[Happy Villager]

The Villages Recreation Department has an article in today's Daily Sun stating the recreation staff have planned an event "The Sports Pool Splash". At the very end of this article it states: "Because of the variety and importance of information dispensed, the Sports Pool Splash is open to residents in The Villages and surrounding communities.

What's up with that?

In a prior posting I wrote about non-residents from Lakeside Landings and Stonecrest using our multi-model transportation trails (golf cart trails). I was upset enough about that to call District Administration Customer Service Center and was told it is Ok! I would like to add there is an ad in the classified for a home for sale in Stonecrest advertisied as "A Cart Ride To The Villages".

Now before someone accuses me of not living up to my name "Happy Villager" let me state I love living here. I gladly pay my amenity fee, I follow the deed restrictions, etc. but I will also say I am not happy about the above. I am about ready to quit the VHA and join the POA!

[Fourpar]

Happy Villager has valid point. One of the wonderful things that attracted us to TV is the many facilities that are if not in fact, certainly by inference, for exclusive use of Villagers. Inviting the world to use same is not part of the deal as far as I am concerned.

As I read through this forum, I am getting the feeling that developer does what developer wants regardless of anyone else's wishes. I had heard rumors to that affect from a couple of folks we played golf with during our lifestyle visit. Wrote it off to minority view. Now I'm not so sure...

[marianne237]

We've been noticing this for awhile now and I thought perhaps it was just me. Exclusive means nothing in TV any longer. Relatives of ours who snowbird in condos near Ocala come down here to use our facilities and are not questioned or carded. There's something wrong with this picture.

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by Happy Villager

I am about ready to quit the VHA and join the POA!

That would be a smart move.....b

[gfmucci]

Could it be...

...that "the Management" wants to invite "others" to this particular facility (Colony Cottage) to show a sense of activity, as opposed to a relatively vacant looking large facility?* The slowdown in sales has caused the amenties to be constructed much further ahead of home construcition and occupancy than intended, in my opinion.* They need to show activity in these mega facilities in the meantime.* There are dozens (hundreds?) of acres around the Colony Cottage area still in need of houses and residents.

What thinkest thou wise ones?

[sandybill2]

Doesn't seem fair to invite surrounding areas to Sport's Pools. I just had a visitor--who had a guest pass--and I was told that guests of Villagers were NOT allowed to use the sport's pools at all.

I use the a pool every morning and I am the only resident in it!
I am on the west edge of the villages.
I have good friends who live in Stonecrest and use all the facilities here.
My husband goes out late on golf courses and there are tons of non- resident people playing free golf. Its a case of there is no real carding or checking going on and more and more people in neighboring communties have figured it out. It is hard to find no pool chairs left !!!

POA has saved us winning the 4 million dollar lawsuit and the siding problem. :bigthumbsup:
Even the classes they do card...all you have to do is come in late. Go to some of these "outside" communities and ask them how easy it is to use all our amenities.?

Now if you try to sneak in to their pool or golf course...you will see how resident checks should be done!!
I hope the POA will get involved but they have a hugh money machine fighting them on other issues.
Residents here have no power here and are lied too.(New Year Eve) Luckily while the developer is trying to sell homes he will want a good PR. I talk to people everyday who have lived here but have moved because of the way things have gone in recent years.
The big surprise to me is that people are happier in other locations!! I knew nothing but the Villages so I had nothing to compare it too. I still like it here but there are things I am going to keep watching.

[Russ_Boston]

On my preview visit in late April we were never asked to show any ID at the pools or rec centers. On the other hand we were sometimes the only people in the Largo pool and it was 85 degrees outside. The Largo area is already built out for the most part.

I assume that Jan/Feb/March timeframe is much more crowded and resident/guest only facilities are supposed to be just that. I say do more ID checks.

[graciegirl]

Didn't I hear that the developer was building family housing near that shopping plaza. Maybe they wanted younger people to see the quality of the facilities that would be offered in the family development being planned. Why doesn't someone call the office and ask them? I am way up here.

[judylou]

I resent outsiders using the facilities I pay for. I am a snowbird and am paying the entire year and only using the facilities for six months.
I have met lots of people that said they don't live here, it is too busy. Then why are they always here? If it is too busy to live here then stay in your own communities.
People from Stonecrest and other communities behind Wal-Mart just come over thru Country Club Estates at a gate that is not manned or does not even have a gate at all and ride down the road to the bridge and over they come.
We can't get into their communities.
I also think the fees for outsiders (example the Life Long Learning College) should pay a lot higher fee than just a few dollars more than we pay.
I think that monitors at the pool should be there at all times.

