After reading about the sale of the Sawgrass Shopping Center it made me realize that the Beaches area wants nothing to do with change and will self-destruct and implode with the help of these non-changers.
We have a homeowners association here in Ponte Vedra Beach that would not allow a private business to expand — at the cost of losing tenants. I doubt the foreclosure and subsequent sale of the center will change the association’s position or make the shopping center a better place to shop, thus causing it to further sink into disrepair.
As I drove down 3rd street last week I found that Chizu had moved to Penman, the Village Inn is up for sale, the location where the Taco Bell went out of business years ago and was recently reopened as a new restaurant has now closed, Dick’s Wings remains a vacant building and the old shopping center that tried to move a Walmart in is getting a brand new Publix, which will leave the shopping center across the street vacate when the old Publix closes.
We have a restaurant in Ponte Vedra Beach that is wonderful, but has to deal with the complaints of previously mentioned homeowners association, which thinks the music is too loud.
With the ridiculous restrictions on the food vs. beverage percentages to obtain a liquor license and the up-front cost to open a restaurant/bar, I foresee buildings staying empty longer and becoming more of an eyesore.
People in office and in these communities need to wake up and start catering to those who want to live here long term. People in office need to stop wasting money on the "buy it local" campaign and start trying to entice businesses in here that local people actual want to patronize.
People in these communities’s need to start talking to others, they need to talk to their neighbors, get to know them and know what is going on in their community.
It is easy to think it does not affect you, but when your tax bill rises and hits you in your wallet and your property values fall even further because the sales tax base of business’s has gone away and those businesses along with residential properties remain vacant or you go out to shop and your grocery store is no longer there because of some idiots in a homeowners association, or crime rises to the point that it comes to your front door, it will affect you.
But by then it will be to late for you to do anything about what I see happening now.
Michelle Willow
Ponte Vedra Beach