIDENTS WELCOME – COME AND JOIN
US |
