Have you ever wondered about the main Lagoon Shore gatehouse? We did too.
Medley and DRHorton homeowers in the Hidden Creek CDD and Southshore Bay CDD are billed on our property taxes to install, repair and staff gates on Lagoon Shore Blvd, yet the Lagoon itself pays nearly nothing.
According to the 2025 Hidden Creek CDD adopted 2025 budget, the cost of the Lagoon Shore gatehouse etc is over $200k per year for:
$162,000 FRONT GATE ATTENDANTS*$ 7000 - GATE REPAIR & MAINTENANCE$ 6000 - GATE CLICKERS$ 24,875 ENTRANCE GATE CAMERA MAINTENANCE
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$202,875 TOTAL PAID IN TAXES BY HIDDEN CREEK CDD HOMEOWNERS FOR MAIN GATE in 2025.
Now add to that another $73,768 for similar services in the Southshore Bay CDD. 2026 budget (unclear whether it's for the new south Lagoon Shore gate or contributing toward main gatehouse gate or both.)
$ 276,643 Total TAXED TO HOMEOWNERS VIA BOTH CDDs ANNUALLY FOR LAGOON SHORE GATES.
According to Gate Attendant Cost Sharing Agreement from 2013, our Hidden Creek CDD agreed that the private Lagoon (Southshore Bay Club, LLC) would pay only 10% of gate attendants (only) costs! This appears not to have changed since then even after the Lagoon began operations.
* Indeed, the for-profit Lagoon's contribution is only 10% of the $162,000 line item.
shown as reimbursement Income in Hidden Creek's CDD budget as :
shown as reimbursement Income in Hidden Creek's CDD budget as :
"SOUTHSHORE BAY CLUB - GATE ATTENDANTS = $16,200"
Keep in mind these facts:
1. Medley maintains and pays for its own four gates separately.
1. Medley maintains and pays for its own four gates separately.
2. DR Horton homes don't benefit by security of the Lagoon Shore entry gates at all.
This raises serious concerns because:
Who are the entities and how did we get here?
- Dune FB Debt LLC (an out of state limited liability corporation) originally petitioned Hillsborough County to create the Hidden Creek CDD. Metro Development created the Master Community Plan and their representatives continue to serve on multiple boards.
- There is a HUGE overlap among the boards of these entities. The overlap (and control in many cases) includes Metro Development, the Lagoon (a.k.a Southshore Bay Club) and public CDDs and even our not-for-profit HOAs. (Don't take our word for it, scroll to bottom for the who's who of companies to check yourself.)
Both Medley and DR Horton homeowners need to inquire on this important issue!
BOTTOM LINE -- At this point, if the Lagoon Shore gates now only benefit the Lagoon and new home sales/rental optics, perhaps the Lagoon and new homebuilders -- both for profit businesses -- should now assume their costs.
This site has provided all references needed for homeowners to investigate/audit further. Any takers?
You can find CDD information posted on their respective websites: https://www.hiddencreekcdd.org/ and https://www.southshorebaycdd.org/
Suggested next steps for auditing:
- Obtain all the gate services contracts over several years and compare to the number of gates operating each year as well as confirm the Cost Sharing agreements and expenditures and reimbursements in effect for both CDDs. Some information is available on their respective websites but CDDs as public entities are subject to strict Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responses.
- The next CDD meetings are held Feb 9 and their respective websites post with zoom and in-person attendance info.
- Homeowners may be able to request answers at CDD meetings or request them from the licensed district managers/CAMs.
Who is the roster of players?
You can search Florida's Secretary of State's corporate annual reports using the entity names below.
Their annual reports show directors' names as well. https://search.sunbiz.org/inquiry/corporationsearch/byname
The above information is an analysis of publicly available information about the following entities.
- Declarants (DUNE FL Land I, LLC and DUNE FB DEBT LLC) - private LLCs based in Texas - the latter initiated the Hidden Creek CDD in 2013
- Metro Development Group LLC - private LLC which created master plan
- Hidden Creek CDD -FL public community development district (pays $202k in gates)
- Southshore Bay CDD - FL public community development district (pays $74k for gates)
- Southshore Bay Club, LLC (a.k.a Metro Lagoon) - FL Private LLC
- Southshore Bay HOA - FL not-for-profit corporation (before Turnover from developer to homeowners; Master HOA)
- Medley at Soutshore Bay HOA - FL not-for-profit corporation (pays $77k for its 4 unattended gates plus taxed by CDDs)
- Kai Connected (formerly Breeze Connected) - FL licensed community association business
We research items carefully and invite others ot review and comment or correct blog posts below.
We especially welcome further research!
Postscript: - Both CDDs' websites recently posted a disclaimer about their bonds being tax-exempt bonds requiring public access. What might that mean for Lagoon Shore Blvd?
The January 12, 2026, Southshore Bay CDD Meeting draft minutes state: :"A Resident asked about a disclosure related to tax exempt bonds and public access in Southshore Bay and Medley. Mr. Lawson [Board Supervisor, Chairman] explained that all CDD bonds in Medley were fully paid off, resulting in no outstanding debt and making the roads and gates there private, rather than open to the public. "
However Mr Lawson did not directly answer the question for Southshore Bay CDD/Lagoon Shore Blvd. Perhaps a resident can inquire at SSB CDD.
The January 12, 2026, Southshore Bay CDD Meeting draft minutes state: :"A Resident asked about a disclosure related to tax exempt bonds and public access in Southshore Bay and Medley. Mr. Lawson [Board Supervisor, Chairman] explained that all CDD bonds in Medley were fully paid off, resulting in no outstanding debt and making the roads and gates there private, rather than open to the public. "
However Mr Lawson did not directly answer the question for Southshore Bay CDD/Lagoon Shore Blvd. Perhaps a resident can inquire at SSB CDD.