Keeping a close-knit community

Editor's note: Another in an occasional series on the neighborhoods of Lower Bucks

Rupa Wadke looked at her neighbors with a smile and said, "It's a lifestyle."

Nodding in agreement, Caroline Rariden added, "It really has a resort feel; you can do as much or as little as you want."

They're talking about the Villages of Flowers Mill in Middletown, a gated, 55-and-over community of about 1,300 residents in 675 quads, twins and single-family homes.

"No steps" is the best thing about living in Flowers Mill, but the clubhouse is a close second, said resident Jane Kelly, a member of the Flowers Mill Homeowners Association board.

The two-story clubhouse has a ballroom that's used for other activities such as the "sit-r-size" workout encountered during a recent tour. The downstairs gym has treadmills, other exercise equipment and an indoor pool. There's a craft room, which features a kiln, among other amenities. There are also card rooms.

In the clubhouse lobby, board president Steve Rodos pointed to a coffee table covered in puzzle pieces. "We try to keep a jigsaw puzzle on the table there that the residents can do," he said.

The average Flowers Mill home sells for more than $350,000. Flowers Mill residents pay about $160 a month in association fees, which pay for clubhouse amenities and finance snow removal, trash pickup and lawn care.

The sprawling development, located next to the Shoppes at Flowers Mill shopping center, even has its own Maintenance Club, said board member Phil Schieber. The volunteer group of 14 to 20 members - all but one of them male - meets Saturday mornings and does everything from painting the boardroom to repairing the gates.

"It's probable that they [the Maintenance Club] have saved the association over $100,000 since their inception" said Schieber.

The Sunshine Club helps in a different way, visiting residents who are sick or have lost a loved one. "We try to at least make sure we send a card, to let them know we are thinking of them," said Kelly.

Flowers Mill residents look out for each other, Kelly said. That's part of living in an age-restricted community. Developments like Flowers Mill are friendlier places to live than traditional modern neighborhoods, said Dolores Bonafiglia.

"What I love about it here is that [residents] are all past that 'tension' stage," said Bonafiglia. "You can stop and chat with your neighbor because no one is trying to outdo anyone or too busy with kids."

Keeping Flowers Mill a close-knit community is important, the residents said.

Every Friday night, the association hosts a potluck mixer in the clubhouse. And every holiday season, the residents adopt two or three needy local families and fill their "wish lists."

After Hurricane Katrina, Flowers Mill residents raised and donated almost $20,000 to relief efforts, according to Wadke. Groups of residents also contribute to the annual Courier Times/Kiwanis Club Holiday Fund and Toys for Tots drives.

Residents also work on civic causes.

Some are involved in a lawsuit against Bucks County to force countywide property tax reassessment, for example.

Since the Flowers Mill homes are relatively new construction, they were assessed at current rates, while the assessments of older homes are based on 1972 values. That was the last time the entire county was reassessed.

"It is a fairness issue," said association board President Steve Rodos, "not an age-related issue."

Rodos and others involved in the suit want the entire county reassessed at current rates. The county commissioners have said the multi-million dollar cost of reassessment makes it prohibitive.

"I don't blame anybody in an older home for not wanting their taxes to go up," Rodos said, "but my understanding of the law is that it should be fair for everyone."

Janine Logue can be reached at 215-949-4186 or janine@fanaticusscriptor.com.