By Bryce Abshier – Contact Bryce@VoiceofSouthMarion.com
A proposal for a development moratorium discussion, put forward by Belleview City Commissioner Ron Livsey, was decisively rejected at a recent Belleview Commission meeting. At the May 7th Belleview Commission meeting, Livsey suggested, “What I’d like to discuss at one of our meetings is should we be proactive with this situation by imposing a temporary moratorium on the approvals of any new PUDs for a short period of time that this commission feels fair.”
Livsey referred to the rapid development in Marion County, where large housing communities are frequently emerging in both unincorporated areas and within Belleview city limits. Marion County’s appeal, characterized (for the moment) by affordable new homes and a tranquil lifestyle, has made it a popular destination for movers. A recent study by moveBuddha, a company specializing in relocation technology, identified Ocala as the most popular moving destination in the entire country so far in 2024 based on resident in-to-out influx ratios.
Many local residents have expressed concerns about the fast-paced growth in what was once a rural county, citing issues like increased traffic, environmental impact, and an overburdened public school system.
Belleview’s City Attorney, Fred Landt, indicated that the city has limited authority to impose such a moratorium. “Property owners that own those lots are going to feel that they have a right to develop,” Landt explained. “Since you have adequate water, sewer, police protection, and roads, it would be hard to justify imposing a moratorium on them.” He added, however, that the city could halt further annexations. “If you want to impose a moratorium on further annexation outside the city, that’s within your purview,” said Landt. However, he warned that this could cause financial issues for Belleview, as the city has loan obligations related to water and sewer expansion. “There are ramifications to saying we’re going to stop all connections to our water and sewer system,” Landt explained.
Another strategy discussed by the commissioners concerned the zoning of property. Commissioner Ray Dwyer suggested, “Maybe we look harder at someone wanting to change the zoning of property and not approve that to allow so many residences.”
A prime example of such rezoning involves the land near the Belleview Public Library, which was originally zoned for agriculture. This land was annexed into Belleview with R-1 (residential) zoning and later again rezoned to PUD (Planned Unit Development) by the Belleview City Commission in 2021, increasing the density to over 400 homes. Bo Smith was the sole vote against this change, and Ray Dwyer was not serving on the Belleview City Commission at that time. This process highlights how local legislators, through annexation and two zoning changes, transformed Belleview-area farmland into a high-density residential community.
While the proposal for a development moratorium was rejected, the discussion highlighted significant concerns about the rapid development and potential strategies for managing future growth.
