A Community Development District 9 supervisors has requested that the Lofts at Brownwood be added to this week’s meeting agenda.
The request came from Supervisor Don “Smoke” Hickman ahead of the board of supervisors meeting set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14 at Savannah Center.
Last month, CDD 9 supervisors unanimously approved the annexation of the new Lofts at Brownwood, but only after hearing residents’ warnings to be wary of any potential financial responsibilities.
The roughly 11 acres of the Lofts at Brownwood will become part of the 1,300 acres that make up CDD 9. While most of CDD 9 is located south of County Road 466 and north of Hillsborough Trail it also includes some odd properties not adjoining Gilchrist, Pinellas, Fernandina and Sanibel. The CDD 9 oddballs are the Haciendas of Mission Hills and the Atwood Bungalows.
Don Wiley, chairman of the board of supervisors in Community Development District 10, where the Lofts at Brownwood are geographically located, posed questions as a member of the Project Wide Advisory Committee.
“This annexation affects all of the districts south of 466,” Wiley said.
He said he is concerned that PWAC could incur some unexpected expenses because of the Lofts at Brownwood.
“Having reviewed the documents, there is nothing that states that CDD 9 has no financial responsibility,” Wiley said.
As a member of PWAC, CDD 9 benefits from the pool of infrastructure money paid into by residents living south of County Road 466.
While some wondered why the rental complex wasn’t being annexed into CDD 10, Wiley said he thought the apartments belong in the Brownwood commercial district.
“This is not a residential unit. It’s commercial real estate. Should it not be incorporated into the Brownwood district?” Wiley asked.
Robert Hunter of the Village of Dunedin attended Thursday’s CDD 10 and echoed Wiley’s sentiments.
“If you are making a financial deal with the Developer, get it in writing,” Hunter warned.
He also said that welcoming apartments for the first time in The Villages would be setting a precedent.
“This dilutes the amenities of The Villages. More people at the swimming pools, more people trying to get a tee time, more people playing pickleball,” he said.
CDD 9 supervisors received assurances they would not be signing on for expenses associated with the rental units. They were also told that the amenities at the Lofts at Brownwood will be open to all residents of The Villages.
A potential carrot for CDD 9 is the fact that Lofts of Brownwood residents will be paying maintenance assessment fees. With more people sharing the load, existing CDD 9 residents could see their share reduced.
