Elected supervisors in The Villages said this week they want more information about the types of materials that might be used to reconstruct a decorative windmill and water tower at Brownwood Paddock Square.
They also want more information about the decisions being made by the Developer’s design team about the types of materials being used in structures eventually turned over to the residents.
Community Development District 8 Supervisor Phil Walker, a longtime leader in The Villages Homeowners Advocates, said the demolition of the 10-year-old windmill and water tower were preceded by a rotting wood problem at the archway at the entrance to Brownwood.
“Those are items that have lasted only a few years,” Walker said.
The responsibility for the repair and replacement of the windmill and water tower now fall to the Project Wide Advisory Committee, which is funded by residents’ maintenance assessments south of County Road 466.
“My personal concern would be in the future we and the Developer’s design team need to have a conversation about why we are using pine wood when we should be using longer-lasting materials. There is no conversation with the people who are making the design decisions,” said CDD 8 Supervisor Duane Johnson.
“There was concern these things could fall down and possibly injure someone,” said CDD 5 Supervisor Jerry Knoll.
All of the CDDs are going through the budget process and all are faced with rising costs, thanks to inflation and labor costs.
“This is not going to be an easy year for districts. The economy does not look like it’s going to turn around,” said CDD 5 Chairman Gary Kadow.
PWAC Chairman Don Wiley, who also serves as chairman of the CDD 10 Board, conceded that the windmill and water tower issue has created “bad optics.”
