Leesburg moratorium on development
 

The Leesburg city council is meeting tonight to discuss their residents petition to pause new development until January 2027. Really?

Apparently, 1300 people a day move into Florida. Central Florida is receiving more than their share of new arrivals. When does too much growth become too much? South Florida didn’t stop development in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Look at South Florida now. Look at California and Arizona’s valley of the sun. Do you want to move to LA? Leesburg is next door to The Villages means Leesburg might as well embrace “growth” because it’s certainly coming their way and Leesburg can’t stop it.

Easy answer. When the health care system can’t even come close to keeping up with the rate of growth.

This reads like your pro development? Good for Leesburg trying to stem the destruction of FL. At least for a moment.

Decreasing Immigration to Florida
 

There has been a huge decrease in immigration to Florida.

The net migration of people moving to Florida from other American states has fallen sharply from 317,923 in 2022, to just 63,346 in December 2024 and these statistics still demonstrate sharp decline. Further, many of these immigrants were international.

I don’t think there will be much of a concern in another year.

You stopped reading too soon. The very next paragraph from that article reads:

However, the Sunshine State still saw its population surge by 467,347 from 2023 to 2024, according to the estimate, primarily due to the inflow of 411,322 international migrants.

Florida's population growth from 2023-2024 was the third highest in history.

So to clarify, you didn't move to Florida and contribute to the destruction you mention?

No worries multiple people die everyday. Convenient listings in alphabetical order online, print, and memorial cremation business.:icon_wink:

Some people are afraid of too rapid growth. Can understand that

I think you need to check your math.

If 63,346 people moved to Florida in December 2024, that's an annualized rate of 760,000.

Well more than DOUBLE the 317,923 who moved to Florida in 2022.

Also, you may want to check your sources. Would you consider the US Census Office a credible source? Migration Drives Highest Population Growth in Decades

Health care
 

Many would argue that we are already to the point where health care has fallen behind the growth of The Villages.

Expanding health care just gets you more old farts moving here. What Leesburg needs is more industry and technology.

I can see why they would want to limit development if development means retirement homes, low-end housing for service employees and strip plazas.

Only problem is that most of the growth comes from retirees who are older and more likely to have higher medical problems and builders are not building communities for professionals like doctors.

Leesburg city council voted NO for the moratorium to pause new development until 2027. The city manager and 4 of 5 council members opposed the “stop growth” measure. New business would just go elsewhere in Lake and Sumter counties and Leesburg would be the real looser with such a moratorium. It was suggested that energy and effort would be better used to lobby State and area counties to provide the necessary resources to build roads and infrastructure to handle the growth that is here now and coming in the future. Impact fees were mentioned. Seems like we heard that solution before.

Leesburg is NOT next door to The Villages. There are over 5,000 of us in Newell, Lake Denham and Dabney within Leesburg city limits NOW.

Had a dinner party last week with 6 highly trained physicians in their field, who have only landed in TV a year ago or less. Four are leaving TV for better salaries within 2-4 months. The only way you can ensure quality professionals is offering a salary worthy of moving. Building communities for professionals that some pay in hospital facilities doesn’t equal Buccee’s is laughable.

Medical professionals leave TV not because of housing, but the lack of pay, and the mundane grind of geriatric patients day in and day out.

Even those who choose Geriatric as a profession rarely stay more than a year or two. Geriatric can be the same as working in a children’s burn unit. Good days are few and far between.

