| The Villages, Florida | |
|---|---|
| — Master-planned age-restricted retirement community which includes a CDP — | |
| Motto: Florida's Friendliest Retirement Hometown | |
| Location of The Villages in Sumter County and the state of Florida | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| County | Sumter |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.6 sq mi (14.4 km2) |
| • Land | 5.2 sq mi (13.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km2) |
| Elevation | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | approximately 75,000 |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip Code | 32162 |
| Area code(s) | 352 |
| FIPS code | 12-71625[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1828956[2] |
The Villages is a master-planned age-restricted retirement community located mainly in Sumter County, Florida, United States, but also includes portions of Lake and Marion counties. The community is controlled by several Community Development Districts (CDD's), most of which are controlled by H. Gary Morse, the owner of the development company which created The Villages.[3] The overall development lies in central Florida, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Ocala and approximately 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Orlando.
The Villages includes the census-designated place (CDP) located in Sumter County, also known as The Villages, which had a population of 8,333 at the 2000 census. The CDP is the center of The Villages Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), which consists of all of Sumter County but does not include the Lake or Marion County portions of The Villages (the Lake County portion is included in the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area; the Marion County portion is included in the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area). The Villages earned the No. 1 ranking as the fastest growing micropolitan area in the United States according to a 2008 Census Bureau report.[4]
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Harold Schwartz, a Michigan businessman, began selling land tracts via mail order in The Villages area in the 1960s. Unfortunately for Schwartz and his business partner Al Tarrson, a Federal law in 1968 banned mail order sales of real estate.[5]
Stuck with considerable portions of Florida land, in the early 1970s Schwartz and Tarrson began development of a mobile home park, Orange Blossom Gardens, in the northwestern corner of Lake County. By the early 1980s, though, the community had sold only 400 units. In an attempt to improve the business, Schwartz decided to buy out Tarrson's interest and bring his son, H. Gary Morse, on board in 1983.
Morse noted that the successful retirement communities (such as Del Webb's Sun City developments) offered considerable numbers of well-maintained amenities to the residents and were also surrounded by diverse amounts of nearby commercial development. Thus, Morse began to significantly upgrade the development, which worked out well – the mid-1980s saw improvement in sales, and Schwartz then began to buy large tracts of land in nearby Sumter and Marion counties for future expansion.
Morse officially changed the overall development name to The Villages in 1992. The development is still controlled in all major aspects by descendants of Schwartz and Morse (as an example, Jennifer Parr, Director of Sales and the spokesperson on the sales video sent out to prospective buyers, is Schwartz's granddaughter).
A Declaration of Restrictions has been created for each individual neighborhood, which regulates such things as landscaping, repairs and maintenance, placement of satellite dishes, hedges, etc. An Architectural Review Committee controls the composition and consistency of the exterior of the residential properties within The Villages. The committee, which consists of Villages residents, is responsible for approving alterations and modifications to the properties and homes built by the developer. Committee members serve for three years and are selected by the sitting committee.[6]
All homes must be occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older. Persons under the age of 19 years are not permitted to reside within The Villages but may visit for a maximum of 30 days per year unless an exemption is granted; however, three subdivisions are designated as "family units" and are not subject to the under-19 restriction.[7]
The Villages is located at (28.937803, -81.971220)[8].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 mi² (14.5 km²). 5.2 mi² (13.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 mi² (1.0 km²) of it (6.99%) is water.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 8,333 people, 4,392 households, and 3,583 families residing in the CDP. A promotional website estimated that The Villages passed 75,000 population in December 2007, based on growth trends from 1990 forward, and will double in population in the next 5 years [2]; however, the number includes people who maintain a second or retirement home in the community but claim legal residency elsewhere. The population density was 1,605.5 people per square mile (619.9/km²²). There were 5,065 housing units at an average density of 975.9/mi (376.8/km²²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.4% White, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 1.3% of the population.
There were 4,393 households, of which 0.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.1% were married couples living together, 1.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.05.
Age ranges in the population were 0.3% under the age of 18, 0.3% from 18 to 24, 1.5% from 25 to 44, 40.4% from 45 to 64, and 57.5% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 66 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. As stated above, The Villages is an age-restricted community with only three neighborhoods designated for residences by persons under age 19 (absent a granted exemption).
The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,542, and the median income for a family was $45,078. Males had a median income of $58,173 versus $26,176 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $28,343. About 2.8% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those aged 65 or over.
Considered a heavily Republican community, The Villages is a popular election stop[9] and platform for personalities such as former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin,[10][11] former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee[12] and talk show host/author Glenn Beck.[13]
A gated community known for low crime rates, The Villages was featured extensively in the news after a resident was killed in her home during a hold-up in July 2006, the first-ever murder in the retirement community.[14]
The Sumter County portion of The Villages is within Florida's 5th congressional district (currently represented by Republican Rich Nugent) while the Lake and Marion County portion is within Florida's 6th congressional district (currently represented by Republican Cliff Stearns).
