Worried neighbors of the Grand Oaks Resort showed up in force at Monday’s Lady Lake Commission meeting.
Residents living near the resort are ready to battle the proposal to put in nearly 800 manufactured homes at the scenic setting known for equestrian events. Those in the audience wore red in the meeting at Town Hall and held homemade signs with various themes, calling to “Stop Grand Oaks.”
Grand Oaks has tried to douse the panic which erupted after the conceptual plan was pitched in September to the commission. Since the first story appeared in Villages-News.com, Grand Oaks has tried to peddle the notion that the manufactured home community is years out on the horizon. Grand Oaks neighbors said they had no idea the project was in the pipeline and first learned of it through the Villages-News.com story.
Rather than a slow rollout, it appears Grand Oaks is accelerating the process. A website has gone up with a fresh conceptual layout which would seem to indicate the project is full steam ahead.
You can see the New Vision Development Group website at this link https://newvisiondevgrp.com/
Neighbors of the massive manufactured community spoke out about their fears of the coming storm.
Tom Nash of Griffin Avenue is worried about the impact the manufactured home community will have, including removal of trees, damage to habitat and draining precious water from the aquifer. Not to mention traffic and potential crime.
William Dozier, a 40-year resident, said the Grand Oaks developers are circumventing Lake County, because the county would never allow such a dense housing development. Dozier said Grand Oaks has turned to Lady Lake for a smoother path for the manufactured homes, whose price point will be $165,000, while Grand Oaks will continue to collect lot rent for the life span of the development.
New Ward 1 Commissioner Treva Roberts, a Villager who succeeded longtime Commissioner Ruth Kussard, disclosed that she went to the Grand Oaks property and took a golf cart tour of the perimeter of the proposed project with Greg Beliveau of LPG Urban and Regional Planners, who is representing Grand Oaks, and Jeff Wagner, vice president of New Vision Development group. Roberts said she took the initiative because she wanted to see for herself what the project would entail.
