This was an open meeting for all VHA members.  As you will read resident input is important.  I have a sample letter that John Crossman passed out during the meeting if anyone would like a copy to use in contacting a business that you would like to see in The Villages.  

Bill

Alexa Villa’s VHA Representative 

VHA REGION 5/6/7 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

OCTOBER 21, 2008

Our speaker, John Crossman of Crossman & Company was accompanied by Scott Renick  and Angie Lester.  He also mentioned Geno Jarquin  who was not able to attend the meeting.

Mr. Crossman opened the meeting by explaining that our community is unique because the residents play an important part in directing their actions.  Our residents are listened to.  They count on our input.

He explained that they face three challenges on selling The Villages to prospective tenants.  The first is that although some have heard of The Villages, they really don’t “get it”.  Our community is so unique that it is hard to make them understand just what we are all about.  Most real estate decisions are based on demographics.  The demographics they used are flawed and out of date.  When they plug in a location, say 466 & Belvedere Blvd., they will probably get out of date census information which would show a population of 2,000.  Since they use formulas which predict population growth at about 3%, of course the area does not seem like an attractive location for consideration.  Secondly, they don’t really understand “active adults”.  They hear baby boomers or active adults and think – old people.  They don’t see that we represent a vital market with the dollars to spend for their product.  They have to basically sell us as consumers of a particular product or service.  Once they get that much across they face another challenge.  They have to sell the idea that golf cart access is one of the most desirable factors to most of The Villages residents.  It is a hard concept to sell to individuals unwilling to visit, who live in cold climates.  They can’t seem to accept that we really do use our golf carts as our main form of transportation. 

Mr. Crossman reported that all the major entities they contacted said no the first time.  But, they do not give up.  They continue to contact them with more and more information on The Villages.  Each time a new merchant opens here and succeeds, it gives them more ammunition to use when they approach a new prospective tenant.

He did mention that in the current economic climate retailers will be cutting down on their expansion plans.  They will have to work even harder just to make sure that The Villages location is one of those that remain on these shortened lists.  There is a lot we can do to make that happen.  First, we have to vote with our dollars, keep the dollars in The Villages.  When you have a choice make sure you choose the merchant that has golf cart access.  When we do that we do not dilute our purchasing power.  It shows what a force we are.  If you can’t find an item here in The Villages, try shopping on line or by catalog and have your purchase sent to your Villages address. Merchants tract that type of information.  The second thing we can do is send letters and emails to the retailers we would like to locate here.  It doesn’t matter if we send the letter or email to the right individual in the organization.  He asked that when we do send these letters and emails, that we send a copy of that letter or email to Scott Renick.  Scott will then see that a copy that it is forwarded to the right person in that organization.  He distributed a sample letter which is attached.  Please don’t just copy the letter, use the basic information but put it in your own words.  We can have a lot of influence if we do not give up.  We can also use petitions or letters with multiple signatures.  For example, if you have a club or activity that uses a particular product, you can put together a letter or petition and have all your club members sign it.  Just like individual letters or emails, make sure you send a copy to Scott.  He will make sure that copies are sent to the appropriate individuals who are responsible for making the real estate decisions.  Finally, he asked that when we travel or go back home to visit, we talk up The Villages.  Tell your favorite store there that you would like to have them open a location in The Villages.  Get their name or a business card and send it to Scott.  They will follow up.  This also goes for doctors or medical facilities.  In that case send the info to Angie Lester who handles medical services. 

It is also important that once a retailer opens a location here that we make sure they have a great opening.  That helps.  It gives Crossman & Company ammunition to use when they approach other possible tenants.  Also, if you do have bad service from one of our retailers, please let the manager at the location know. Please don’t just jump directly to contacting the CEO or President.  Give the local managers the information they need to improve their product or service. We have a vested interest in their succeeding here in The Villages.

Another important point he stressed is that when we hear from a retailer that they are coming to The Villages, we have to ask -- Are they coming TO The Villages or NEAR The Villages.  Apparently some retailers believed that they would have golf cart access outside of The Villages.  

Mr. Crossman then addressed some myths that continue to be mentioned.  The first was that the rent charged here was too high.  He stated that when he first came here and looked at the data, he felt that they were low.  The key to a retailer’s success is to generate a strong sales volume.  A general breakdown is that rent should be about 10% of gross sales.  Labor – generally about 30% - takes a much bigger bite.  Another related myth is that a retailer must pay a percentage of their profits to The Villages.  That is not the case.  There are some establishments that do pay a percentage  of their sales as part of their rent; but, in those cases the base rent is very low.  The bottom line is that Mr. Crossman reported that he has never seen a business here fail due to rent.  A business fails because the retailer cannot generate the volume needed to succeed.  The percentage of new business that fail here in The Villages is lower than the average in other areas.  He was very clear in stating that they have never lost a deal due to rent.

