Community Development District 1 supervisors continue to wrestle with the problem of the threatened view at the nature preserve and who might potentially pay to restore that view.
CDD 1 Supervisor Kathy Porter said at Monday’s board of supervisors meeting that she continues to hear from residents of the Village of Tierra Del Sol about the overgrowth and intrusion of invasive species at the Hudson Morse Parr Nature Preserve. Earlier this year, CDD 1 residents heard from residents about the situation at a town hall meeting. You can read about that meeting HERE
As a result, CDD 1 supervisors set aside $100,000 for a possible cut at the preserve. They have not yet spent the money.
Village of Rio Ranchero resident Joan Testa, a VHA director, succinctly laid out the problem the supervisors face.
“Are we going to spend money to cut down trees to improve somebody else’s view?” Testa asked.
Supervisor Craig Estep said the board has a financial responsibility to look at all the angles.
“We can go in and cut, but it’s not going to look like a lake. We’re still going to have people lining up at the mic to say, ‘You didn’t do it good enough,'” Estep said.
CDD 1 Chairman Ellen Cora cited a real estate listing in her neighborhood that has paid the price for overgrowth at the preserve.
She said a premier home purchased at the height of the market on Durango Drive had been listed at $600,000, was reduced to $500,000 and is now down to $475,000. She said the overgrowth and its impact on the view from the home has harmed the home’s marketability.
She asked District Manager Janet Tutt if the homeowner could go ahead and pay for trim of the overgrowth at the preserve.
Tutt reminded Cora that individual homeowners cannot take any action on District property without approval from the District. Supervisors said they were reminded of the unlawful tree removal at Lake Miona. You can read more about that case HERE