From the Desk of Rev. Mark J. Niznik:
I’ve been living in the heart of Belleview for the past quarter century. During my initial 20 years, Belleview has been able to maintain its small-town character and quality of life. In the past five years or so, that has changed dramatically. We’ve seen the closing of multiple “mom and pop” establishments and the emergence of nationally branded chains come in – all legally accomplished, but an inevitability that has waved goodbye to our way of life.
Growing pains have evolved from being the “city in the middle or between” or whatever you want to call it. Located between the Villages and Ocala, Belleview is taking hits that are straining our infrastructure beyond its limits and trying to keep up is something that also inevitably ends up on our citizens backs.
The wastewater expansion, proposed big-box development, annexations, and transportation projects are all pieces of that larger story. In recent years The Villages and Ocala have become two of the most relocated locations in the entire nation.
Growth inherently creates a cycle:
New homes require roads, sewer, water, and police/fire services.
New businesses require utility capacity and traffic improvements.
More residents generate more tax revenue but also more infrastructure costs.
The challenge is that infrastructure often has to be built before the tax revenue fully arrives.
Because of that pressure, Belleview is reviewing numerous residential and commercial projects. Our city recently launched a public development activity map because there is enough development activity to warrant tracking it publicly. It’s easy to see – traffic during off-season hasn’t let up. Newer roads near development sites have deteriorated under massive equipment trucks rolling in and out. Marion County has identified hundreds of millions of dollars needed in transportation improvements due to population growth. Look around, WaWas and Racetracks, car washes and coffee shops, and smoke shops and dispensaries are popping up like weeds (no pun intended). And home development remains a heavy hitter in all this.
The ongoing pressing question always seems to remain – are citizens left filling the tax bag when infrastructure prematurely goes bad after our local government councils accept optimistic proposals that seem great and opportunistic in job creation and city revenue streams? That’s a tough call for city officials to make as legalese contract language always seems to favor the big guys.
The thing is – you can’t just say no to development that comes in under the legal system. And unfortunately because of this, Belleview has become more of a drive though city than a residential dwelling place. Sure, there are still pockets within the city where you can find moments, but those places are now an endangered species.
There are so many concerns about residential and commercial development, sewer and wastewater capacity, road repair and traffic congestion – all of which will be at the forefront of our problems for at least the next decade. It’s a zoning nightmare for our city council. I pray cautionary wisdom and fortitude poured out upon them as they attempt to slow down the moving juggernaut of development progress. Please grant them your understanding and patience in unified support as they strive to represent us faithfully with good stewardship.
