CDD 3 renews commitment to stick with volunteer ARC board

The Community Development District 3 Board of Supervisors has renewed its commitment to the resident volunteer Architectural Review Committee.

The CDD 3 board’s decision was reached during a discussion Friday at its monthly meeting at Savannah Center.

The ARC is an all-volunteer board of residents that meets for several hours each Wednesday, reviewing applications for home additions, patio improvements, driveway enhancements and landscaping projects. A few years ago, the District government introduced the option of using a trained hearing officer to review applications on behalf of the CDDs rather than relying on the volunteer board. The Community Development District 6 Board of Supervisors could not find a volunteer and switched to an ARC hearing officer. Community Development District 11 in the Fruitland Park section of The Villages is using a hearing officer, as are the CDDs south of State Road 44.

Earlier this year, CDD 1 Supervisor Mike Miller, a former ARC member, blasted the ARC for a lack of professionalism. His comments got the ball rolling, leading to formal steps to leave the ARC in favor of a special hearing officer to be paid $250 to review residents’ applications for improvements to their homes.

However, CDD 3 supervisors made it clear they aren’t jumping on the hearing officer bandwagon.

“Paying a hearing officer $250 per hour would be a slap in the face to our ARC volunteers,” said CDD 3 Supervisor Gail Lazenby.

He pointed out that the CDD 3 board had previously sought to compensate its ARC representatives but was told that would violate state statute. CDD 3 eventually settled on reimbursing its ARC volunteers for mileage incurred when driving to weekly meetings at the Brownwood District Office.