One sure sign of growth so far this year goes to the heart of what makes The Villages such a desirable destination for many people.
Residents formed 83 new lifestyle clubs just through the first four months of the year.
Those clubs join nearly 2,800 existing resident-managed clubs that provide a variety of activities including card games such as bridge, canasta and pinochle; arts and crafts such as colored pencils, glass fusion and sculpting; physical pursuits such as belly dancing, bicycling, line dancing and yoga; and so much more.
New clubs formed through April 30 include the Association of the U.S. Army, Southern Villages Square Dancers, Walk Away the Pounds, Body Sculpting, Athletic Stretching, World Beyond War, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Ghost Stores, Maine Club and more.
About 60 percent of the new clubs formed so far this year are in the Southern part of The Villages, said Pam Henry, District Recreation manager of lifestyles, parks and public relations. The remainder are from other sections of the community.
Also: Growth remains on the fast track in and around the villages of Fenney and Southern Oaks south of State Road 44. The Wildwood City Commission appears near to approving the 13th residential community development district in The Villages. Commissioners heard a first reading last week of a proposed ordinance that would create CDD 13, which would cover about 2,465 acres and include about 6,300 residential units. Under state law, the city commission serves as the sponsoring agency for CDDs within its boundaries, including CDD 12, which serves the villages of Fenney, DeSoto, McClure, Linden, Monarch Grove and Marsh Bend. When the commission approves the CDD 13 ordinance, the District then would begin work on a municipal bond proposal to pay for its share of infrastructure and the accompanying residential assessments to pay for bonded debt service.
Also: Under a consent action last week, the Wildwood commission approved the site plan for Phase 5A of the Village of Southern Oaks, about 204 acres on the east side of the recently redesignated Morse Boulevard extension, formerly County Road 468, and about 1 1/2 miles south of State Road 44. The site plans calls for a residential development, neighborhood recreational area and a roundabout that would extend Morse Boulevard south on the east side of Florida’s Turnpike through the Phase 5A master plan.
Also: The Wildwood commission last week approved transmittal of The Villages Grown large-scale comprehensive plan amendment to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The Villages Grown is poised to become the state’s most productive controlled organic agricultural operation, providing nutrient-dense produce to restaurants in The Villages.
Also: One clear indication of economic growth is building permits. And the number issued in April proves that homebuilding in Sumter County is on a torrid pace. The county’s Building Services Department issued 983 residential permits, mostly because of home building in The Villages. That’s a 15.9 percent year-over-year increase.
Also: Documentary stamp taxes assessed on properties purchased in April in Sumter County offer more proof of just how fast the county is growing. The county collected $1.4 million in doc stamp taxes, a 124 percent year-over-year increase. The county recorded a similar trend in the tax assessed on new residential and commercial loans. The year-over year increase in mortgage taxes increased by 114 percent on loans issued in April in Sumter.
Also: U.S. Highway 301 from State Road 44 to County Road 470, a key roadway access point to the Village of Fenney and future Village De Luna, now ranks as the fifth-highest priority on the recently released 2018 List of Priority Projects by the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization, a group of local elected officials who determine regional roadway priorities. The plan is to widen U.S. 301 to four lanes. Funding for the project development and environment study is scheduled for fiscal 2020-21, with construction funding requests planned for fiscal 2022-23.
David R. Corder is a senior writer with The Villages Daily Sun. He can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5241, or david.corder@thevillagesmedia.com.
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