Village-News Article Monday, December 16, 2024

 92-year-old Villager seriously injured in golf cart crash on Morse Boulevard

A 92-year-old Villager was seriously injured when his golf cart collided with a car on Friday December 13, 2024 on Morse Boulevard.

He was traveling south on Morse Boulevard at 8:56 AM approaching the intersection of Guido Avenue and attempting a left turn when he failed to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol.

The right front of the golf cart collided with the left front of the automobile.

The man driving the golf cart was transported as a trauma alert to Ocala Regional Medical Center. He was ticketed for failure to yield. The man driving the convertible suffered minor injuries.

In 2019, a golf cart and car collided in the same spot.

For years, residents have complained about the dangerous intermingling of golf carts and automobiles on the busy thoroughfare. Many have blamed Sumter County officials for a lack of interest in finding a solution.

Village-News Article Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Official contends Morse Boulevard issue not ‘Mission Impossible’

Amenity Authority Committee members are deeply divided over taking on the seemingly impossible task of finding solutions for traffic problems on Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466.

AAC member Don Deakin had requested the issue be placed on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting at Savannah Center. A large number of red-shirted residents, who have passionately lobbied for action on Morse Boulevard, were in the audience.

Community Development District 1 paid more than $100,000 for an independent study aimed at finding ways to separate golf carts and automobiles on the busy thoroughfare between County Road 466 and U.S. Hwy. 27/441. Options could cost between $12 and $15 million. You can view the entire report at this link: Kimley Horn report However, CDD 1 supervisors believe they have been given the cold shoulder and the study was immediately dismissed by Sumter County officials.

Deakin, who is also a Community Development District 4 supervisor, is eager to see the AAC enter into the stalemate and, perhaps, provide a breakthrough.

“We do have a dog in the fight,” said Deakin.

He received immediate support from fellow AAC member Jim Vaccaro, the leader of the red shirt movement.

“My wife and I have had three near-death experiences on Morse Boulevard,” Vaccaro said. “In three and a half years, two people have been killed on this road and the road is still considered ‘safe.’”

He said 20,000 cars a day come through the gate at Morse Boulevard and County Road 466.

“It is a raceway for people going to the hospital, going to Publix, going to Lowe’s,” Vaccaro said.

He said Sumter County has not been listening to the concerns of residents.

“I really wish this committee was dealing with it because we get stuff done,” Vaccaro said.

Deputy District Manager Carrie Duckett reminded the AAC members that Morse Boulevard is owned by Sumter County.

“No part of this project falls under the purview of the AAC,” Duckett said of the body charged with overseeing amenities north of County Road 466.

The sentiment was echoed by AAC Chair Donna Kempa.

Villager Rich Cole, who is the Developer’s designated representative on the AAC, agreed that the AAC doesn’t appear to have a role in the Morse Boulevard controversy.

“Without Sumter County taking action, we are just having a discussion here,” Cole said.

However, Deakin disagreed and called for broader participation in the discussion.

“I think it’s going to take the participation of Sumter County, the Developer, District 1 and the AAC. It’s not ‘Mission Impossible,’” Deakin said.

Villages-News article Monday September 11, 2023

Residents blame rampant speeding for problems on Morse Boulevard

Residents are rejecting a potential $12 to $15 million revamp of Morse Boulevard to make it less dangerous.

They contend there is a much cheaper solution.

Speeding tickets.

Residents spoke out Thursday night at a special town hall meeting Thursday hosted by the Community Development District 1 Board of Supervisors at La Hacienda Recreation Center. The topic was the danger of Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466. The board had commissioned a six-figure study from Kimley-Horn Associates Inc., which proposed $12 to $15 million solutions to the dangerous intermingling of golf carts and automobiles on Morse Boulevard.

Villager Patsy Oburn went to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office prior to the meeting and pressed them on speeding enforcement on Morse Boulevard. She suggested the placement of blinking signs showing motorists their speed.

“Go with the simplest solution,” Oburn said.

