A land-owned 55, and over, gated community

Just off I-75 at U.S. 301, Exit 224, Ellenton, Florida

Ridgewood Meadows is a land-owned 55 and over community located on Florida's Sun Coast, about 45 miles south of Tampa in Ellenton, Florida. The weather in this section of the state has been described as the best in Florida. The community represents a cross section of America, with a mix of year-round residents and "snow birds" from many areas of the country. Winding streets and quiet cul-de-sacs give you a peaceful feeling as you tour the neighborhood. Friendly smiles and waves will immediately make you feel at home. Numerous social activities give you a chance to meet your new friends and neighbors. We are located within an hour of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton and Sarasota, which gives you a never-ending choice of entertainment. We're within an hour of some of the country's finest beaches. You'll find links to most of the attractions in the area on our FAQ page. We hope you'll enjoy this visit and look forward to greeting you in person.

For Driving Directions to the Community, click here.

Club House New Look.				Club House from Back Side.
A good place to live!!				One More Great Street.
More Good Places!				This is Called Quail Court.

Current Weather at Ridgewood Meadows

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Board of Directors

Board Position	Name	Phone	Email
President	Richard Hafer	941-722-9922	mchafer@peoplepc.com
Vice-President	Walley Lebarr	941-729-9140	waljeal@earthlink.net
Treasurer	Maria Gostkowaki	941-729-2336	mpfrog41@yahoo.com
Secretary	Richard Kichline	941-723-9509	pinelandfl@yahoo.com
Director	Kae Voirol	941-721-6129	kae149@yahoo.com
Leave Messages	Answering Machine	941-729-3587

Recreation & Social Club

Position	Name	Telephone	e-mail address
Chairman	Denise Purdy	941-721-0408	tippyflorida@yahoo.com
Secretary	Susan Crooker	941-729-6243	s.crooker131@yahoo.com
Treasurer	Denise Purdy	941-302-3190	tippyflorida@yahoo.com
Director	Martha Green	941-729-7268	marthajohngreen@aol.com
Director	Bob Katchmar	941-729-2893	ontariobobkat@hotmail.com
Newsletter Editor	Jean Morris	941-722-5156	jmorris161@tampabay.rr.com
Welcome Committee	Denise Purdy	941-721-0408	tippyflorida@yahoo.com
Board Liason	Kae Voirol	941-721-6129	kae149@yahoo.com
Sunshine	Helen Wilson	941-729-7596	hw7d86chnana1223@yahoo.com
Decorations	Marge Ciferri	941-721-0564	None
Librarian	Maxine Wallace	941-723-0266	woodowl@verizon.net

History

Hi and welcome to the history section of the Ridgewood Meadows website. We hope you enjoy this tour of the past and find it informative. Ridgewood was conceived by Bernie Crogan, Dale Wiedemier and Jim Adamson and officially became Ridgewood Communities, Inc. in 1983. A beautiful site was selected out in the country and away from noise and congestion. It's still beautiful and quiet, but certainly not "out in the country". The site selection was also relatively close to everything, being one mile from I 75 just off US 301 with Bradenton, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa within an easy drive. Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota/Bradenton Airports were also close by. One could spend a day at any number of theme parks, such as Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, Disney World and Epcot, Sea World or Universal Studios and drive back home in the evening. A shopping center in front of the community had a supermarket, doctor's office, hardware store, several banks, a florist, hair salon and a Post Office. It was advertised as "The Ridgewood Way" a dynamic lifestyle with four distinct villages, each with its own clubhouse, heated pool and activities program. The first community to be established was Ridgewood Meadows. Condominium Associations with elected Boards of Directors would govern each of the communities. A Homeowners Association with the President of each community board a member of the Homeowners Board of Directors along with members elected at large from all communities would govern the common property between each community. The Meadows would consist of 180 homes. The first home appeared on the site in April 1984 and belonged to Bernie and Alice Conners. Homes and lots sold for between $49,800 and $85,800. There was a great deal of advertising done in the Northeast and Midwest to attract people to Ridgewood. There were homes in Ridgewood that were built and furnished so that prospective buyers could stay for a couple of days to check out the community as well as the area. The clubhouse quickly became a gathering place for folks to meet each other and have great conversations because they all came from different places. There were potlucks every week in which the developers furnished the main course and the residents brought side dishes. After dinner everyone played UNO. Dances were held periodically as well as other entertainment. The developer sponsored social events for prospective buyers where home owners and prospective buyers would get together. Food was catered and a jazz band from Sarasota entertained. It always turned out to be a fun event. The developer hired a social director who ran tours and the entertainment at the clubhouse. There were pool parties with beer, soft drinks and appetizers supplied by the developer. The developers also hired a maintenance man to take care of the tennis courts, shuffleboard courts and well as perform any other maintenance work required. Several men in the community learned how to operate and maintain the sprinkler system. Others volunteered to cut grass and keep up the common areas. The community had its own filtration system which was located near the big lake in what is now Ridgewood Mobile Home Community. The concrete patio off the pool was laid by the men of the community. The Meadows was turned over to the community by the developer in 1987 at which time a Board of Directors was formed which included Edgar Gray who acted as President and Treasurer, Ed Bahler who was the Secretary and Ray Bettis who handled Maintenance and Grounds. This board acted as a transition board to work with the developer and the community as it was being turned over to the residents. As the Meadows sold out the developer began work on Ridgewood Oaks. This was in the 1988-1989 period. Shortly after that, financial difficulties forced the developer to sell the remaining lots in the Oaks and the rear communities. Over the years, even the wildlife has enjoyed the community. We've had visits from gators, wild pigs, egrets, cranes, wood storks, a variety of ducks and even the occasional harmless snake. Today the community thrives. Social activities are well attended and camaraderie runs high. Folks continue to volunteer to serve the community and the Board of Directors continues to maintain the ambience of the community with foresight and future planning. While doing a great job in maintaining the high standards of the community they have been able to keep the fees low and affordable to all. What was once just a life style community is today a life style community and a property investment.