Community Development District 7 is pushing ahead with “no parking” signs at supplemental parking areas at 13 of 18 villa communities within the district.
The signs will cost $50 each and $35 each to install. The total cost will be $1,190 (Allandale Villas has two parking areas.)
However, there were strong feelings expressed Friday morning – both in favor of the signage and against the signage.
Adrienne Schmitz of the Allandale Villas of the Village of Duval said the parking problem has pitted neighbor against neighbor.
She said that particularly in high season, some residents use the villa parking areas as a second driveway for themselves rather than leaving spaces open for guests.
“If you have people over, there’s nowhere for them to park,” she said.
However, Ray Silvia of Kenya Villas in the Village of Bonita, said he sees no problem and said he’s opposed to unnecessary signage.
“We have 62 villas and six spots,” he said of his villa community. “We don’t have a problem.”
CDD 7 Supervisor Niles Getz said he believes the problem has been overblown and impacts a small percentage of residents of the district. He accused Supervisor Jerry Vicenti, who lives in Seneca Villas, and Supervisor Ron Ruggeri, a resident of Bonita Villas, of having personal agendas with regard to villa parking.
“This is supposed to be America’s friendliest hometown,” Getz said. “This is not the way we are supposed to live.”
District counsel Valerie Fuchs warned that enforcement of parking would be difficult. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has indicated that it will only be involved in parking enforcement if it impacts public safety. Ultimately, enforcement would be the courts, she said.
“It is a process, but it is an expensive process,” she said.
She added that in all practicality, if warned, a car owner will probably move his vehicle.
Nevertheless, CDD 7 is pushing ahead with the no parking signs.
“Awareness will make the problem go away. Hopefully,” Ruggeri said.