Privacy a premium in West Park subdivision

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By MARLENE SOKOL

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 7, 2000

WESTCHASE -- Don't you hate it when strangers knock at your door?

There you are, watching the game or putting the baby down for a nap when, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM. Somebody wants to cut your yard. Or sell you newspapers. Or introduce you to God.

Now suppose your home was drawing hoardes of curiosity seekers, or -- yes, this does actually happen -- people thought it was a builder's model.

That's the rationale behind those blunt, yet tasteful signs posted all around West Park Village: "Private Residence." And "Private Residence, No Trespassing."

The place Westchase calls its brand-new old-fashioned village, with its narrow lots, "happy to meet you sidewalks" and retro front porches, is finding privacy at a premium.

"Before we closed, people were walking all through our house," said Heather Moore, a three-month resident of an Inland Homes townhouse on New Parke Road.

"Somebody tried to walk right into our house," said Julie Moores, who's thankful that she lives a good distance from the models. "My husband and I were home, the door was locked and it was mid-afternoon. You could see our dog through the window. And somebody walked right up to the door."

Moores has chosen not to put up a sign, as has neighbor Jolan Falk. Still, Falk said, "you hear all the stories about what happened in Celebration."

Walt Disney Co.'s Celebration, while similar in its neotraditional architecture, endured the double whammy of being an architectural novelty and -- well, Disney. In its early years it was a magnet for tourists and writers alike.

"You feel like you've been stripped naked and then stood in front of the world," schoolteacher Cheryl Scherer told the Orlando Sentinel after book authors used police reports to chronicle a violent incident between her and her husband. Ultimately Scherer's marriage fell apart, and she suggested her move to Celebration was one of the reasons.

So far, the private lives of West Park Villagers have remained private. Still, foot traffic became an issue in February and March, when the developers staged "block parties" in the grassy town square. Guests enjoyed live music, swing dancing, doo-wop, even a little wine tasting.

"We had 1,500 to 2,000 people wandering through here," said Kimberly Mackey, a saleswoman for Inland Homes.

Party guests would walk right up to Dave and Angie Whitmore's front door, which faces the square. "People thought we had a model home," said Angie Whitmore, a mother of three. Even when corrected, some visitors didn't want to leave.

And they weren't the only ones confused.

"Our purchasing manager lives in West Park Village," said Jennifer Bosek, marketing director for David Weekley Homes. "And one day, he was sitting home with the door unlocked, when a real estate agent walked right in with a client."

Hence the builders' decision to provide signs to the homeowners, free of charge and often in color schemes that match the architecture.

The Whitmores took theirs down after the block parties ended, when things quieted down. No one, it seems, believes they will be up for long. Once residents start to outnumber visitors, people expect West Park Village will look more like the original Hyde Park -- pretty, but lived-in.

Nor has front-porch living lost its luster. Even those homeowners with the signs invariably said they were thrilled with the neighborhood.

"If anything, people have really gotten to know their neighbors," Bosek said.

"At night, you'll see people walking around and talking to their neighbors. We build in seven other subdivisions, and you just don't see that."

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