The entirety of The Villages is within the boundaries of Florida Senate District 20 (currently represented by Republican Alan Hays), and is within the boundaries of Florida House of Representatives District 42 (currently represented by Republican H. Marlene O'Toole).
The portion of The Villages within Lake County is within Lake County District 1.[15] As of September 2010[update] the current District 1 Commissioner is Jennifer Hill.[16]
The portion of The Villages within Marion County is within Marion County District 3.[17] As of September 2010[update] the current District 3 Commissioner is Stan McClain.[18]
Areas of The Villages in Sumter County are divided between Sumter County District 1, which takes areas east of Morse Boulevard, and Sumter County District 3, which takes areas west of Morse Boulevard.[19][20] As of September 2010[update] the current District 1 Commissioner is Richard Hoffman [21] and the current District 3 Commissioner is Don Burgess.[21] Sumter County operates The Villages Sumter County Service Center at 7375 Powell Road in Wildwood.[22]
The majority of The Villages is developed and maintained using several Community Development Districts (CDD).[23] The CDD is a form of special purpose local government available under Florida law; around 225 communities in Florida currently use this form of government.[23] The portion of The Villages located in Lake County is under the jurisdiction of the city of Lady Lake and is not part of any of the District CDD's but a portion is under the larger CDD's (see below).
The Villages currently operates 12 CDD's. Ten of the 12 CDD's cover the various areas of The Villages where residents own homes, and provide and maintain the roads and transportation paths, storm water systems and structures, underground utilities, curbs and gutters, and street lights. The costs of building and maintaining this infrastructure are paid for by annual special assessments included in the property tax bill. District residents (including landowners who have yet to build on their property) elect the members of the District Board of Supervisors. The current district setup is as follows:[24]
The remaining two CDD's are:
Unlike the residential CDD's, there are no residents within the CDD boundaries. Thus, the five-member Board of Supervisors for each district is composed of the developer's employees or affiliates. [25][26]
There are also two homeowners associations in The Villages: The Property Owners Association (POA) and The Villages Homeowners Association (VHA).
Unlike traditional associations (in which membership is mandatory for property owners, and where the association has the authority to enforce building standards), both the POA and the VHA are voluntary organizations that work to inform and serve the residents. According to author Andrew D. Blechman in his book Leisureville (see Criticism section below), the VHA is traditionally aligned with the Morse family while the POA has historically maintained a stance in opposition to the developers. Neither association assesses mandatory dues and residents can join either or both associations (the primary benefit of which is the ability to gain discounts on local services).
As a master planned retirement community, The Villages offers numerous forms of recreation. The majority of the costs are paid for via the monthly amenities fee assessed to residents (the facilities are owned by the centralized CDD's discussed above).[27]
The centerpiece of The Villages is its numerous assortment of golf courses. The ability to play golf for free year-round is a key component of The Villages advertising campaigns. As of February 2011[update], The Villages operates 38 courses.
Twenty-nine of the courses[28] are executive golf courses, all of which are 9-hole layouts. It is these courses at which residents of The Villages can play free golf for life and can walk the courses for free as well; fees are charged for riding a golf cart on the courses.[29]
The remaining nine courses are country club championship courses.[30] Among notable course architects are Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez. The Orange Blossom Hills and Tierra Del Sol clubs are 18-hole layouts; the other seven clubs are 27-hole layouts. Residents of The Villages are automatically members of these clubs; however, unlike the executive courses residents must pay green fees to play the courses and the clubs charge for priority tee times.[31]
By final buildout The Villages will operate 12 country-club championship courses (the last three will be 27-hole layouts; there are no plans to expand Orange Blossom Hills or Tierra Del Sol beyond their existing 18-hole layouts) and 35 9-hole executive golf courses, for a total of 621 holes of golf.[32]
The Villages also operates a golf instruction academy[33] for all skill levels.
In addition, The Villages operates numerous recreation centers. There are three classes of centers (the number shown are as of March 2011 and are based on the types of swimming pools offered):
In addition The Villages operates 11 parks, dog parks, and fitness trails, which are separate from the recreation centers.
Beyond the golf courses and recreation centers, The Villages also operates numerous softball fields, a polo stadium (The Villages Polo Stadium),[37] and a woodworking shop, plus the Lifelong Learning College.[38]
Nightly activities are held in The Villages two town squares,[39] Lake Sumter Landing's Market Square[40] and Spanish Springs Town Square.[41] A third town square, Brownwood Paddock Square, is under construction.[42]
The Villages is served by television channels from the Orlando market, by radio stations from both the Orlando and Gainesville/Ocala markets, and by area papers such as the Orlando Sentinel, the St. Petersburg Times, the Leesburg Daily Commercial, and the Ocala Star-Banner.
