The ‘Berlin Wall’ is down on The Villages’ Historic Side. But a gate could be up within 30 days.
An overflow crowd crammed Lady Lake Town Hall tonight as Villagers and Stonecresters came to express their fury to town leaders.
Mayor Jim Richards, a Villager who lives in that area, was among the angry.
“If I had done what I really wanted to do, I would have taken a front-end loader to it,” the mayor told the crowd which had assembled for the regular meeting of the Lady Lake Commission.
The fact that builders of the wall were never issued a permit is abundantly clear, the mayor added.
Resident after resident voiced their anger to the commission over “the wall” which had blocked them for a week from medical appointments and shopping.
Even Commissioner Paul Hannan proudly held up his “souvenir” piece of the wall which had stirred such controversy and ill will in The Villages.
The mystery of the wall remains.
The mayor said it was frustrating that no one owned up to putting up the wall.
“It was like midnight fiasco,” said the mayor.
Villages District manager Janet Tutt and Villages attorney Steve Roy were at the meeting and both tried to make explanations, but fell short of satisfying the overflow crowd at the town meeting.
“I work for the district. I do not work for the developer,” Tutt said.
And Stonecrest residents turned out in force to add their two cents. They complained that the wall had blocked them from shopping opportunities in The Villages.
“I would think people on both sides of the wall are as happy as Berliners that the wall is down,” said Bob Stille who lives in Stonecrest.
WHAT NEXT?
Documents unearthed last week during the height of fury over the wall showed that originally the site had been designated as a cart path that was to include a gate.
Commissioners this evening indicated that they feel compelled to follow the original intent of the plan as it was laid out in 1998.
“I truly believe if it could be done with out the gate it would be nice. But I don’t think it can be done,” the mayor said.
You can watch a video from Monday night’s meeting at the link below:
http://villages-news.com/lady-lake-commission-takes-up-the-wall/
