Officials in The Villages can’t seem to find an answer as a couple in The Villages fights to keep their protective fence.
Peter and Nancy Blackmore of the Village of Caroline erected the stockade fence more than a decade ago on The Villages’ eastern front. Their home backs up to Cherry Lake Road. At first, they hoped to block out noise from traffic. They added “K-9 on Duty,” signs to deter potential foot traffic from wandering in from the increasingly busy roadway. Now the massive Hammock Oaks development across Cherry Lake Road will soon be home to thousands of new Lady Lake residents.
In 2013, the Blackmores believed they had a right to erect the fence as The Villages had essentially surrendered the responsibility of maintaining that particular fence to the residents.
About a year ago, a resident of the Village of Polo Ridge, which is in Community Development District 3, lodged a complaint about the fence. The Blackmores’ fence has been found in violation of the deed restriction.
The Blackmores have removed the “K-9 on Duty” signs in an effort to come a little closer into compliance.
Appearing before the Community Development District 6 Board of Supervisors during a public hearing Friday at SeaBreeze Recreation Center, the Blackmores continued their fight to keep their fence. They were given two replacement options – the traditional four-board fence of The Villages or a six-foot tall white vinyl fence. The Blackmores would have to pay to install and maintain the fence of their choice.
They were horrified at the options. If they went with the six-foot tall white vinyl fence, there would be no mechanism for having their neighbors install the same fence. It would simply be on their piece of property.
The couple was clearly disheartened.
“One white vinyl fence would look terrible next to fences that are falling down,” Nancy Blackmore said.
She appeared weary from the months of controversy and the uncertain future, with bulldozers aggressively moving dirt and trees being burned every day at the neighboring Hammock Oaks development.
“We don’t have the money to fight you in court. We aren’t fighting to keep a little white cross. We don’t have people donating money (to our cause.) We’re only one home,” Nancy Blackmore said.
Supervisors were obviously sympathetic to the couple’s plight, with Supervisor Tweet Coleman urging her colleagues to work toward a “common sense” solution.
Supervisor Gordon Platt said the fencing options offered to the Blackmores would be “grossly inadequate” to shield them from the massive development plowing over the once-tranquil pastures on the opposite side of Cherry Lake Road.
However, CDD 6 Chairman John Callandro said he was concerned about potentially setting a precedent by making any type of exception with regard to the Blackmores’ fence. He said the board cannot abdicate its responsibility to enforce the deed restriction.
Ultimately, the board voted 4-1 to grant a “three-month reprieve” to the Blackmores. Calandro was the lone opponent to the reprieve.
“This issue isn’t going to go away,” warned Supervisor Peter Moeller.
Recently, the Amenity Authority Committee agreed to build a fence for residents of the Historic Side of The Villages worried about traffic and a new apartment complex being built.
