Villagers demanded to know who complained about their lawn ornaments after troll a hit their neighborhood.
Axel Rasmussen, who lives on Canyon Avenue in the Village of Pinellas, told the Community Development District 9 Board of Supervisors on Thursday afternoon that he was visited by Community Standards last month.
The Minnesotan, who purchased his home in The Villages about five years ago, said he had ornamental cranes, a dog and an alligator in his yard. He said the decorative items were the subject of a complaint.
“They are not ugly, they blend in,” Rasmussen said of the items which had been on display at his home.
Rasmussen said the Community Standards representative indicated that several other homes on the street had been targeted by the complainer. However, there were homes with similar violations that had not been the subject of a complaint, Rasmussen said.
He said what really irked him was not being able to know who had lodged the complaint.
“Why can’t the homeowner know who complained?” Rasmussen asked the CDD 9 Board of Supervisors.
His neighbor, Charles Gunn, suggested an easy way to track the validity of those lodging complaints.
“We go to activities in The Villages and we have to use our ID cards. Shouldn’t complainers have to use their ID cards?” he asked.
He said that it isn’t right to have people from outside the neighborhood making complaints in an area in which they reside.
CDD 9 Chairman Jack Reimer said there is no plan to alter the anonymous complaint process.
“I know some people are unhappy, but the fact is you were in violation of the deed restriction,” Reimer said to Rasmussen.
The chairman added that the board has previously discussed the issue in great detail.
“It’s not a new issue. We’ve discussed the pros and cons in the past,” Reimer said.