Like other residents, she said the $12 to $15 million pricetag proposed in the Kimley-Horn study is too high.

“I cannot support a $12 to $15 million improvement. I don’t want another bond,” Oburn said.

Other speakers lined up at the podium and expressed similar sentiments. Speeding was the top concern of residents.

Villager Sherrie Hyer collected more than 1,000 signatures in 2015 after 85-year-old Francis Cradock “Buck” Hughes was killed Jan. 13, 2015 when his golf cart was hit by a vehicle on Morse Boulevard.

“We need the speed limit lowered,” she said.

Villager Terry Zerger said the Kimley Horn report proposed solutions that are far out of the financial reach of CDD 1 homeowners.

“There was no real effort to make this an affordable, doable project,” Zerger said.

Another cheap solution proposed by residents was more stop signs.

Dan Edelman said his golf cart was T-boned on Morse Boulevard and he believes a stop sign could have prevented the accident – and his extensive injuries.

He also faulted inaction by Sumter County, which owns Morse Boulevard.

“Someone’s got to start. Get started. No one else needs to get hurt,” Edelman said.

Supervisor Ellen Cora said she wasn’t ready to throw in the towel on the $12 to $15 million proposals to improve Morse Boulevard for golf cart travel.

She said residents should “demand what they deserve” from Sumter County.

“If they don’t do it, vote them out,” she said.

Villages-News editorial September 9, 2023

Morse Boulevard safety issue is similar to the Charter School

To the Editor:

At the recent District 1 meeting of concerned residents regarding Morse Boulevard from south of U.S. 441 to CR 466, the vast majority of speakers only voiced concerns about the speed of heavy traffic immediately adjacent to the portion of the roadway used by golf car drivers, AND the estimated cost of making that roadway safe. At the conclusion of the speakers’ comments only one person, District 1 Supervisor Ellen Cora, commented that the cost of affecting the safety of that six mile stretch was not out of line considering the design and construction of Morse Boulevard continuing south for several miles and the equally busy Buena Vista Boulevard.
Both of those boulevards are heavily-traveled north-south thoroughfares through The Villages and there are no reasonable and/or feasible alternate routes to replace the subject portion of Morse. What’s more, there is no inexpensive means of remedying this everlasting traffic safety issue. Supervisor Cora is precisely right about that, and the basic issue should be who should pay for the costly redesign and construction of such a project.
Unlike the continuation of Morse toward the southern area of The Villages and the design and construction of Buena Vista Boulevard, the parties designing the first part of Morse Boulevard did not utilize the often expressed “knew or should have known” factor that has now been realized.
As I understand it, the Developer designs and constructs the necessary roadways and other than the villa roads and Marion County roads, eventually turns the ownership over to Sumter County. So, who is at fault for the current unsafe condition on the first six miles of Morse Boulevard which is owned by Sumter County?
In the case of two recreation centers, the remedial correction of unsolvable problems with the Developer-designed and constructed buildings was placed in the hands of the eventual owners, the associated Districts. In the first case the District accepted responsibility and replaced the entire rec center. But more recently, the district balked so the Developer simply tore down the subject rec center. According to Kimley-Horn, being the owner of Morse Boulevard, Sumter County has so far refused any responsibility when it comes to updating the short six mile stretch of that road. I submit that instead of flatly refusing responsibility for the road the County owns, it should look to the Developer to accept mediation and arbitration of the costs issue.
If such arbitration were to come about, Sumter County should point directly to the matter of the Charter School having outlived its ability to serve the current and future students load efficiently which prompted the Developer to design and construct what appears to me to be a half-billion dollar brand new campus to replace the one not nearly as old as the northern portion of Morse Boulevard. Similarly, the developer should at least share the costs associated with the case at hand.

Lee Gilpin
Village of Liberty Park

Villages-News Article August 11, 2023

Officials unhappy at Sumter County’s premature dismissal of Morse study

Community Development District 1 supervisors are unhappy about Sumter County’s apparently premature dismissal of a traffic study to improve safety on Morse Boulevard.

