Residents of Community Development District 2 were relieved Thursday evening when they learned that white crosses are not under threat at their residences.
A big crowd filled the Ashley-Wilkes Room at Savannah Center, many of them there because of the white crosses controversy in The Villages.
At the onset of the meeting, CDD 2 Chairman John Blum announced that white crosses are not at risk of removal in the district as it does not have deed restrictions against lawn ornaments.
“We don’t have the white crosses issue, other districts do,” said CDD 2 Supervisor Barton Zoellner.
He added that the CDD arrangement is valuable because it gives residents “a much closer voice in government.”
Zoellner encouraged residents to read their deed restrictions and know what is expected of them as residents of CDD 2.
Between Jan. 1, 2016 and Jan. 30, 2017, Community Standards received 310 lawn ornament complaints of which 87 were for crosses in other areas of The Villages. One of those cross complaints was lodged against Larry and Rose Kehoe in the Village of Gilchrist. You can read more about their reaction HERE
Controversy about the white crosses helped drive attendance at Thursday’s CDD 2 town hall meeting. A few residents walked out after Blum’s announcement, which drew an enthusiastic round of applause. However, the vast majority of residents stayed for the supervisors’ entire presentation which covered other topics including CDD 2’s finances and investments.
Richard and Glenda Capuano moved to The Villages from Chicago in 2008. They live in the Village of Santo Domingo and have had a white cross in their yard since 2015. It was given to them by a neighbor.
“We are glad we came and heard for ourselves that we won’t have to remove our white cross,” Richard Capuano said.
