~ PRESERVE OUR PARK ~
HAND & PASS IT ON!
CPOM MONTHLY MEETING OPEN TO ALL
-4TH SATURDAY at 6PM-
ON THE POINT by MacVICAR PARK
MEADOWCREST TRAIL CLUB
Family-Friendly Fun Run/Walk-5PM-prior to CPOM Meeting
The signers of this Petition first heard about this metal monstrosity -- not from our Board of Directors - but from concerned friends and neighbors. This initial poll was conducted in good faith that costly errors must be exposed and corrected before our Community can move forward. Cases of deception, slander, trespass, harassment, discrimination, and other violations of our trust as vested members of this Association have been cited concerning this issue, and the Park itself has received even less respect as a dumping ground whose trees and plants have been used to replenish the rest of the Community.
This grass-roots movement has gained support nearly every single day since it was first learned that a temporary structure, which does not conform with any of the Village governing documents, had been placed in the backyard of our Community. There is no doubt that this list of supporters will continue to grow as the circumstances surrounding this action become common knowledge and it is revealed that an oversized metal maintenance building has been installed under false pretenses. The accusation of being a "troublemaker" has not been reserved for one Community member alone. This term has been applied by certain leaders of our Association to others who oppose any and all key decisions which are made without proper procedure and lead to the detriment of our Community. Concerned Property Owners of Meadowcrest have invested a great deal of time, money, and effort to be part of a deed-restricted Community with high standards.
Now is the time to decide whether our Community will be maintained according to the original ideal, or whether our standard will be allowed to fall into the dust. There is a reason that the property in question has always been designated as a Park -- it was established to improve the desirability and value of the residential properties on the far side of the Development. Therefore, we respectfully request that a motion be passed to restore the Architectural Control Board in order to review the circumstances and determine the best means of removing the metal shed from Meadowcrest Community Association grounds.
In answer to the oft-repeated false allegation that no one expressed objections to the maintenance shed prior to circulating the Petition and/or the past following very well-attended Board meetings, please review the message below. Correction of this accusation to those allowed to attend the meetings was denied by the Chairman of the Board. A REBUTTAL to correct the "President's Message" in the Community newsletter would unfortunately suffer a two-month delay and by that time, the motion should have been brought back to the table. [Note: Read the latest LETTER from the Association Attorney, received after requests for meeting minutes were denied.]
More than one director has confirmed that the following message and other correspondence to MCA have been “discussed” by members of the Board, privately and otherwise. Concerned Property Owners are being added to the list of ACB supporters every day… and considering the fact that the preliminary poll of Petitioners far outweighs the “pro-shed” faction, it looks like the time has come to bring a little order to the house!
The show of support, both online and off, has been simply stupendous! Please pass that along to the other supporters who are out of the “cyber-loop”. The Comments page is still up & running on the Petition site for anyone who would like to express their thoughts on this or other issues – Click HERE to go directly to the latest Points of View. Anonymous posting is allowed, but the TagBoard is moderated, so keep it brief, keep it clean, and by all means, keep it above board!
-----Original Message-----
From: Penne and Chuck Ard [mailto:card1(at)tampabay.rr.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 2:39 PM
To: Meadowcrest Community Association (mca(at)atlantic.net)
Cc: Gary A. Poliakoff (gpoliakoff(at)becker-poliakoff.com); Karen O. Gaffney (kgaffney(at)xtalwind.net); Richard W. Wesch (CountyAdministrator(at)bocc.citrus.fl.us); Julio Robaina (robaina.julio(at)myfloridahouse.com); Richard L. Thompson (info(at)regenesis.net); CYBER CITIZENS FOR JUSTICE (ccfj(at)ccfj.net); CONCERNED HOMEOWNERS IN PARTNERSHIP (chipfl(at)worldnet.att.net); Philip Blumel (PBlumel(at)32J.RJF.com); CONSUMER ADVOCACY NETWORK (wishfer(at)att.net)
Bcc: CPOM; Stan Olsen, Developer; Herb Hoell, Editor of News and Views, the bi-monthly newsletter of the Meadowcrest Community Association; Chuck Hoffman, MeadowcrestVillages.org WEBmaster
