News from March 2005
Formosa Wakes Up To The Western Beltway
It has been in the planning for 10 years, but finally the full impact of the extension of the Western Beltway 429 has become clear to owners at Indian Ridge, Windsor Palms, The Palms, Oak Island Cove and Emerald Island. The northern section of toll road currently begins on the Orange Blossom Trail US 441 north of Apopka. The road then descends to Seidel Road, which is just to the north west of Walt Disney World Property. The extension section has now been cleared from Seidel Road to the end at Interstate 4 near C.R. 545 – Old Lake Wilson Road. The toll road will pass Indian Ridge subdivision on its western side, relocating Sand Hill Road in the process.
At this stage the road will have 4 lanes and a large grassy median in the centre. There will be tollbooths at a junction with Sinclair road, below Indian Ridge with a 25 cent toll to reach I 4. The road continues up past The Palms, between Windsor Palms and Indian Creek, through the gap between Oak Island Cove and Emerald Island phase 2 townhomes, onwards to U.S. 192, and on near Orange Lake Country Club. It continues onwards to the left of Walt Disney World Property to join the northern section at Seidel Road. Because much of the land in this section is wetlands much of the road will be elevated by 25 ft. Owners along the edge of the Beltway at Oak Island Cove and phase 2 townhomes at Emerald Island will be in the shadow of an elevated section just 35 feet from property lines. The road will dip as it passes right through Indian Creek after the developer there negotiated special permission to lower the road and landscape to prevent noise, but will rise again as it passes Windsor Palms.
The road developers estimate that approximately 400 properties will be in full view of elevated highway along the whole section. However, legally, the issue of noise cannot be addressed until it arises! There will be no landscaping, walls or earth banks installed with the road, which is forecast to carry 30,000 cars per day within 2 years of opening. Work is permitted from 6.30 am, although fuel supply trucks have no restrictions and can deliver at any time of day or night. The work is already impacting many residents with noise and dust. It is expected that house prices for effected properties in Oak Island Cove and Indian Creek will be ‘soft’, but in other subdivisions, the sudden appearance of many ‘For Sale’ signs is more indicative of the inventory of resales returning to normal levels after a very tight summer.
Developers had been informed of the proposed Western Beltway as far back as 1994, but it was left to them to inform their buyers of the plans. It would appear that most of the time they did, but some current owners have purchased resales privately and not been informed of the plans. Many time purchasers fall into the trap of going to the seller’s agent to purchase a house, rather than finding their own buyers agent. Of course a selling agent is not going to be upfront and forthcoming about detrimental aspects to the property. The plans can be viewed at www.floridasturnpike.com, then click ‘system roads’. Sections 1 and 2 are the most relevant –but very slow to load.
Posted on 1 March 2005
Visitor numbers to Florida Increase In 2004
Preliminary numbers and profiles of visitors to the Sunshine State during 2004 have been released by Visit Florida – the states’ official tourism arm. The numbers give cause for satisfaction as they show an overall increase in visitors of three percent over 2003. Approximately 76.8 million visitors made the trip by car, plane or boat – a record-breaking number.
The incredible showing of the first half of the year is likely to offset any downturn as a result of the catastrophic hurricane season. It remains to be seen when the numbers are broken down what impact the influx of out of state helpers had during the latter half of the year. Overseas visitors showed the largest comparative advance in arrivals with an 11.2% increase over 2003. Canadians also had their best exodus for a few years with a 9.2% increase over 2003. The money contributed from tourism into state coffers was substantial. Taxable sales from tourism and recreation amounted to $51,773,000 according to the Department of Revenue. “Bed Tax”, the tourist development tax levied by many counties (amount varies by county) on hotels, motels and short-term rental properties provided over $200,000 for the State. As well as contributing in taxes, tourism supports a large part of the employment industry. In 2003 870,700 jobs were directly attributable to travel. During 2004 that peaked at 904,100, although the average was 890,700 over the year. There is no doubt however that many employees in lodging and restaurants were laid off temporarily and in some cases permanently as a result of the storms.
Posted on 3 March 2005
New car rental centre launched
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has unveiled its new car rental centre. Previously the ’onsite’ car rental companies where located at various points around the perimeter road, accessed by company shuttles. 10 companies now have their desks within the new centre, across the road from Terminal 1. Shuttles operate to bring passengers from the other terminals. The centre has received a mixed welcome from passengers. Whilst Terminal 1 arrivals can just cross the road to begin the process, other passengers complain that the shuttles are full, there are then long queues for the desks and luggage must then be hauled up or downstairs to access the cars. Longer-term plans for the airport include a separate concourse and check-in facility for cruise passengers, who during the winter months can number 5,000 in just a 3-4 hour stretch.An investigation into the car rental industry at Orlando International Airport has confirmed something that most travellers were well aware of; customers are subjected to high-pressure sales tactics! Whilst officially not condoned by any of the rental companies, there was plenty of anecdotal evidence showing that on arrival, most Americans landed up paying about 25% more than the quoted price. Unlike our UK inclusive packages, Americans must pay separately for taxes, Customer Facility Charges and insurances. Most travellers in the states don’t need additional insurance to drive a rental car, but are shown photos of damaged cars, told they will be liable for costs whilst a damaged car was out of action, told their insurance is not enough etc! Agents are on commission of course for any extras, or upgrades they can sell. The Association of Car and Truck Rental Independents and Franchisees said the situation was ’problematic’ and people were easily coaxed.