The meeting was then opened up to questions from the floor.  The following is a summary and may not list all questions or comments.

Why new locations over old locations?  In many cases the tenant wants the location built to their specific requirements.  It is sometimes more inexpensive to build new then rehab.

Are we ever going to get a Costco?  Both Costco and BJ’s have said no.  The comments Crossman & Company hears from them are “old people don’t buy our stuff”.

Is it possible that we may get another Panera location?  Yes. There is a chance for another location.

It was mentioned that the gas station on 466 A is always much higher than other.  Crossman & Company does not have any contact with the retailer once they are in.  He felt the best thing residents can do is write letters to the company.  Go on the record, let them and their bosses know why you are not buying there.

A question was asked regarding a specific Friendly’s location which was not in the territory Crossman & Company represents.

A resident was told by a hardware dealer in Wildwood that they would come here but the rent was too high.  Mr. Crossman repeated that they have never lost a deal due to cost of rent.  They are working on getting a hardware store in the 466A area.

Have 5 Guys Burgers been contacted.  Yes, they have talked to them.

A question was asked regarding locations where tenants have closed down.  Mr. Crossman reported that if the business has closed and the lease period is still in force, it is the responsibility of the tenant to try to sublet.  But, they do keep track of what is going on and if they know a business is having problems they try to be ready once they have control of the property again.  For example, he stated that when they found out that the Starbucks in Buffalo Ridge was closing, they began contacted other coffee shops to see if they were interested in coming in.

Have they heard if our Circuit City is in trouble?  They have not gotten any notice that there is a problem at that location.

 A resident reported that sales clerks in the Michael’s in Ocala have said that they are coming to The Villages.  Mr. Crossman stressed that in that case we have to ask - Are you going to be “IN” The Villages or “NEAR” The Villages. Then Crossman & Company can let them know that unless they are “IN” The Villages they won’t have golf cart access. 

A question was asked about TGI Fridays?  They are in the permitting process which can drag out and take a while. 

A resident asked if they ever contacted small businesses.  He suggested that they should contact Meg O’Malley’s Restaurant and Irish Pub (812 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne FL 32901).  He believes it was this establishment that had a big part in revitalizing that area.  The answer was yes they do.  Again here is the perfect opportunity where writing a letter and copying Crossman & Company would bring this establishment to their attention. 

A resident mentioned that we really need a 24/7 emergency animal hospital.  Mr. Crossman reported that this would fall within Angie’s area of responsibility. 

Responding to questions, both LL Bean and Pottery Barn have also been contacted and don’t feel that The Villages would be good locations for them.  Again, here is a chance to let them know your wishes. 

A resident reported that her 92 year old mother was shopping in a Trader Joe’s up North and mentioned that she would like to see one here.  On her next visit they made a point to tell her they were working on a warehouse in Atlanta and that we were on their list.

A resident asked if they had the ability to offer the retail reps the life style preview package and the answer was yes.  The key is that we must get them here.  At one point they offered to bring representatives of 50 firms here and 49 said no. 

They don’t give up.  Not one merchant said yes the first time they were contacted.

So, fellow residents, here is where we can really make a difference.  If you want someone here, let them know it and copy Crossman & Company when you do.  And, when we forward a request to you from Crossman asking for our help, if you want that retailer here sit down and write a letter or email (always sending a copy to Crossman & Company.). 

Attached is the sample letter.  Again, please remember to reword it.  If they get 100 letters or emails  reading exactly the same, those letters will most likely end up in the trash.  (BILL GOTTSCHALK has copies of this letter if any of you want to see it.)

Here is the contact information for the Crossman & Company representatives:

John Crossman, jcrossman@crossmanco.com, 407 581-6218, 333 South Orange Avenue, Suite 201, Orlando, FL 32806

Scott Renick, srenick@crossmanco.com, 3309 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL 32162

Angie Lester, Alester@crossmanco.com, 753-6701, 3309 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL 32162

Geno Jarquin, gjarquin@crossmanco.com, 753-6756, 3309 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL 32162

VHA Regional Directors and Neighborhood Representatives Questions for

Center District and Developer’s Representatives

1.      There has been a lot of discussion about the new Guest Pass policy.  It was explained that the minutes and recommendations of both the AAC and the Focus Group appear on the Center District’s website, www.districtgov.org.  This led to discussion about a number of issue including:

t       What will be the implementation procedure once the elected AAC adopts this or any other procedure or policy? 