The Villages developers operate three media properties:
Blechman in his book criticizes The Villages media for being slanted toward the policies and views of the developers.
The Villages development is bounded roughly by US 27/US 441 to the east, US 301 to the west, Marion County Road 42 to the north, and Sumter County Road 466A to the south. Sumter County Road 466 serves as the main east-west corridor, with Buena Vista Boulevard and Morse Boulevard serving as major north-south corridors.[43]
Due to the prevalence of golf courses many residents in The Villages use golf carts (some of which are street-legal, and some of which solar-powered) to travel around the community. Tunnels have been built in most of The Villages where a highway must be crossed, but one overpass exists across US 27/US 441 because there was no way to construct a tunnel in this area.
Sumter County Transit operates The Villages shuttle. They provide various weekday loops through the Villages.[44]
The Villages developers operate a trolley-style bus tour of the community which operates from the sales and information center located at The Market Square in Lake Sumter Landing.
There is a private van service, Village Airport Van, which provides door-to-door service from The Villages to Orlando International Airport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Village Airport Van picks up passengers at their homes and takes them directly to their airline’s departure gate. The service costs $35 per person each way with reduced or free fares for children. Group discounts also apply. There are no extra charges for pets, golf clubs or baggage.[45]
There is also a shuttle that operates between the community and Orlando International Airport in Orlando. The shuttle stops at Lake Sumter Landing and Spanish Springs. The ride takes approximately 90 minutes and advance reservations are suggested. The service costs $35 each way ($70 round-trip), but if one reserves a round-trip the round-trip price is reduced to $65.[46]
The following school listings are primarily for tax base purposes only, as The Villages does not allow full-time residents under age 19 except in its three family unit neighborhoods or by exception granted for hardship cases.
The Villages Charter Schools is a PK-12 charter school in unincorporated Sumter County.[49] Children are eligible to attend the charter school if one or both of their parents work directly for The Villages or one of its direct subcontractors, or if the parents work for a business located within The Villages. However, children of residents who reside in a family unit neighborhood or by granted exemption do not qualify for attendance.[50]
In addition to the Lifelong Learning College operated by The Villages developer, several publicly-financed options are also available.
Sumter District Schools operates the Sumter County Adult Community Education Center in unincorporated Sumter County.[51]
For residents of Lake and Sumter counties, Lake-Sumter Community College provides adult education at the South Lake Campus in Clermont, the Leesburg Campus in Leesburg and the Sumter Campus in unincorporated Sumter County.[52]
College of Central Florida serves residents of Marion County,[53] operating the Ocala Campus and the Hampton Center in Ocala in Marion County and centers and campuses in adjacent counties.[54]
The Villages has been criticized by author Andrew D. Blechman in his book Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias. According to the Orlando Sentinel, "Blechman explains how Villages developer Gary Morse has maintained firm control over local decision-making in a community that sprawls across Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. . . . [The author] highlights the complex political and economic arrangements that gave rise to The Villages, and he asserts that few of its 65,000 or so residents understand, let alone oppose, the limitations on their civic power."[55]
As Blechman told National Public Radio in March 2010, "Everything's owned by the developer. . . . The government is owned by the developer. Everything's privatized — and they're happy with that. You know, they've traded in the ballot box for the corporate suggestion box."[56]
In January 2008, the Village Center CDD was notified by the Internal Revenue Service of the IRS' intent to audit several recreational bonds issued in 2003 to determine compliance with tax regulations (mainly due to their status as municipal bonds which are exempt from Federal income tax). The IRS sent three "Notices of Proposed Issues" in January 2009 challenging the tax-exempt status of the bonds on three grounds:
The position stems in large part from the interrelationship between VCCDD and The Villages developers (since VCCDD has no residents, the Board of Supervisors consists solely of individuals who work for or have an affiliation with The Villages developers, and VCCDD's infrastructure was purchased by the developers-controlled board from the developers).
After an IRS settlement offer was rejected by VCCDD,[57] the IRS further expanded its audit in July 2009 to include all recreational and utility revenue bonds issued by VCCDD[58] as well as similar bonds issued by Sumter Landing CDD;[59] however, the 10 district CDD's were not included in the audit.
VCCDD opposes the position taken by the IRS, and in January 2010 it formally requested technical advice from the IRS as to the position it has taken.[60] On June 14, 2011, VCCDD (after discussions with the IRS) submitted its final Request for Technical Advice, outlining its position on the matter.[61]
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