Posted on 1 March 2005
Poinciana Parkway Toll Road
Developers of the master-planned community of Poinciana are exploring ways of financing a 10 mile toll road between Cypress Parkway and U.S. Highway 17-92. Avatar Holdings, the developers of the community, have asked Osceola County for help with the new four lane toll road that is expected to open in 2007.
Poinciana was voted the third best master-planned community in the U.S. in 2003 and thousands have taken advantage of low home prices to move into the community. However, there are only two roads out of Poinciana towards the attractions and Orlando. Poinciana Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road have reached near 'failure' level with the amount of traffic. If that critical level should be reached then new developement at the community would have to stop. Poinciana Boulevard will soon be widened in parts, but that will not be enough to sustain the planned growth.
Posted on 4 March 2005
Passports – A UK Lifeline
As the deadline of October 26 2005 approaches for Britain to comply with the United States directive to issue passports containing a biometric element in order to retain Visa waiver status, a lifeline has appeared.
British authorities have already stated that they do not expect to meet the deadline, although they are anticipating issuing the new passports by the end of the year. The United States are reluctant to push the deadline back again because of the costs involved, but at a recent press conference the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Janie Jacobs stated that citizens from any of the 27 visa waiver countries with an existing machine readable passport would be "grandfathered in" until the passport expires. Anyone travelling on a new passport issued after 26th October 2005 without a biometric element would need to apply for a visa.
Posted on 3 March 2005
Naples Best for Beaches and Arts
A panel of experts from such respected backgrounds as Conde Nast, USA Today and Fodor's have decided that Naples, on Florida's Gulf Coast, is America's best all-around beach for 2005 on behalf of the Travel Channel.
The panel found that Naples provides attractions for all the family - golf, shopping, arts, culture and fine dining as well as excellent shelling on the beaches and natural adventure in the nearby everglades. Jack Wert, tourism director for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades convention and Cisitors Bureau said "We are honoured that Naples has been recognized by the Travel Channel and its panel of top travel experts, since there truly is something for every member of the family in our destination".
Naples has also been named as the number 1 Small Art Town in America by author Robert Villani in the fourth edition of The 100 Best Art Towns in America - March 2005. Villani cited the area's "amazing range of natural splendor," and "sophisticated and serious art galleries". Naples also has regular art fairs, community arts centres, theatres, and the Philharmonic Center which includes the Naples Museum of Art.
Posted on 12 March 2005
Western Beltway Causes Traffic Delays
As work continues on the construction of State Road 429 (Western Beltway) expect traffic delays on U S 192 in the area of Orange Lake Boulevard. There are also delays between Interstate 4 and Funie Steed Road due to the construction. For further information about the Western Beltway see our earlier article.
Posted on 13 March 2005
Orlando airport passengers up for 2005
Orlando International Airport posted a 13.6 percent increase in passenger traffic over January 2004, for the month of January 2005, with a total 2.7 million
"Legacy and low cost carriers increased their service in January which helped to improve our overall capacity and traffic numbers. The increase was also reflected in the 9.25% rise in international travelers using our facilities," says C.W. Jennings, Executive Director for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.
There were sixty more flights in and out of Orlando in January. Orlando International welcomed new flights from carriers including US Airways, Spirit, Southwest, Northwest, Midwest, JetBlue, ATA, Air Jamaica and AirTran Airways. New service was offered to destinations such as Chicago, Atlantic City, Montego Bay, Boston, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and New York City.
Aircraft operations at Orlando Executive Airport decreased 10.74% for January with 12,693 total arrivals and departures.
Last year, Orlando International Airport became the busiest airport in Florida with over 31.1 million passengers.
Posted on 14 March 2005
Biometric Deadline – Delayed Again?
Hot on the heels of last months discovery that “citizens from any of the 27 visa waiver countries with an existing machine readable passport would be "grandfathered in" until the passport expires” comes a further possibility.
The Washington Post of 15th March carries a report of the joint immigration and terrorism subcommittees of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Elaine Dezenski, acting assistant secretary for border and transportation security policy and planning, told the panel that the Department for Homeland Security would probably not meet the October 26 2005 deadline for requiring that Visa Waiver countries comply with the United States directive to issue passports containing a biometric element in order to retain that status. The Department is apparently having difficulties in choosing the machines necessary to read the new passports, and currently only two of the 27 visa waiver countries are on target to meet the deadline. However, while we might reasonably expect another extension, we must not expect an early announcement of the same. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Californian Democrat, was personally responsible for delaying the last extension until absolutely necessary, and has already threatened to do the same again – if only to continue to force compliance with the directive, rather than complacency from the countries involved.