Subject: CONCERNED PROPERTY OWNERS OF MEADOWCREST
Penne D. (Mrs. Charles) Ard
1937 W. Nicole Dr.
Lecanto, FL 34461-7633
Telephone: (352) 746-2043
Fax: (352) 746-2043
Email: freebornuscs(at)tampabay.rr.com
20 September 2003
TO THE MEADOWCREST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
My husband, Chuck, and I are quite frankly appalled at the lack of common courtesy and respect received from the Meadowcrest Community Association (MCA) management and leaders since purchasing our homesite from Gulf to Lakes Real Estate, Inc., (GTL) in August 2002. Imagine our shock and disdain when a supporter of the decision to place a metal maintenance shed in MacVicar Park -- directly behind our property -- stood up to present an authorized MCA BOD report at the quarterly meeting of the Hillcrest Village Property Owners Association (HVPOA), and had the audacity to infer that we were to blame for removing the “green belt” to make way for construction on our new home – a necessary action which inadvertently uncovered the soon-to-be-installed metal shed’s location to the Community. This wholly irrelevant and unwarranted placement of fault was repeated to all in attendance at the recent MCA meeting.
It is a well-known fact among the Hillcrest Architectural Control Board, Design Advisory Board, and [the Village] Board of Directors, as well as our builder, SanderSon Bay Fine Homes, LLC, that we had diligently researched our responsibilities toward the serious matter of removing existing trees for the clearing of our lot scheduled for July 2003. The 12x30 metal shed had not yet been installed at that time, and we were unaware of either its actual size or proposed location in close proximity to the water tower and our property line. Both our site superintendent, Mike Williams, and the County Extension Service advised us that the few trees and proliferative vegetation in question -- including Cherry Laurel, Chinese Tallow, and Melaleuca -- are undesirable and non-native plants ["junk trees" as one of our ACB members described them.] Each one is considered either highly toxic to young children and/or pest plants known for their adverse ecological effects on Florida’s natural wetlands and habitats.
Much to our dismay, we also learned that more than a few property owners of Meadowcrest have been labeled as “troublemakers” for voicing our concerns over decisions which would ultimately lower our own and others’ property values. In answer to the false accusation (and subsequent denials for rebuttal) that no one expressed objections prior to circulating the Petition for Storage Shed Review and/or presenting it at last Monday’s [and the subsequent] very well-attended Board meeting (filled to overflowing due to lack of adequate space!), we enclose an e-mail message dated 10 July 2003 (see below). More than one MCA director has confirmed that this and previous correspondence to MCA over the past year have been “discussed” by the Board, privately and otherwise. Copies to interested parties have been included for the record.
Concerned Property Owners of Meadowcrest have, in fact, subscribed to the list of Petitioners nearly every single day since this document was first signed, 11 August 2003. Considering the fact that the preliminary poll of Petitioners already far outweighs any “pro-shed” faction, we fully expect this matter to be addressed in a timely manner to the satisfaction of all who have invested their time, money, and effort to be a part of a deed-restricted community established to maintain the highest of residential and commercial standards of its day. We have been informed that an exception was granted in order to allow the permanent placement of an accessory building in MacVicar Park as part of a planned Development of Regional Impact, and thus avoid impact fees in obtaining a permit. These are the same hefty impact fees that my husband and I, along with other Meadowcrest property owners of recent years, have been obliged to pay in full for the privilege of a permit to properly construct a duly approved, conforming structure on our own land.
The Concerned Property Owners of Meadowcrest look forward to hearing the opinion of MCA’s counselor, Karen Gaffney, on the issues of membership and voting representation at the Special BOD Meeting to be held at the MCA office this Tuesday, 23 September 2003, at 2:00 p.m.[The attorney was not present and the vote on the Petition requests was again delayed until 20 OCTOBER 2003. The attorney summarily dismissed the "Petition for Storage Shed Review" from the very outset of her report to the Board that day.] This highly important legal interpretation should not only affect the controversial decisions to disband the Meadowcrest Architectural Control Committee and purchase an expensive, oversized metal shed (which does not conform with any of the Village CCRs) the week following that allegedly legal action -- it will most assuredly have a direct impact on the allocations proposed for the 2004 Association Budget []Passed without resolution or full disclosure per request.]] We respectfully request that this letter be read aloud at Tuesday’s MCA BOD meeting, and placed on the record along with a public apology to the Concerned Property Owners of Meadowcrest [This request was also "postponed" and then "ignored."] It is our highest hope to resolve this amicably for the sake of future Community relations. Thank you.