[Muncle]

Let's see if I understand his correctly. The Villages Recreation Department is going to hold a special TWO HOUR event. This will include programs aimed at Villagers as well as generic health/swimming issues. Per the Daily Sun "Because of the variety and importance of information dispensed, the Sports Pool Splash is open to residents in The Villages and surrounding communities." My Gawd, they're going to let the Huns inside the walls!!! I pay my amenity fees. I don't want outsiders using my stuff!!! People . . . it . . . is . . . TWO . . . FRIGGING . . . HOURS.

So now a bunch of you are going to join the POA. Great. I'm all for it. The POA's latest campaigns are attacking the hospital because everyone knows it's a deathtrap and reversing One Sumter because, well, I'm no real sure why. As everyone knows, as a result of One Sumter, the Developer owns Sumter County and dictates whatever he desires. Obviously we need to get that program reversed. I don't know about y'all, but I know I'm certainly not paying enough property tax and I want my tax rate double like it was before One Sumter. And just because TV pays 80%+ of the taxes in the county, who in their right mind thinks this area should have as much political influence as Coleman or Bushnell. Join the POA in bringing back the county government that takes Villages tax money and spends it down south. We're rich. We can afford it.

And then there's this one ---

Originally Posted by mcelheny

POA has saved us winning the 4 million dollar lawsuit and the siding problem. :bigthumbsup:
Even the classes they do card...all you have to do is come in late. Go to some of these "outside" communities and ask them how easy it is to use all our amenities.?

Now if you try to sneak in to their pool or golf course...you will see how resident checks should be done!!
I hope the POA will get involved but they have a hugh money machine fighting them on other issues.
Residents here have no power here and are lied too.(New Year Eve) Luckily while the developer is trying to sell homes he will want a good PR. I talk to people everyday who have lived here but have moved because of the way things have gone in recent years.
The big surprise to me is that people are happier in other locations!! I knew nothing but the Villages so I had nothing to compare it too. I still like it here but there are things I am going to keep watching.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand most of it. I assume the 4 million dollar lawsuit is the $40 Million suit from which 7 POA members made $350,000 and their lawyers another $7 Mil. The amount "we" won seems like a lot, but spread over the span of the payout, it ain't much. And the jury is definitely still out on the organizational impact of the settlement.

Siding -- okay, a generally minor advantage that has been blown totally out of proportion.

The rest of it, you lost me. She wants the POA to run the pools and golf courses because people sneak onto them when nobody else is there. People get lied to, especially about New Years Eve, so they've moved out of TV and are much happier where they are. Good for them. I am quite happy for anyone who's dissatisfied in one situation and moves to another and achieves their desire. I believe anyone who is unhappy in a situation, especially one they cannot change, is a damned fool to staying if there is an alternative.

[golfnut]

non residents invited to a specific sanctioned event, probably to try to win over some people and sell them a place in TV, don't see an issue here. As far as people in Ocala, Stonecrest et al using our facilities, I have to say every time I've gone to a rec center there is someone at the desk looking for my ID. I'm going back to the home page to, never mind let's just say I'm moving forward.

[renielarson]

We choose to live where we choose to live

If we don't like it once moved....we can leave...no one is making us stay

I get so sick and tired of all the complaints. We live in a free country and can go wherever we want...so go find a location where there are no rules or regulations and where you will be happy and have no complaints...

Or live in TV and accept what is dealt...like it or not

Life's too short to be unhappy...

Someone once said to me...if this is the very worst thing that can happen to you then deal with it head on...if not, let it go

My advice...let it go

Just my opinion...

[Happy Villager]

I think a few of you are missing the point here.

When we all chose to become residents in this community we agreed to pay for this privilege thru bond payments and the contractural amenities fee. This is our home and our community. Mark Morse was quoted in Thursday's Daily Sun that the residents must protect their lifestyle and we must stay engaged. That is exactly what I am doing and intend to keep on doing.

We the residents are the ones paying the bills and non-residents should not be allowed to take advantage of using facilities they do not want to maintain when the choose to live elsewhere.

It would be great if we could join together and be proactive and find solutions for the few negatives found in our community. I do know last summer the golf course ambassadors were required to stay until 8 or 8:30 to try and prevent non-residents using the executive courses. I'm not sure if that is still policy or not or even if it worked. As for Stonecrest residents I would think finding a way to close off the dirt path that leads from Lowe's to the medical buildings behind Country Club Hills would alleviate that problem. Perhaps a fence could be built? Hiring pool monitors would be one solution to prevent non-residents using them but that would add more labor cost. Does anyone think it would be feasible to have volunteer pool monitors? If enough people volunteer perhaps it would only mean giving one hour a week or less.