Welcome to SouthshoreBay.info!
Not associated with Metro Development Group, Metro Lagoons, Kai, or anyone else.
January 7, 2026
Well, I still haven't heard back from anyone at Kai or Vantaca, but if I go to the HOA page it says the mailing address is the same as always (Southshore Bay HOA, P.O. Box 25557, Tampa, FL 33622). However, please note that your account number MAY have changed (mine did), so be sure to update it before mailing them a check.
January 3, 2026
Well it's no surprise that Kai still doesn't care what's legal and what isn't. I've already been in contact with them regarding their implication that the only way to not pay a fee for paying our HOA fees is by giving them authorization to auto-withdraw from our bank accounts.
December 23, 2025
I've been getting more and more calls and emails about Kai and their new portal. So here's a quick summary of where we stand:
CDD: The Supervisors finally found their backbones in November and dumped Kai. GMS is the CDD's new management company which means: A) we can have CDD meetings where we want instead of where Metro wants and B) if the supervisors want to do something, they can finally do it.
HOA: Still pointless, because the CDD is responsible for everything. They still use Kai, because the CDD needs to order the HOA to replace them. We'll see what happens.
Club: Still a private company that has power over everyone and everything except the CDD. They will always use Kai and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
December 1, 2025
Now that the Supervisors finally pulled their heads out of their butts, I can finally take some time off. Some of the Supervisors have started trying to retaliate against me, but I honestly don't care what they or their clique thinks of me. I spent nine months being respectful and giving them evidence about Kai's shenanigans, and they just continued to let Metro roll over them. I told them before I finally went on the offensive it was nothing personal, but it was too important to let them keep ignoring what was going on.
Table of Contents
Hidden Creek and Southshore Bay CDDs
CDDs are nothing new or unique. Most states have them, even though they go by many different names. CDDs were introduced in Florida back in the 1980's.
Developments need roads, water, sewer, storm water, etc. Developers prefer Community Development Districts because they let infrastructure be financed with government-style debt that is repaid by future property owners, instead of by the developer up front.
Why Developers and Counties Like CDDs
✔ Tax-exempt bonds: Lower interest than private loans, tax-free interest to the buyer (which is often the developer)
✔ Faster Development: No need to wait for full private financing
✔ No County Debt: Counties get growth without taxpayer liability or impacts on their bond rating
✔ Predictability: Assessments are fixed and enforceable by the governmentWhat Homeowners Often Don’t Realize
⚠ You Pay Later: The infrastructure wasn’t free, it’s repaid over 20–30 years via a line item on your tax bill, and maintenance costs mean that line will never disappear
⚠ Sticker Price Illusion - Homes look cheaper up front, but the true cost is split between mortgage + CDD fees
⚠ Early Boards Are Developer-Controlled - Decisions are made before residents have a voice, resulting in long-term obligations benefiting the developer instead of the residents are locked in early
⚠ Public Use: IRS Section 103 applies to the Tax-exempt bonds, and with it the IRS gains authority over all the infrastructure created with them.
Hidden Creek & Southshore Bay
First, sorry everyone in Southshore Bay, I think you're officially screwed. The fact that the majority of the development on your side is "lease only" probably means you're never going to have a say in what happens down there.
Second, for those of us in Hidden Creek, we are finally free from Metro's grasp and can start looking for ways to undo all the horrible things Metro left us with. (See Gates and Streetlights). Realistically, it's going to be an uphill battle, and we'll probably have to wait until November's elections to get a board willing to put forth the effort. (See Elections).
Southshore Bay HOA
In this development, the HOA mainly enforces rules and issues fines, while the CDD controls the money, the contracts, and the infrastructure. The HOA looks like the boss to residents, but the CDD is the entity that actually runs the show.