Yours very truly,
Penne Ard and Family
Co-owner of Record
1890 N PIMLICO PT
CRYSTAL RIVER FL 34429-2685
----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck & Penne Ard
To: Carol Parsons, MCA President & John Young, MCA Manager
Cc: Jeanna & Kerry Smith ; Marina Taylor & Mike Czerwinski ; Lucy & Don Frank
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 9:16 AM
Subject: An important clarification
Good morning! We [recently] learned that the impression has been given that Chuck and I were asked for our blessing on the storage shed to be located in the park behind our property. For the record, we were never formally asked for our opinion or approval of the proposal, and in fact, discouraged by three different parties from attending the special meeting in order to express it. [Due to special work/volunteer obligations, we were unable to attend the meeting.] I took it upon myself to research the issue when we first heard about it last December, and had difficulty obtaining any information on this or any area of concern, whatsoever. Email inquiries went unanswered, and on a visit to the office in February, we were told that the storage shed proposal had been abandoned due to legal complications. We were also assured that members will always be informed and consulted before any changes are made to common areas, especially those which might have an undesirable effect on adjacent properties. At that time we were still unaware that the CCRs in our possession [both MCA and Meadowcrest Single Family Residential I (renamed HVPOA in 1995) governing documents obtained from GTL at time of purchase] were outdated, and that lot owners were/are no longer voting members of MCA. That accounts somewhat for our confusion at the lack of response to previous requests for information.
Chuck & I still have serious reservations about the placement of a temporary structure [this was written before we learned that the custom-made metal building looks more like a mobile home than a household shed!] behind the property line of our home, or anywhere in Meadowcrest for that matter, for several obvious reasons. Based partly on the manner in which this proposal was presented and the misinformation received before its passage, it would definitely not have had either our vote or approval. We are also opposed to having MacVicar Park stripped of its landscaping in order to refurbish the rest of the community. To our knowledge, none of the property owners have been notified by the Association of either of these developments, although it does indeed have an influence on individual and common property values. Now that we finally have an updated copy of the revised MCA-CCRs, it is distressing to see that most (if not all) architectural guidelines, including checks and balances, have been removed altogether. We are determined to comply with the restrictions as originally designed in order to make our new home an asset to the Association(s), and we expect others to maintain the same high standards of courtesy that make Meadowcrest a desirable place to live.
That's my two cents and a plate of pasta on the side ... thanks for listening.
Vayan con Dios, Amigos ~
Penne and the Ard Family
Cc: Gary A. Poliakoff
Member, College of Community Association Lawyers
Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.
3111 Stirling Road
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33312
phone: (954) 985-4127
fax: (954) 985-4176
Email: gpoliakoff(at)becker-poliakoff.com
Karen O. Gaffney
Karen O. Gaffney, P.A.
221 West Main Street, Suite D
Inverness, Florida 34450
Telephone: (352) 726-9222
Fax: (352) 726-2124
Email: kgaffney(at)xtalwind.net
Richard W. Wesch
Citrus County Administrator
111 W. Main St., 3rd Floor
Inverness, Fl. 34450
(352)341-6560 - Office
(352)341-6584 - Fax
E-Mail: CountyAdministrator(at)bocc.citrus.fl.us
Julio Robaina (R), Chair
Florida House of Representatives
Select Committee on Condominium Association Governance
402 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-6506
Email: robaina.julio(at)myfloridahouse.com
REGENESIS – Condominium and Homeowner Associations
Richard L. Thompson
PO Box 19605
Portland Oregon 97280
Phone 503.977.7974
Fax 503.977.2816
info(at)regenesis.net
CYBER CITIZENS FOR JUSTICE, INC.
3345 Kings Rd.S., St.Augustine, Fl.32086
Tel.: ( 904 ) 794-0888
E-Mail: ccfj(at)ccfj.net
CONCERNED HOMEOWNERS IN PARTNERSHIP
FAX 352-854-7368
Postal address: P.O. Box 76142, Ocala, FL 34481
Electronic mail: chipfl(at)worldnet.att.net
VOICES of the FLORIDA TAXPAYER
Philip Blumel
mailto: PBlumel(at)32J.RJF.com
CONSUMER ADVOCACY NETWORK
mailto: wishfer(at)att.net
Bcc: CONCERNED PROPERTY OWNERS OF MEADOWCREST
Stanley Olsen, Developer
BLACK DIAMOND REALTY, INC.
(Formerly Gulf to Lakes Real Estate, Inc.)
2600 W Black Diamond Circle
Lecanto, FL 34461-9653
Telephone: 352-746-7400 Fax: 352-746-7418
Email: undisclosed(at)blackdiamondranch.com
Herb Hoell, Editor-MCA News & Views
Chuck Hoffman, WEBmaster-MEADOWCRESTVILLAGES.ORG
THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
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Updated 17NOV2003-Copyright AFC
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Vayan con Dios, Amigos