The Meadows at Martin Downs
The Meadows at Martin Downs is a residential development located in Palm City, Florida. The 832 units of The Meadows are divided into six neighborhoods or villages — Greenwich, Lakemont, Mayflower, Brighton, Foxboro and Ridgewood — consisting of single-family homes, duplexes, four-unit townhouses, and four-unit patio homes.
The Meadows is a gated community with round-the-clock security. The community provides for its residents amenities including a large heated swimming pool, a kiddies’ pool, a children’s playground adjacent to the pool, a basketball hoop, two lighted tennis courts, two lighted pickle ball courts, a horseshoe pitch and two bocce courts. Near the entrance of The Meadows, between the gatehouse and the fountain, is a 2200-square-foot recreation center, known as The Meadows House, which also houses the administrative offices of The Meadows Homeowners Association.
The Meadows at Martin Downs Homeowners Association is responsible for the administration and management of The Meadows. The Board of Directors, together with a full-time property manager, is responsible for preparing an annual budget, employing staff, contracting for services (e.g., landscaping, security, maintenance, etc.), and enforcing the Covenants, By-laws and Rules & Regulations.
The Board of Directors consists of seven members, one representative elected from each of the six villages, and one director elected at-large. Directors are elected to a two-year term of office. The Board is supported in its functions by eight Committees composed of volunteer homeowners.
A Brief History of The Meadows at Martin Downs
Sometime prior to 1988, Peter Cummings filed for Permits and for a Planned Urban Development agreement for the land, in Martin County, of which The Meadows was to become a part. The entire tract was largely a swampy area used to graze cattle. Monterey Road was a lightly traveled two lane roadway. Today’s Pine Ridge, Charter Club, Monarch Country Club and the other communities in Martin Downs were only plans in the minds of the developers.
Burg & Divosta (later just Divosta) signed an agreement with the developer to build and develop a section of the land then known as Martin Downs, which was to become The Meadows. Cummings signed with other builders to develop parcels which would become Charter Club, Pine Ridge, La Mariposa, West Villages, and Sunset Trace.
He also was the moving force that brought to the area such facilities as the Martin County Marina and Sandhill Cove, a senior living community. A smart developer, he kept for his own development company all the commercial areas, which later became The Villages Shoppes, The Village Center, Publix supermarket, McDonalds, and the bank properties, along with some industrial property west of the West Villages.
Divosta started construction on the site known as The Meadows in 1988 by building two structures, one a single-family home (Hampton model) in what is now known as Greenwich Village, and the other, a four-unit townhome building (Stamford) in what is now known as Lakemont Village. Both types of homes were started in The Meadows at about the same time.
In 1989 a single -family home area, now part of Brighton Village, was started with the Hampton model.
In 1991 a multiple-family home area, now known as Ridgewood Village, was started with the first Sun Terrace building, a four-unit Patio Home. Also built here was the first section of Capri homes, a two-family patio home.
In 1990 another single-family home area, Mayflower Village, was started, offering the Bedford model.
In 1992 a new single-family home model known as a Carmel was added to the nearly built Mayflower Village. Only 14 of these homes were built.
In 1992 a second section of Capri homes was built in Ridgewood Village.
In 1993-1994, Foxboro Village was constructed with Capri Homes.
In July of 1993 Divosta, who until then ran the Homeowners Association, turned over control of the Homeowners Association to the homeowner-elected Board of Directors which then took over the management and maintenance of the six Meadows villages.