The focus group has developed a rough draft.  This draft will be presented to the full AAC in December, after the AAC election, and to the Center Districts if accepted by the elected AAC.

t       In general, how will the policies and procedures adopted by the AAC affect residents South of CR 466?

After the AAC approves policies and procedures these are presented to the staff and their recommendations are passed to the VCCDD and the SLCDD which both must agree to any changes, just like golf procedures.  This is to insure that we have a seamless community.

2.      The new housing development across the street from the Waterfront Inn is moving very quickly.  It appears that a main entrance/exit for the community will be along Sumter Landing Road.  Since this street is a major artery for both automobiles and golf carts to enter Market Square from Buena Vista we are concerned that this will create a traffic problem and congestion.  Will this construction entrance be the primary entrance to this community and if so, what other options are there to avoid a traffic hazard?

There will be two entrances/exits to the new community with one on Lake Sumter Landing Road and the other on Old Mill Road.

3.      Questions continue about the days for recycling (referred people to District website, www.districtgov.org) and the days for watering.  We continue to see the recycling bags and the regular garbage being physically placed close together which adds to the confusion on the part of the folks who pick up the trash.  What more can be done to educate new residents?  It has been suggested that an information sheet be distributed to each new resident when they get their ID listing the normal trash days, the day for yard waste and the day for recycling along with the day(s) for watering.  What can we do to have this implemented?  What system is available to inform renters about these issues?

The media is being used on a regular basis to remind residents of the system, it is published in the Villages phonebook, and the information is listed on the District Website. In the end, the most effective is friendly resident to resident communications, especially with renters and seasonal residents.

4.      Some residents continue to refuse to use the biodegradable bags for their yard waste.  Aside from the environmental consequences, what are the potential consequences of this to the community and what type of enforcement is possible?  OMI has told residents that they have a contract to pick up the trash and must collect all yard waste on the appropriate day regardless of whether or not it is appropriately bagged; is this correct?

The situation is getting better and the trash company is reminding folks and these reminders will continue.  The trash company is contracted to take yard waste and will take the yard waste even if it is in the wrong types of bags. We were reminded that we all have a personal responsibility to protect our landfill and the environment and the biodegradable trash bags protect and extend the life of the landfill.

5.      On a related matter, how well is recycling working in The Villages?  Can you give us an indication of how many residents are recycling their trash and how many are segregating their yard waste?

We have a very high percentage of cooperation and the percentage is growing.  The percent compliance South of CR 466 has been higher, but we aren’t sure of the current comparison.

6.      What is the status of recycling at the Recreation Centers?  John Rohan had indicated earlier they were investigating this; would John provide an update on the progress.

They continue to explore options; storage of large amounts of materials is a potential problem with rodents and other pests.  The costs would be high if the trash trucks were to make a special stop at all the Recreation Centers.

7.      New residents do not understand the role of the Community Watch, the gate attendants, the cameras, etc.  Is there a brochure or other resource that can be distributed to newcomers to inform them about the functions of Community Watch?  We would be happy to distribute Community Watch literature at the VHA Newcomers’ Orientation.  In addition, we would appreciate having a representative of Community Watch attend this monthly meeting in person.

Based on this suggestion a representative from Community Watch now plans to attend the VHA’s monthly Newcomers Orientation – in fact they attended the meeting that very evening.  The 1-hour VHA’s Newcomers Orientation is held the 2^nd Tuesday of each month at the Canal Street Recreation Center starting at 7:00 PM.

8.      This question applies to the Championship Courses, but perhaps someone can address the issue.  There is a teaching bunker at the Nancy Lopez course that is not used for teaching all the time.  Why can’t this be open to others for practice?

A new bunker is being built in a better location.  This will be available whether or not an instructor is present.

9.      There are algae growing on the walls at the La Zamora gate; can this be addressed.

This will be addressed after the construction on CR 466 is completed.

10.  The sign on the gate card reader for the La Zamora gate reads South Briar Meadow Gate, which is confusing to visitors.  Can this be changed to La Zamora Gate?

A broken card-reader was replaced and the name was not changed; this oversight has been corrected.