CDD 1 invested more than $100,000 in the long-awaited Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc. study aimed at separating golf carts and automobiles on the busy thoroughfare between County Road 466 and U.S. Hwy. 27/441. Too many times, there have been fatal or near-fatal collisions between golf carts and automobiles.

The study was unveiled Friday morning at Savannah Center with a 30-minute presentation by Kimley-Horn’s Amber Gartner.

The options for separating golf carts and automobiles could cost between $12 and $15 million. You can view the entire report at this link: Kimley-Horn report

Sumter County owns Morse Boulevard, so the five elected commissioners essentially have veto power over the project.

The presentation included Sumter County’s concerns which include inconsistencies and worrisome crossings of golf carts across sections of Morse Boulevard.

CDD 1 supervisors were quick to read between the lines.

“Basically what Sumter County is telling us is, ‘We are not interested in this project and we don’t want to listen to what the residents are saying,’” said CDD 1 Board Chairman Rocky Hyder, who has been working on this endeavor since his earliest days on the board.

Hyder added that he was “disappointed in the study” and the “two extremely expensive alternatives.”

He said he never expected the burden for the improvements to be entirely shouldered by the 3,400 homeowners in CDD 1. He also said he did not expect Sumter County’s rejection.

“What we lack is representation and cooperation from our county government,” Hyder said.

He pointed across the Lake County line to the flashing stop signs recently installed on Rio Grande Avenue by the Town of Lady Lake.

“They are at least trying to find things that work,” Hyder said.

He also questioned the staff level rejection of the Morse Boulevard study.

He said it should be “a policy decision by the Sumter County Board of Commissioners.”

Supervisor Ellen Cora was more direct in her criticism of Sumter County.

“This is totally unacceptable. We are government by the people and for the people,” Cora said. “They should be ashamed of their attitude toward this project.”

Supervisor Kathy Porter agreed that the next step is to “hammer” Sumter County officials.

“They are ignoring the will of the people,” she said.

Supervisor Judy Biebesheimer pointed out that this impacts more than just the residents of CDD 1 as all residents use that stretch of Morse Boulevard.

She also suggested Sumter County’s arrogant disregard should be a warning to Meggison Road residents who have been similarly disregarded.

“In a few short years, they’ll be where we are,” Biebesheimer predicted.

CDD 1 supervisors will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the study with residents. That meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at La Hacienda Recreation Center.

The CDD 1 board chairman formally extended an invitation to Sumter County officials, asking them to attend the town hall meeting.

“Maybe they can enlighten us with regard to what they have done to improve safety on Morse Boulevard,” Hyder said.

Villages-News Article July 9, 2021

New CDD 1 supervisor speaks out on dangers of Morse Boulevard

A Village of De La Vista South resident has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Community Development District 1 Board of Supervisors.

Rocky Hyder was chosen Friday to fill the vacancy created earlier this year by the resignation of Tom Papin, who moved out of The Villages.

Prior to retirement, Hyder worked as a county emergency services director in Henderson County, North Carolina. Before that he was a firefighter and a fire marshal.

He and his wife of 39 years moved to The Villages two years ago.

Hyder said that if CDD 1 needs anything, it’s access to more walking paths and sidewalks. He said he realizes that is outside the normal purview of CDD 1, but said he believes that the addition of walking opportunities would promote good health and improve the quality of life.

That suggestion prompted Supervisor Ellen Cora to seize on a topic of which she has warned about for years – the dangers on Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466.

Cora attempted to enlist Hyder to join in her mission of persuading the Sumter County Commission to widen Morse Boulevard. She said the addition of a massive new apartment complex on County Road 466 at Cherry Lake Road has further burdened the already busy thoroughfare.

Hyder apparently shares Cora’s concerns.

“It clearly is a concern. Statistically, we have the data on accidents on that roadway to take to the commissioners. They need to understand this is a concern that needs to be addressed,” he said.

Earlier this year, a New Yorker in a golf cart died after a crash involving a Mercedes on Morse Boulevard.