Hurricanes (Orlando, Fort Myers, Naples: new house, gated communities, prices)

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by Dreamy46

Did any environmental issues such as pesticides turn up?

if there are, it doesn't seem to be bothering the birds. For many residents who are close to the edge, the racket of birds is deafening. About half of the surrounding terrain is primal slough.

I am more worried about the pesticides I think they are putting down every week to keep ants at bay...I don't go barefoot on the way the quad pool!

Penzance used to cross the slough (still does on my garmin) and was blocked off and left to nature when the 6 mile Slough interpretation centre was established. I think it would be worthwhile to re-open the old road as a nature trail (I guess elevated) so that we could access the interpretation centre from the Paseo side on foot, instead of having to drive around 3 miles. No-one else seems to think this is a good idea.

I am told it was world war III between Stock and the Friends of the Slough when permitting was in process, so unlikely they are going to work together. Something that maybe could happen when the residents take over. I suppose there could be security and liability issues at both ends of such a link.

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

So let me get this straight.

Stock Development put a bunch of fill next to a swamp to protect units that were already built, and that changed their chance of getting flooded so their insurance was lowered and a bunch of people wouldn't get scared and not buy? Right?

no, from what I understand, new construction has to meet certain elevation requirements vis a vis sea level, irrespective of the FEMA map change, which was a separate event

the development land base-level was raised to meet this code by digging out the lakes and bringing in fill, which would have been done anyway

happily, the code they were building to also met the FEMA requirements for low risk...thats my understanding - perhaps the two codes are synchronised...dont know that subtlety

Its possible that they had a heads up on the new FEMA map and built in advance to that spec, but I don't believe that lines up with the facts.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by kroeran

if there are, it doesn't seem to be bothering the birds. For many residents who are close to the edge, the racket of birds is deafening. About half of the surrounding terrain is primal slough.

I am more worried about the pesticides I think they are putting down every week to keep ants at bay...I don't go barefoot on the way the quad pool!

Penzance used to cross the slough (still does on my garmin) and was blocked off and left to nature when the 6 mile Slough interpretation centre was established. I think it would be worthwhile to re-open the old road as a nature trail (I guess elevated) so that we could access the interpretation centre from the Paseo side on foot, instead of having to drive around 3 miles. No-one else seems to think this is a good idea.

I am told it was world war III between Stock and the Friends of the Slough when permitting was in process, so unlikely they are going to work together. Something that maybe could happen when the residents take over. I suppose there could be security and liability issues at both ends of such a link.

If you are worried about pesticides, wait until you see the mosquito planes. I once had them dump their poison right over my head. I imagine that took 20 years off of my life. Maybe more.

I find it terrifying that you, koeran, are that afraid of pesticides.

I can't imagine the Friends of the Slough are going to like the unit owners any more than the developers, considering that you all campaigned for Stock to pay off FEMA so you could lower your insurance rates. I wonder how close to the slough that fill was dumped.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by kroeran

no, from what I understand, new construction has to meet certain elevation requirements vis a vis sea level, irrespective of the FEMA map change, which was a separate event

the development land base-level was raised to meet this code by digging out the lakes and bringing in fill, which would have been done anyway

happily, the code they were building to also met the FEMA requirements for low risk...thats my understanding - perhaps the two codes are synchronised...dont know that subtlety

Its possible that they had a heads up on the new FEMA map and built in advance to that spec, but I don't believe that lines up with the facts.

No. I think money lines up with the facts.

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by Dreamy46

Very good info. That letter mentions Phase 1 properties. How many phases are there?

Also, so we can make this a learning experience, how do you find out if those letters exist for those searching who won't have the first-hand knowledge of knowing by virtue of living there.

this has the county letters by grid code

http://www.msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/s...ind%20a%20LOMC

click on map search on the tool bar at the top to look up the panel ID, then choose find letter by panel ID

its all not very intuitive

[Dreamy46]

You know what's amazing?

If I punch in Paseo Fort Meyers and that LOMC case number, the search comes up with "NO Results."

paseo fort myers 08-04-6372A-125106 - Google Search

How could that have not made news or ended up somewhere on the web?

[Dreamy46]

Originally Posted by kroeran

this has the county letters by grid code

FEMA Map Service Center - How to Find a LOMC

click on map search on the tool bar at the top to look up the grid code

its all not very intuitive

That's a bad link, try this one:

FEMA Map Service Center - How to Find a LOMC

[kroeran]

The info may only exist on the FEMA website in the public domain, and with how their search system works, I suspect it is out of reach of the google sniffers

It is a good question and I am asking myself why it did not even rise to the level of backyard pool gossip last winter

It was only an issue for a few weeks, very few people actually got their minds around it and understood it, and it is quite possible that the reversal came out before the banks had a chance to chase down people to add insurance, so it never was a substantive problem, to my knowledge. Anyone who put insurance on was able to get a full refund.

[kroeran]

top down construction grid system? what is that? building over flowing water? that would have been SO cool

I kinda think of Paseo as new "villagism", sort of new urbanism on steriods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Urbanism

my great frustration about most "new urbanist" communities is the lack of behind gate grocery shopping

I think Paseo would benefit from a saturday farmers market, like they do in Celebration

[kroeran]

I am not tracking the bridge construction conversation...how did that connect to Paseo? what exacting did the Es have in mind? are you talking about a nature walk or part of the living area?

ah yes, Seaside the first

I don't understand why they would not be self sufficient in principle...all that is needed is a reproduction main street that has real stores instead of tourist stores (unlike Celebration, like Baldwin Park, Orlando)

the problem seems to be that Publix and other chain stores will not locate behind a gate, and boutique grocery stores can't compete with Publix prices. Baldwin Park solved it by being non-gated and hiding the Publix behind a charming mainstreet front, with all the practical stuff out back in the alley.