The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter County, Florida, United States. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake and Marion counties. The Villages consistently ranks as a very high growth area. The U.S. Census ranked The Villages as the fastest-growing U.S. city for the second year in a row (during the 12 months ending in July 2014); As of August 2017, the total population of The Villages reached 115,000 people, due to new areas stretching from Fruitland Park to CR 470.
The Villages is made up of several Community Development Districts (CDD), which are controlled by a board of supervisors (BoS), five individuals elected by the landowners of the district. H. Gary Morse, the son of the original owner and who was responsible for turning The Villages into one of the most well-known and fastest-growing retirement communities, transferred most direct ownership in the company to his three children in 2006; Morse died in 2014. The overall development lies in central Florida, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Ocala and approximately 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Orlando.
Between 2010 and 2017, the population of The Villages area grew almost 33 percent, from 94,279 in 2010 to 125,165 in 2017. According to U.S. Census data released in March 2018, The Villages was the 10th in the annual list of fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States.
The community is the center of The Villages, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of all of Sumter County; Lake County is included in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area; and Marion County is included in the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2017 Forbes magazine named The Villages to the list of The 25 Best Places To Retire in the United States for the second time.
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History
Harold Schwartz, a Michigan businessman, began selling land tracts via mail order in The Villages area in the 1960s. He and his business partner, Al Tarrson, were forced to close the mail-order aspect of the business due to a 1968 Federal law banning sales of real estate by mail order.
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, the community had sold only 400 units. In an attempt to improve the business, Schwartz bought out Tarrson's interest and brought 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 numerous well-maintained amenities to the residents. They also had diverse and nearby commercial development. Morse began to significantly upgrade the development. Their sales improved in the mid-1980s. Schwartz began to buy large tracts of land in nearby Sumter and Marion counties for future expansion. In 1992, Morse officially changed the overall development name to The Villages. The development is still controlled in all major aspects by descendants of Schwartz and Morse.
Expansion
In January 2017, the Holding Company of the Villages announced the purchase of 8,000 acres of land, south of Florida State Road 44 in and around the villages of Southern Oaks and Fenney. In the spring of 2017, The Villages announced a planned acquisition of 2,600 acres north and south of County Road 470 along the east side of Florida's Turnpike for future development. The deal must pass due diligence by the Leesburg City Commission and zoning ordinance changes by the Leesburg Planning Commission (with the city commission giving final approval). The initial plans call for the building of approximately 4,500 homes with some commercial development also being planned.
According to data from RCLCO Real Estate, the Holding Company of the Villages sold 2,231 homes in 2017 with a 13% increase over 2016. The Villages was the top-selling master-planned community in the United States in 2017 and one of only four communities to sell more than 1,000 homes.
Orlando Retirement Villages Video
Structure
A Declaration of Restrictions has been created for each individual neighborhood, which regulates design and operational aspects, such 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, reviews and approves 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.
To qualify for an exception to the Housing for Older Persons Act prohibitions against discrimination, at least 80% of the homes within The Villages must have at least one person 55 years of age or older residing in the home. Persons under the age of 19 years are not permitted to reside within The Villages unless an exemption is granted. Three subdivisions have been designated as "family units" and are not subject to this restriction. Otherwise, persons under age 19 (such as grandchildren) are permitted to visit for no more than 30 days within a calendar year.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP (Sumter County only) has a total area of 5.6 sq mi (15 km2), of which 5.2 sq mi (13 km2) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2) (6.99%) is water. The Villages is located approximately 45 miles northwest of Orlando and 75 miles northeast of Tampa.
As of 2018, The Villages covers a land area of approximately 32 square miles (83 km2).
Demographics
As of the census estimate of July 1, 2016, there were 123,966 people and 49,362 households residing in the CDP (Sumter County). The population per square mile in 2010 was 170.8. There were 68,199 housing units as of 2010. The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.1% White, 7.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 5.5% of the population.
As of 2016, persons under 5 years accounted 2% of the population, persons under 18 years accounted for 7.1%, persons 65 years and over accounted for 56.3%, and 50% of the population was female. Median household income between 2012-16 was $52,594.
The Villages was ranked number 53 in the Forbes 2017 list of The Best Small Places For Businesses And Careers.
Politics
Considered a conservative community, The Villages is a popular election stop and platform for political figures such as former Vice President Dick Cheney, former presidential and vice presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, 2016 GOP presidential primary candidates Marco Rubio and Ben Carson, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, and talk show hosts/authors Glenn Beck and Brian Kilmeade. In the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential Election, GOP Vice Presidential Nominee Mike Pence visited to campaign for his running mate, Donald Trump.
Business
As of 2016, The Villages built 5.7 million square feet of commercial business space, with another 3.3 million square feet planned for the near future. Major businesses include restaurants, retail geared toward older Americans, and healthcare providers.
Commercial areas in The Villages include town centers, regional shopping centers and neighborhood retail plazas. The main business areas are the 500,000-square-foot town centers that feature a mixture of retailers, restaurants, entertainment and service providers.
Government
Residents of The Villages have a historically high 80% turnout rate in elections. Republicans outnumber Democrats two-to-one.
A critical part of Central Florida's Republican party, The Villages has been visited frequently along the campaign trail by Florida Governor Rick Scott and United States Senator Marco Rubio. During the 2014 Florida gubernatorial election, Scott visited The Villages on the eve of the election to rally votes. Just before the 2016 election for Florida Senator, Rubio stopped off at the temporary Republican Headquarters established at Lake Sumter Landing in The Villages.
The Villages is in Florida's 11th congressional district represented by Representative Daniel Webster.
State representation
The entirety of The Villages is within the boundaries of Florida Senate District 12 (currently represented by Republican Dennis Baxley), and is within the boundaries of Florida House of Representatives District 33; Republican Don Hahnfeldt was the representative until his death.