The HOA’s authority is largely limited to: Architectural controls, use restrictions, and fines for rule violations. See Agreement, and Declaration
Southshore Bay Lagoon
Since the lagoon's opening, we've been the red-headed stepchild of Metro Development Group for some reason. Instead of making common sense business decisions, Metro seems determined to see just how horrible they can make it before we stop going there. I will say I was forced to go to the lagoon twice in 2025, once for the K-Pop Demon Hunters, and once for New Year's Eve, and both times the lagoon has been exemplary. The cigar nights I've attended have been hit-or-miss, so I want to hold out hope, but sadly they've gone through this cycle before.
Kai's phone number: 813.565.4663
Lagoon's phone number: 813.444.5221 option 3
Lagoon's "Contact Us" page: https://www.metrolagoons.com/contact
Metro Development Group number: 813-288-8078
USPS
Between the bizarre street names and sequential house numbers, lots of people have problems with the mail service here. Basically, Wimauma was a one-horse town before Metro swooped in, and the post office hasn't had time to adjust to the rapid growth. Rather than complaining to the off-duty DoorDash driver that's delivering your mail, go here, or call 1-800-275-8777.
Helpful Links for living in Hillsborough County
Sheriff's Office non-emergency: (813) 247-8200
Gates
If you're like me and most my neighbors, the first thing you noticed when you first visited Southshore Bay was the gate and the guard. And you were impressed. You immediately went "Wow!"
Unfortunately, what we experienced at that first moment is the only reason the gates and guard exists. All of our private roads are public use, and every living human being must be allowed access to our streets 24/7.
No, we weren't lied to, we are a "gated community", we're just a PUBLIC gated community, as opposed to the private gated community we were expecting.
Don't feel bad, we're just one of many, many CDDs that were duped by the developer. And because the bonds used to pave the roads and streets were tax free, section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code says everything must be public use, so it's not a matter of us vs Metro, or even us vs Hillsborough county, it's us vs the IRS, and we all know who will win that fight.
Realistically, we have three choices:
Hire a company that knows what they're doing to fix the gates once and for all, eat the replacement and maintenance costs
Just leave them open 24/7
Replace them with Barrier Arms which are much cheaper and more reliable
While we're not allowed to prevent entry to anyone, we are allowed to know who's coming and going. Some ideas other CDDs have come up with:
Replace the physical guard with a "virtual" guard (think home security, where somewhere there's one person watching a hundred gates and can talk back and forth with any of them).
Attach the gates/barriers to automated systems that snap a picture of the license plate and vehicle before opening automatically.
My personal opinion is that we would be a much safer community (and save a fortune) if instead of paying a guard to sit in the shack 24/7 welcoming people to the lagoon, we got rid of the gates altogether and had constant roaming patrols from dusk to dawn.
Streetleaf
Of all the dirty rotten not-illegal-but-should-be things Metro did to us, I think the streetlights are the worst.
The good news is, we do have solid ground to renegotiate these abominations in the future. Florida law allows long-term CDD contracts, but it does not require future resident boards to accept every long-term decision made during developer control without question.
The Streetleaf contracts were:
Signed during developer control
By developer employees
Binding resident-elected boards decades later
Long-term (20+ years, with renewals)
Hard to exit
Structured so pricing discretion remains with the vendor
Where the CDD’s bargaining power comes from:
Future boards are not obligated to perpetuate developer-era deals
Florida courts recognize that developer boards exist to build infrastructure, while resident boards exist to govern communities
Resident boards have independent fiduciary duties, meaning they can legitimately claim "This contract was not negotiated by residents, and we must reassess whether it still makes sense."
Long-term contracts that restrict future discretion are reviewable
Even valid contracts can be scrutinized when they:
Lock in pricing structures
Limit vendor choice
Restrict budgeting flexibility
Remove meaningful exit options
Automatically renew
This doesn't mean we're not getting ripped off, it just means we have a leg to stand on if we decide to take it to court.
We need you!