Posted on 15 March 2005
Florida Villa Tax ?
The small Panhandle town of Destin, in Okaloosa County has just approved a new tourist tax that could, possibly have ramifications for short-term-rentals throughout Florida.
Currently all but 6 counties in Florida charge a tourist tax or ‘bed tax’ on short-term rentals of less than 6 months. The amount of the tax varies from county to county, but the bed tax for Orange County – which contains the Disney properties – In one month (January 2005) raised a whopping $9.9 million. However, the rules governing the way the tax is spent are very clear. The income from bed tax can only be spent on promoting further tourism and expenses related directly to tourism. Osceola County for instance is raising money for a convention centre which will attract more visitors, but the money may not be spent on improving infrastructure such as roads, schools etc. Destin has an estimated population just short of 12,000 residents. However, this can surge to as many as 37,000 on a daily basis thanks to tourists. This has put quite a strain on the local infrastructure and the citizens of Destin on March 8th voted overwhelmingly in favour (73%) for an additional 2% tax on top of the 4% tourist tax currently charged by the county. The estimated $3.26 million raised from this tax in the first year alone would be spent on roads, drainage and other infrastructural projects. The plan is to introduce a local bill to impose the extra tax. However, questions have been raised about the legality of introducing a tax payable only in Destin. If it were found to be unconstitutional to do so, then a general law permitting the tax throughout Florida would have to be sought. Whilst the likelihood of a general law raising taxes, being passed by the conservative legislature is thought to be slim – the possibility is there. Central Florida counties like Lake, Osceola and Polk, which have large short-term rental communities, and equally large community infrastructure needs such as schooling and road improvements must be watching the outcome of this case with close interest. A consultant is currently reviewing the City Charter to determine if the City Council can impose the new tax without a new State law.
Posted on 17 March 2005
Premier League Football in your Villa free
Well not quite but if like me you are a football fanatic this offer might interest you. Under the terms of a current offer expiring at the end of July you can have 4 rooms fitted out with satellite receivers free of charge.
Direct TV is the USA equivalent of Sky, once you have ordered and had installed your receivers you then have to buy a package.
The basic package with 130 channels including local news plus the Sports pack which includes the all important Fox Sports World which shows premier league matches and Sky sports news will set you back nearly $70 per month, not bad at the current exchange rate. You can add premimum channels just like you can over here, for instance HBO's 7 channels or Showtimes 9 channels would be an extra $12 per month. You can even buy a years worth of world cricket on a dedicated channel for $199.
To find a local dealer click here and enter your zip.
Posted on 18 March 2005
Insurers Receive Deadline
Insurance companies have been given until April 18th to settle all outstanding claims related to the hurricanes. If not settled by that date, an explanation must be filed by April 28th. The Florida Cabinet unanimously approved the deadline on March 17th. The storms have caused 1.7 million claims and $14.7 billion has so far been paid out. This is estimated to be about two thirds of the total estimated loss.Posted on 20 March 2005
Flywho flies no one!!
FlyBlu, now known as Flywho, ceased trading during March without ever operating a flight.
Originally scheduled to begin flights in June 2004 between Birmingham and St Petersburg and Sanford International airport, the inaugural voyage was put back and put back. The last scheduled date for commencement was June 2005, but we confirmed with them on March 21st that they had in fact ceased trading. All is not lost however, if you have flight booked with Flywho. Jetset Flights will be accommodating all Flywho passengers. Please phone 0870 11 22 767 if you are effected
Posted on 21 March 2005
Theme park update
The Lego imagination centre in Downtown Disney has reopened after rehab.
It's a Small World has reopened in the Magic Kingdom, originally due to be scrapped owing to massive public pressure it was put into rehab and reopened on March 21st.
Typhoon Lagoons new water slide/ride Crush and Gusher opened on March 13th Three 420-foot-long chutes offer different routes with twists and turns, and water jets propel riders on inflatable rafts uphill in a few cases, simulating the feel of a roller coaster.
Mr and Mrs Easter Bunny are at the Magic Kingdom now until April 2nd doing meet and greets in Town Square.
Power Rangers have joined the parades at MGM.
Animal Kingdom has taken delivery of 5 male cheetahs.
Posted on 23 March 2005
Visitors To Orlando Could Top 50 Million
A forecast commissioned by the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau has projected that visitation to the Orlando area will be up during 2005 by 5.9%.
Visitors from the UK alone are expected to increase by as much as 9.5% during 2005. Projections for domestic and international travellers combined continue to improve over the coming years, by 4.3% in 2006 and another 4.1% in 2007.
Posted on 24 March 2005