County
The portion of The Villages within Lake County is within Lake County District 1.
The portion of The Villages within Marion County is within Marion County District 3.
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.
Local government (Community Development Districts)
The majority of The Villages is developed and maintained using several Community Development Districts (CDD). 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. 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 CDDs, but a portion is under the larger CDDs (see below).
The Villages currently operates 12 CDDs. Ten of the 12 CDDs cover the various areas of The Village 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:
- District 1 - consists of approximately 998 acres (4.04 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 3,420 residential units
- District 2 - consists of approximately 990 acres (4.0 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 3,668 residential units
- District 3 - consists of approximately 894 acres (3.62 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 3,762 residential units
- District 4 - consists of approximately 1,187 acres (4.80 km2) in the southern portion of Marion County, which includes 5,132 residential units
- District 5 - consists of approximately 1,408 acres (5.70 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 6,399 residential units
- District 6 - consists of approximately 1,497 acres (6.06 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 6,677 residential units (planned)
- District 7 - consists of approximately 976 acres (3.95 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 4,765 residential units (planned)
- District 8 - consists of approximately 1,070 acres (4.3 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County, which includes 5,140 residential units (planned)
- District 9 - consists of approximately 946 acres (3.83 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County; as of 2010 development is beginning
- District 10 - consists of approximately 999 acres (4.04 km2) in the northeast corner of Sumter County; as of 2010 development is beginning
The remaining two CDDs are:
- Village Center Community Development District (VCCDD) - located in Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties, VCCDD provides water and sewer utility services, recreation, security services, fire protection and paramedic services to the residents. The cost of operations is funded by amenity and utility fees that residents pay monthly. VCCDD also provides for the maintenance of common areas and roadways for the commercial areas within its boundaries. The cost of maintenance in the commercial areas is funded through commercial maintenance assessments.
- Sumter Landing Community Development District (SLCDD) - located in Sumter County, SLCDD provides recreation and security services to the residents. The cost of operations is funded by amenity fees that residents pay monthly. This CDD also provides for the maintenance of common areas and roadways for the commercial areas within its boundaries. The cost of maintenance in the commercial areas is funded through commercial maintenance assessments.
Unlike the residential CDDs, 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.
Ownership associations
There are also two homeowners associations in The Villages: The Property Owners Association (POA) and The Villages Homeowners Association (VHA).
Recreational activities
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 CDDs discussed above).
Golf courses
The centerpiece of The Villages is its numerous assortment of golf courses. The ability to play "Free Golf for Life" is a key component of The Villages advertising campaigns (though technically the statement is inaccurate as the costs are covered by the mandatory monthly amenity fees assessed on each residential lot). As of February 2017, The Villages operates 48 courses.
The majority (36) of the courses 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" (i.e., no greens fees) and can walk the courses for free as well; fees are charged for riding a golf cart on the courses. These courses are owned by the Villages residents and managed by the Villages Community Center Development District (VCCDD)
The remaining 12 courses are country club championship courses. 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 eight clubs are 27-hole layouts. Residents of The Villages are automatically members of these clubs; however, unlike the executive courses residents must pay greens fees to play the courses and the clubs charge for priority tee times. These championship courses are owned by the Villages Developer and through an agreement with the VCCDD, are managed by that entity.
On October 15, 2013, The Villages officially opened executive courses Sweetgum and Mangrove. The most recent championship course (Belle Glade) was opened for public play on November 26, 2014.
By final buildout, The Villages will operate 12 country-club championship courses (the last two 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.
The Villages also operates a golf instruction academy for all skill levels.
In September 2017, a putt and play multi-functional facility in the Village of Fenney opened. This includes a lake stocked with fish and fishing poles, a walking trail, and an area to play croquet and lawn bowling.
Recreation centers
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):
- Neighborhood Centers (32; these centers offer local adult-only pools as well as bocce, horseshoe, and shuffleboard courts)
- Village Centers (17; these centers offer family pools (except for Silverlake, which has no pool), facilities with billiard meeting rooms and full kitchens, bocce, horseshoe, and shuffleboard courts, plus tennis and pickleball courts)
- Regional Centers (eight; these centers offer resident-only sports pools (except for Paradise, which offers a family pool), larger venues with stages for theatrical and musical productions, and many of the same features as the village centers; all but two also operate fitness centers for which a membership must be purchased)
The Villages operates 11 parks, dog parks, and fitness trails, which are separate from the recreation centers.
Entertainment
The Villages has become a popular spot for many artists. In April 2015, The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, a venue with over 1,000 seats, opened to much fanfare. The Sharon has featured various popular artists such as Frankie Avalon, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Jerry Lewis, Felix Cavaliere, Little River Band, Bobby Rydell, Ray Stevens, The Spinners, Kenny G, and Chubby Checker.
In addition to The Sharon, the Studio Tierra Del Sol opened in November 2016, offering a unique "black-box" theatre experience with seating for 100 patrons.
Other activities
Beyond the golf courses and recreation centers, The Villages also operates numerous softball fields, a polo stadium (The Villages Polo Stadium), and a woodworking shop, plus the Lifelong Learning College. The newest softball complex, Soaring Eagle, opened on January 16, 2015.
Nightly activities are held in The Villages three town squares, Lake Sumter Landing's Market Square and Spanish Springs Town Square. A third town square, Brownwood Paddock Square, opened on October 12, 2012.
Clubs
As of 2018, The Villages also offer over 2700 social clubs for residents of the area. Some of the most popular are location focused and based upon where a resident grew up, dance clubs, genealogy clubs, singles clubs, sports clubs, a Beatlemaniacs club, and gardening clubs.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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