11.  There is an “18-wheeler” or trailer parked at the De La Vista Postal station.  It does not contain pine straw and it is there despite several calls reporting its presence.  What can be done about it?

The trailer, which originally contained pine straw, was removed.

12.  There is concern about the intersection at Legacy Lane and Calumet Ave.  When you are at the Stop sign on Calumet Ave it is difficult to see the through traffic on Legacy.  Can something be done to improve this ‘blind’ intersection?

The bushes will be trimmed back.

13.  There is concern about the safety at the cart path corner near the putting green turn in front of Palmer Country Club restaurant?  At the very least – a sign indicating blind intersection or dangerous curve – or the trimming or re-doing of the landscaping for greater visibility is needed.  What can be done to improve the safety at this location?

The bushes are being trimmed back.

14.  The clocks in many of the meeting rooms are not showing the correct time; can this be corrected?

They have been removed and will be replaced once they are repaired.  In the future notify the on-site staff and either the clocks will be repaired or removed for repair or replacement.

15.  It has been reported that during the day, the staff at Laurel Manor and Colony Cottage recreation centers are not checking the IDs of people coming into the center.  Can the staff, at these centers and all the Recreation Centers, be reminded about the importance that residents place on this function?  What can residents do if they observe this situation in the future?

If a resident sees a problem, please let the Recreation Department staff know.  The staff at the centers has multiple duties so there is not one person assigned to check IDs.  During the month of September over 130,000 ID checks were conducted at the Recreation Centers.

16.  The exits for the commercial properties on CR 466A do not have signs indicating that golf carts are not permitted past this point.  It is suggested that signs be placed to prevent a mistake or worse an accident.

The issue will be looked into, but it sure makes sense.

17.  It appears that there are an increasing number of people under 55 are calling The Villages home or buying here for investment.  We are concerned that the community will lose its status as an “over 55 community”.  We are also concerned that some of these ‘underage’ people could be contributing to criminal activities in and around the area.  How close are we to the 20% limit?  We recognize some of these people could be renters and others could be living with Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa.  Are there limitations to ‘underage’ folks buying, renting or residing in The Villages?  What are the procedures for enforcement of the age violations of the Covenants and Restrictions – in the case of new homes, the sale of pre-owned homes and in the case of private renters?

The developer does monitor the issue and as of the end of September 2008, it was reported that 95.17% of new homes sold in The Villages have someone over 55 on the deed.  Dr. Gary Lester promised to look into the issue of re-sales and renting and will report back to us next quarter.

18.  People continue to raise the issue of the ‘Buffalo’.  The feeling is that while they understand that they are gone, they are concerned that their efforts to raise a legal defense fund and other efforts were ignored.  The comment has been made that the developer could have been more forthcoming and more gracious about how residents’ efforts to offer alternative solutions to the situation were handled.  Some people still feel there was a hidden agenda behind this issue.  Please comment on this issue on behalf of the developer.

Gary Lester personally spoke to the 8 to 10 callers who contacted their office.  Everyone he spoke to seemed to appreciate the situation.  No body has offered a solution that had not been considered.  Dr Lester asked how they could have been more gracious or more forthcoming; Mark Morse’s explanation was broadcast on VNN for 24 hours and was fully reported in Daily Sun. 

Nothing is being hidden.  It has been clear that the lands in the community that was and is being used for the grazing of livestock will ultimately be developed for either residential or commercial property.  The buffalo have been moved in the past without notice; the grazing animals, buffalo or cattle, have always been moved shortly before development began; as an example one only need to look at the hospital location, the location of Laurel Manor Recreation Center, Arnold Palmer Golf Course and many other locations throughout the community.

19.  There have been several closing in Market Square and merchants seem to be leaving all the time.  There is the feeling among some residents that the reason for these stores leaving is the punitive nature of the commercial leases and what people describe as “add-on” by the developer to the commercial leases.  Residents are concerned about these establishments closing and the negative image it gives to friends and visitors about the community and the viability of the squares.

t       Can you please comment on the opinions about the nature of the commercial leases?  What are the facts about these commercial leases and how do they compare to commercial leases elsewhere, both locally and in the area?

There is nothing unique about the situation in The Villages.  There are no punitive clauses in the leases offered here.  According to the representative from Commercial Property Management the leases are competitive to those offered elsewhere.  Nationwide, about 60% of small businesses fail in their 1^st year; the business failure rate is much lower in The Villages.  There were 65 new tenants signed in the Villages commercial community during 2007.

