West Villages Improvement District [WVID] Meeting February 25: Part I

Despite a bit of lingering flu, I really enjoyed the West Villages Improvement District meeting yesterday. A lot of ground was covered. Unfortunately, the traffic-light study report was not ready for the meeting, but it was said that a draft of the results is currently under review. Still, that was not the end of discussion on traffic. The purchase and installation of new stop signs (the kind with solar-powered, flashing LED lights) for the intersection of West Villages Parkway and 41/Tamiami Trail was approved. Regarding landscaping, there were also again some discussions on sod replacement along 41 as well as inconsistencies in public landscaping and pedestrian nodes on the IslandWalk side of the district versus what is already in place for Gran Paradiso. No point of discussion in these veins was either groundbreaking or decisive at this point, though. Some landscaping routine maintenance concerns have been corrected, and overall, the traffic and landscaping interests seem to be moving forward nicely.

A particular item of note from the meeting was actually announced at the January meeting but given more time and several clarifications yesterday. That item is that one of the five seats of the Board of Supervisors for the West Villages Improvement District is to be an elected seat from among resident candidates. Minutes of the January meeting (from WVID Meeting Book for Feb. 25, 2014), state that “Mr. Wodraska presented the results of the Election Referendum held on December 10th, 2013...[and] the referendum to hold an election for one seat this coming November passed.” At Tuesday's meeting, however, it was clarified that the election cannot wait until November's election. It is required to be within a particular time frame, so it has been determined that it will be held at the Annual Landowner's Meeting which is held each June.

In order to ensure that aspiring candidates have enough time to begin the entry process within the qualifying period, a date for the June meeting was set. It is to be held on Tuesday, June 24^th of this year, but the location still has yet to be determined. It was said at the meeting that it may have to be held at a public facility, like North Port City Hall, due to the election process and the rules regarding them. This elicited some concern from at least one meeting attendee who felt that the driving distance may be prohibitive for some residents. It seems, in past, that the meeting was held at the IslandWalk clubhouse. In response, the IslandWalk HOA manager offered to open the community clubhouse to all district residents for voting purposes that day. The discussion was left with the acknowledgment that the Board would need to review all of the rules and various location options prior to making a final determination.

NEXT BLOG: District finance, future development, and some good news for current homeowners. Keep checking in or subscribe for notification.

www.GranParadisoVillage.com

My Gran Paradiso website

North Port City Hall entrance (photo by Ali Johnston)

My Gran Paradiso website

Parade of Homes

I am checking out my preview copy of The Official Publication of the 2014 Parade of Homes in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The Trevi and the Oakmont at Gran Paradiso are featured. You can see the entire list at www.paradeofhomesinfo.com.

Sam Rodgers Properties and Arthur Rutenberg Homes Models

As mentioned in the previous post, the community center in Gran Paradiso is well underway and possibly nearing completion. As of Saturday, touring was somewhat limited as the stone floors were being installed. Quick work was being made of the project, though, so any limitations are not likely to last for long. The furnishings are anticipated to arrive in mid-March, and the pool is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The truly exciting news for today, however, is that both Arthur Rutenberg Homes and Sam Rodgers Properties have broken ground on their models in the Gran Paradiso development. Sam Rodgers is offering five plans within the community, ranging from $362k to $530k, and the various Arthur Rutenberg plans range from $400k to just under the $1m mark. The Arthur Rutenberg model is to be sold with lease-back terms costing somewhere in the $600k's to $700k's range, but the exact figure has not yet been finalized. Likely, the Sam Rodgers models will be listed in the same manner, with specifics determined when they are in later stages of production.

The floorplans for the models, of course, have already been determined. There will be two Sam Rodgers models and one Arthur Rutenberg. The Arthur Rutenberg is a one-story, three-bedroom plan with a den and bonus room, called the Messina. The Sam Rogers models are the the Bellisimo, which is a single-story home with three bedrooms and two full baths, and the Riviera II, which is a two-story four bedroom with four full baths and a bonus room. All three of the models are stunning open plans with exquisite architectural detailing, grand master suites, and three car garages. These are elegant homes in a luxury, resort-style community located in one of the best places to retire, according to Forbes (Forbes top 25 places to retire in 2014) and MSN Money (Money.MSN.com Ten of the Best U.S. Cities for Retirement 2014). I, myself, am exceptionally anxious to view these models in person once the construction and design teams have worked their magic on them.

Check out my website, and feel free to call me for more information!

Community Center and Parade of Homes

 

The last seven to ten days have been big at Gran Paradiso. Last week the Trevi and Oakmont models were completed with furnishings (click links to see some photos). The Princeton is getting closer every day, and the Orchid villa is drywalled allowing for visitors to get a great impression of the finished product. The most momentous event occurred on Monday, though, with the final turnover of the community center building to Lennar.