Are you able to think for yourself?Are you willing to do research and listen to others?Are you not corrupt?If you answered yes to all of the above, please consider being a Hidden Creek CDD Supervisor.
Laws change, so these instructions may not be 100%. I'll update them as I find the need.
Seats 1,2, and 5 are up for election in 2026. Seats 3 & 4 are up for election in 2028.
Of course, you can get full details at Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections.
Fill out DS-DE 84. It says who you are and what seat you're running for. (eg, Hidden Creek CDD Seat x)
Fill out Affidavit of Intention. You can either fill out this form, asserting that you won't be collecting or spending money to get elected. Alternately, you could fill out a bunch of other forms and have to submit paperwork with the state every month from now until the election.
Take both of them to the Supervisor of Elections Office. The closest one is by the library, 410 30th St. SE, Ruskin, FL 33570. This can be done any time before qualification ends (see below).
Once you've declared your candidacy (the two forms above), you need to Qualify to appear on the ballot.
Make out a check or Money Order payable to "Supervisor of Elections" for $25, and take them to the Supervisor of Elections Office between May 25 through noon, June 12.
That's it! You're a candidate, thank you!
The Docs
I've got lots of documents. Some good, some bad. Some where handed over freely, some I had to force. Some I just had to get my hands dirty and dig.
Here's my collection of things you do and don't want to know about living in Southshore Bay.
Southshore Bay Club Plan I left my comments directly in this PDF. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, my comments will answer a lot of the questions and complaints I’ve heard about the lagoon. I don't know a single person who would have purchased a home in Southshore Bay if they had read this beforehand, I know I wouldn't have. Remember, we're a Deed Restricted community. Part of our Deed says we agree to this.
Master Declaration This is the master declarations and covenants like we're all used to, just remember, the "Club Plan" overrules this, and they can change it anytime they want.
First Amendment This is basically where Medley was set up as a separate neighborhood within our neighborhood.
Second Amendment Here they're clarifying that Metro getting its money is the most important thing in the world.
Third Amendment Here is where they acknowledge federal lending laws may take priority over their balance sheet, but only to the minimum legally required by law.
Agreement for maintenance This is where it spells out that the CDD writes the contracts and the HOA pays the bills.
County Zoning This is the red line from a couple of years ago. It goes over what's required of the developer to create the CDD. There might be more recent red lines than this.
StreetLeaf 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Just in case you didn't download them from my Streetleaf page.
Complete Lawsuit 1 Here is the entire lawsuit, everything that was filed from beginning to end. I won the lawsuit, but by the time the case was resolved and I was able to determine what was going on, it was too late. Trying to get our land back or perusing justice against the board was already out of reach.
Rules and Procedures This is basically boiler-plate.
Creation of Hidden Creek This is the Hillsborough County Ordinance that created Hidden Creek.
Gate Cost Sharing Here's where Hidden Creek says we'll pay for 90% of the cost of the gate and the guard, and Metro only has to pay for 10%. Pay attention to #5. Metro's Managing Director of Operations signs a contract with Metro's Chief Executive Officer, and they both attest it's an Arm's Length transaction. That's the kind of upstanding businessmen we're dealing with.
May 2025 handout: this is the handout I gave to the Supervisors and audience members in May's meeting.
The Memes
From January through August of 2025, I sent emails to the supervisors that they never read. I gave impassioned pleas during the public comment period of every board meeting. I provided evidence of Kai's misdeeds.
This is all in addition to Kai ignoring everything the Supervisors asked it to do, and straight up lying to them. The board would occasionally grumble about how bad everything was, but Metro would tell them that's just the way it is, and they'd just nod their heads, and move on. Eventually I had enough. I knew the supervisors well enough to know how to hit them where it hurt: Facebook. Thus the Meme War began. It was only a couple of months long, but at the end, they finally gave Kai the boot, and Hidden Creek was emancipated from Metro Development Group. Here's some of my favorites, saved for prosperity.