Many restaurants fail, for reference we were referred to other personally popular restaurants along Highway 200 or other locations in the Ocala and Leesburg area.

t       What can we, as concerned Village residents, do to work with the developer and commercial property management to avoid the high turnover of merchants in the commercial areas, especially in Market Square and Towne Square?

Continue to support the local merchants.  To help support the effort to bring preferred businesses to The Villages send a letter or email to the business and copy Commercial Property Management.  For further information you can find a link to Commercial Property Management on their website: http://www.thevillagescommercialproperty.com/index.asp.

20.  Are there new developments or new commercial developments that you can share with us?

Olive Garden and Red Lobster are moving forward.  A announcement(s) is expected in the next several weeks.

Hi Alexa Residents

Thanks for you support.  Planning and hard work really paid off!  The VHA thanks Alexa and all the region residents who came out to support the Villages Full Service Post Office Petition and VHA Membership Drive.  During the campaign week of February 11^th at our regions’ 10 neighborhood postal facilities, we collected 3,085 signatures for the post office petition.  This total along with several petitions that were received before that week and others since then, puts us at over 4,000 Region 6 and 7 residents who have demonstrated their support by signing petitions.  During the campaign week, we enrolled 84 new members/renewals in the VHA with hopefully more to applications to be mailed back.  We certainly appreciated the many positive comments about the VHA and encouragement for our efforts from our neighbors.

Be sure to put Tuesday March 18^th 7:00pm on your calendar for an exciting and informative session.  That will be our next Region 6 and 7 General Membership Meeting at Colony Cottage Recreation Center.  Please note the location and date change from our normal schedule.  Our guest speaker will be Mr. John Rohan, Assistant District Manager.  Come get the latest information and ask questions on the Recreation Department and changes to the Villages Watch programs which are now under John’s responsibility.  If you aren’t a VHA member, you can join at the door.  Members will also formally vote on re-election of Russ D’Emidio as Chairperson for the Region.

Stay tuned to your local Postal Facility Bulletin Boards for more information.

NOTES FROM THE LAST VHA REGION 6 & 7 GENERAL MEETING

Our first major event of the year was a great success.  Our quarterly Region 6 & 7 General Membership meeting was held on Monday, January 21^st at Lake Miona Regional Rec Center.  Ken Creely, the director of country club operations for The Villages, Eric Greulach, the assistant director of country club operations and Todd Basso, manager of golf operations enlightened some 100 VHA members.  They provided an update on the golf program including the planned opening within the next month of the Sarasota Driving Range and the Jacaranda nine at Cane Garden.    They reinforced their mission to make the Villages the friendliest golf community in the world.  All residents can play a role in that by joining the Golf Division personnel mantra of “Respect.”  They cited several examples as to how respect of each other and the golf courses goes a long way to accomplishing this mission.  Finally, they encouraged every resident to attend the Villages Good Golf School – if for no other than the reason to learn how to operate the tee time system and how to contact them if they have problems or suggestions. 

At this meeting the nominating committee also reported on their recommendation for filling the term of Chairperson Russ D’Emidio which expires in March.  They nominated Russ D’Emidio to be re-elected for that position.  Laurie Cooper, Vice-Chairperson, asked the members for any additional nominations from the floor.  Seeing none, the nominations were closed and the motion was passed.  Formal election will be at the March Region 6 and 7 General Membership meeting. 

The regional VHA Reps continue to be active to preserve and enhance their neighbors’ lifestyle.  Some of the noteworthy recent accomplishments are as follows:

• Extending striping of golf cart lanes on Canal Street in Virginia Trace to make it safer for golf carts merging into traffic.
• Implementation of A.E.D difibulator program in Madison Villas (a first for a villa community).  Residents have been trained by the Villages Dept of Public Safety, the two neighborhood difibulators have been installed and pagers activated.  In our region, they join Bridgeport at Lake Sumter with having this life-saving program in place. (NOTE IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD LIKE IN ALEXA LET MARGARET OR I KNOW AND WE WILL LOOK INTO IT FOR OUR VILLA)
• Replacement of incorrect speed limit signs in Mallory Square which had been erroneously installed following last year’s tornado.
• Some improvements were made to the entrance of Bridgeport at Lake Sumter to provide a safer intersection for golf carts and vehicles entering by installing speed bumps, rocks, and warning signs.  However, several residents still believe that more is needed to improve their visibility of crossing golf carts when they exit in their cars.  They plan to continue lobbying for additional improvements.

Bill and Margaret Gottschalk

Alexa Villas VHA Representatives