WCA President Michiel Oostenbrink opened the April meeting with an informal poll asking if Westchase Station, a 38-townhome development being built within the boundaries of West Park Village, should not be annexed into Westchase. No one raised their hand.
He explained that the association’s legal counsel confirmed the development is able to be annexed, as it lies entirely within the boundaries of the community. The Modification Committee needs to review the new development’s plans to ensure that they conform to those within WPV. The VMs will ultimately vote whether to approve the annexation, but only after receiving more detailed information and hearing from the developer, Oostenbrink said. He then asked Rick Harcrow of Stanley Martin Homes to deliver a presentation and field questions. Harcrow said his company was developing the southernmost strip of land in WPV and hoped they would support the annexation. He said he was open to Westchase Station being a stand-alone neighborhood, a sub-association or part of WPV. Harcrow assured the VMs that the seven-building development would match the adjacent architectural color scheme, and all 38 units would have garages in the rear. The site is currently under development, but the developer does not yet have building permits. Prices will range from the low $400s to the low $600s.
Jim Brinker, VM for the Classic Townhomes of WPV, asked why each building has a different number of units. Harcrow said they have to fit the homes between various easements. An audience member asked about the build time, and Harcrow said each building would take about four months. Deb Guerino, VM for the Villas of WPV, asked about parking for the new residents. Harcrow told her that each unit could accommodate two cars in the garage and two in the driveway.
Nancy Sells, VM for Harbor Links/The Estates, asked whether the units would have elevators to make them more accessible. They do not, and will all be three-story walkups, Harcrow said. He added that he hopes construction will begin in July or August. Pam Wilcox, alternate VM for the Bridges, asked whether Harcrow would consider eliminating one unit to allow for more guest parking, and he said he would take it under advisement.
Oostenbrink clarified that Stanley Martin Homes is covering the cost of any legal fees incurred throughout the potential annexation. Chelmsford VM Joanne Maurer asked how the annexation would benefit Westchase, and Oostenbrink told her that it would require Westchase Station to abide by all community restrictions and guidelines.
The Shires VM Barry Anderson said he wanted an opportunity to discuss any concerns without a representative from Stanley Martin present, and Christine Hennes, VM for The Enclave, agreed. Oostenbrink agreed to add the discussion to the May agenda. Mary Griffin, VM for the Single Family Homes of WPV, wanted to clarify whether 75 percent of all Westchase homeowners needed to be in favor of the annexation, and Oostenbrink confirmed that was correct.
Radcliffe VM Eric Holt reported that the Document Review Committee held its fourth meeting and sent a draft of potential conflicts with new Florida statutes to WCA legal counsel for review. The deadline for community input is June 1, he added, and residents can send their concerns to docreview@westchasewca.com.
GAC Chair and Woodbridge VM Rick Goldstein said the coordinator for the Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management would be at the May WCA board meeting. He updated VMs on the status of the proposed Westchase Elementary crosswalk on Linebaugh and urged them to do everything in their power to oppose its construction. Goldstein stressed that he had sent his fellow VMs a list of county commissioners, a petition and a suggested letter and that he needed the petitions returned to him by the end of April.
Oostenbrink then took the floor and reported that the height of the no parking signage in WPV had been decreased to five feet, signs had been moved to property lines and there were 21 fewer signs than were initially installed.
Oostenbrink shared that the board decided to part ways with Facilities Manager Dwight Kilgore and was working with Greenacre to fill the vacancy. Stamford VM Jamie Kolev asked about the current lifeguard shortage and whether it would continue to negatively impact pool hours. Oostenbrink assured her that Greenacre was working diligently to fill those positions.
Kolev then asked whether the board would reconsider having lifeguards on duty at the Westchase pools. Goldstein said it was brought up several years ago, and he felt it was vital to default to safety and keep lifeguards on staff. Holt posited that insurance costs would likely increase dramatically without lifeguards. Brinker acknowledged that the hiring of lifeguards had been an ongoing problem. Oostenbrink agreed to research the matter and share his findings with the VMs.
He then said that Association Manager Debbie Sainz had prepared a hurricane preparedness plan specific to Westchase facilities that would be shared with VMs for their feedback. Wilcox suggested that the WCA come up with a community-wide plan, and Oostenbrink said he didn’t think it was necessarily the association’s responsibility. Guerino said she gathered her own resources and emailed them annually to the residents of her neighborhood. She agreed to send her email to Sainz in the event that other VMs wanted to do the same thing.
Holt said the CDD put up new signage at the entrance to Westchase and he wasn’t impressed. He urged the VMs to look at the signage and share their feedback with the CDD.
