A patio villa owner in the Village of Hemingway is the latest resident ordered to remove stone from a landscaping bed in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
The patio villa at 2539 Mariel Way in the Mariel Villas owned by Herman and Karen Goodwin was the subject of a public hearing Thursday morning before the Community Development District 7 Board of Supervisors at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
A complaint was received Sept. 13 by Community Standards regarding the landscaping stones reaching all the way to the street, according to evidence presented at the hearing. The Goodwins, who have placed their home in a trust, put together a plan to introduce enough sod and plantings into the landscaping bed to come into compliance. Their application went before the Architectural Review Committee on Wednesday and won approval.
The CDD 7 board gave the couple 45 days to remove the rock and replace it with sod, in accordance with their ARC application. If they fail to do so, they will be fined.
The couple purchased the villa in 2020 for $217,000.
The sod vs. stone controversy has rocked The Villages this year. Homeowners in the La Crescenta Villas were hit especially hard.
In a Districtwide meeting earlier this year, officials agreed the sale of out-of-compliance homes is the No. 1 problem in The Villages.