Ok. It is not like it wasn't inevitable and truly a sure thing, but there were no snags, no hitches, and now absolutely no turning back. It is official. That is always a milestone. It is obvious, however, that there was never any question of this on Lennar's part. Progress on the community center has been underway and ongoing for some time now. The clubhouse itself is estimated for completion at the end of this month. Maybe in time for the annual Parade of Homes, which is scheduled for the February 22^nd through March 9^th.

According to The Parade of Homes Facebook page, there will be 81 homes participating this year. Specifically which homes and communities are participating will not be released until February 22^nd, when the event's publication is released in that day's editions of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Bradenton Herald. I have it on good authority, though, that at least one home in Gran Paradiso will be featured. Being such a fan of residential architecture and interior design myself, I am really anxious for this year's event and plan on checking out as many of the 81 as I can.

Check out my website for available homes, floorplans, and more!

Beautiful day!

Check out available homes and floor plans at www.granparadisovillage.com!

Islandwalk Event Tomorrow

Pardon the abbreviated post (and any spelling errors), because my computer is at the repair shop, but...

Islandwalk, the community on the other side of 41 from Gran Paradiso, is having a "Dusty Shoes" Event tomorrow from 12p-3p for their new models. The models are not complete and not designer decorated, but they are drywalled and open for visitors. There will also be food and music. Check them out, then head to Gran Paradiso to see the new models that were completed with decor this week also. I believe the Trevi and Oakmont are done, and the Princeton is still underway. Pictures will be forthcoming!

www.GranParadisoVillage.com

Lighting, Landscaping, and Traffic at Rte 41 and Gran Paradiso

Lighting, landscaping, and traffic at Route 41/Tamiami Trail and the entrances to Gran Paradiso and Islandwalk were hot topics at the last West Villages Improvement District [WVID] meeting on January 14^th. The uplighting on landscaping has mostly been repaired or replaced, and the remainder is waiting on equipment delivery estimated to be sometime in late February to mid-March. Sod replacement along the corridor was also priced and options discussed, but such a large project requires ongoing discussion and possibly multiple bids. In the meantime, one developer’s representative requested that expediting replacement around just the entrances be considered, and that seemed to receive favor. The most divisive issue of the day, though, was that of traffic and landscaping within the median along 41.

Apparently, many Islandwalk residents are having a challenging time exiting the community onto Route 41 when making a left-hand turn to go northward. I had not thought about the issue prior to the meeting, but it does make sense. Generally, I am in and out of the Gran Paradiso community, and so had not noticed the issue before. But, I did visit Islandwalk recently to get information on their new floorplans, and when leaving, I turned right then made a U-turn in order to head north. I didn’t think much of it at the time (because I am such a ‘granny driver’ myself and do that kind of thing often), but it does frame much of the discussion from the WVID meeting.

Gran Paradiso residents would not face as many traffic challenges at the entrance, because heading North - where the closest stores and such are - is a right-hand turn with the traffic. Islandwalk residents have to cross one lane of traffic (traveling at 55mph in that section) and then compete with Gran Paradiso motorists to turn onto the northbound lanes. Even though this does not seem at first to be a Gran Paradiso resident issue, the growth of Gran Paradiso community is cited as a factor and the suggested solutions do impact Gran Paradiso residents. So, it is important that Gran Paradiso residents and interested parties be aware of the topic and discussions.

Casey Gant, Community Association Manager for Islandwalk’s HOA, sent a request in December to the WVID District Manager, Todd Wodraska, regarding requesting a traffic light installation and that all of the landscaping in the median be removed to improve sight lines in the meantime. At that time also, a warrant study as to whether lighting along the corridor would be justified was already underway. Mr. Wodraska responded to the request stating that a warrant study for a stoplight at the intersection would be recommended at the WVID meeting, but that preliminary expert review indicated that meeting multiple warrants to get it approved was unlikely at this time. He went on to say that the vegetation in the median met sight line guidelines, but it would also be reviewed in greater detail.

At the meeting, the debate on the concerns with what to do about the landscaping in the median and overall traffic problems was a little contentious. There were, of course, many views of how to address the dilemma: leave landscaping alone, remove some of it, remove all of it, paint traffic lanes on the pavement, install signage, and install a traffic light. Of course traffic issues and lighting along 41 are ultimately decisions for the DOT and not at the discretion of District Supervisors or residents.

Some improvement has been made, though. After the median landscaping was reviewed by District Supervisors prior to the meeting, the vegetation was trimmed back significantly, and it was determined that a more frequent maintenance schedule for the landscaping is justified going forward. So, at this time, removal of the landscaping that makes that section of the highway so lovely is not going to happen. It will, however, be more frequently maintained, which should make it look even more manicured in the future. Pavement striping possibilities will be evaluated. And, despite the fact that a light at the intersection does not seem to be warranted at this time, Mr. Wodraska indicated that he believes it certainly will be justified at some point in the future (with the continued community growth). He did nevertheless recommend that a full warrant study be conducted right away, just in case, and that was unanimously approved.

www.GranParadisoVillage.com