I always find it interesting that people never want to stop new development BEFORE they come to a community…

A municipality needs to stop new building permits when
 

A municipality needs to consider a wide range of infrastructure when determining if it can support new building permits. Here's a breakdown of key areas:

Essential Utilities:

Water Supply and Distribution:
Source capacity (wells, reservoirs, rivers)
Treatment plant capacity
Pumping stations and transmission lines
Local distribution network capacity and pressure
Storage capacity (water towers, tanks)
Wastewater Collection and Treatment:
Sewer line capacity (gravity and force mains)
Lift stations
Wastewater treatment plant capacity and discharge permits
Sludge disposal capacity
Stormwater Management:
Drainage systems (pipes, ditches, swales)
Detention and retention ponds
Flood control measures
Capacity of receiving water bodies
Solid Waste Management:
Collection routes and vehicle capacity
Transfer station capacity (if applicable)
Landfill capacity and lifespan
Waste-to-energy facility capacity (if applicable)
Energy Infrastructure:
Electrical grid capacity (substations, transmission lines, local distribution)
Natural gas pipelines and distribution (if applicable)
Transportation Infrastructure:

Roads and Bridges:
Capacity of existing roadways (traffic volume, level of service)
Intersection capacity and signal timing
Bridge structural integrity and load capacity
Parking availability
Public Transportation:
Capacity of existing bus routes, light rail, or other systems
Availability of park-and-ride facilities
Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure:
Sidewalk availability and condition
Bicycle lanes and paths
Public Safety Infrastructure:

Fire Protection:
Fire station locations and response times
Fire hydrant availability and water pressure
Firefighting equipment and personnel capacity
Police Protection:
Police station locations and response times
Patrol vehicle and personnel capacity
Jail or detention facility capacity
Emergency Medical Services (EMS):
Ambulance availability and response times
Hospital capacity and emergency room services
Social Infrastructure:

Schools:
Classroom capacity at elementary, middle, and high schools
Availability of teachers and support staff
Parks and Recreation:
Acreage of parkland and open space
Capacity of recreational facilities (sports fields, community centers)
Healthcare Facilities:
Capacity of local hospitals, clinics, and doctor's offices
Libraries and Community Centers:
Capacity and resources of these public facilities
Communication Infrastructure:

Broadband Internet:
Availability and capacity of internet service providers
Telecommunications:
Capacity of phone lines and cellular networks
Other Considerations:

Environmental Impact: The capacity of the natural environment to absorb increased pollution, runoff, and habitat loss.
Financial Capacity: The municipality's ability to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades and maintenance to support growth.
Intergovernmental Coordination: The impact of growth on neighboring jurisdictions and the need for regional planning.

When a municipality determines that one or more of these infrastructure components can no longer adequately support additional population or development, it may consider a moratorium on new building permits until those limitations are addressed. This ensures the health, safety, and quality of life for both existing and future residents

Leesburg CAN indeed stop new development... in Leesburg. That's what the new ordinance (if passed) would do. Local control.

If new homes did not sell then more new homes would not be built but to be fair, some of us moved into pre-owned homes which did not add to the sprawl.

About 20 years too late IMO.

They might as well go ahead and amend the agenda to include either tax increases or service cuts. Growth stunts the impact of increases in the cost of providing day-to-day services for the citizens.

Nice post. Of course The Villages is a group of CDD’S which is not unique to Florida (passed in 1986 I think) but likely is very unique in other parts of the U.S. However, parts of our CDD is also within a municipality. The largest is the city of Wildwood currently being build south of 44. Others are Leesburg, Fruitland Park and parts of Lady lake I think. The Villages CDD’S are in three counties. Marion County (the smallest), Lake county, and the largest Sumter county. We have a very unique form of government in The Villages. To learn more, attend one of the CDD district’s information meetings held regularly.

I am not aware of any (or much) regional planning or intergovernmental coordination going on among the various jurisdictions making up The Villages. If not, maybe that would be a good idea.

It’s the “type” of new residents that sunk CA and AZ.

Read post # 13. The measure did not pass.

Read my post more carefully. My point that you missed is that the City CAN limit growth if it wants to. I didn't say it would or would not pass.

It can be brought up again.

It's plain to see that the area around The Villages is becoming over developed. We are losing beautiful farmland and pastures. I wish we could pressure Sumter County, or at least Lady Lake and Fruitland Park to establish the same moratorium.

I can't speak for most people here but we moved to a house in the community, that had been here for over 30 years. Our entire part of the Villages ceased to be "new development" 30 years ago.

And yes I am, and was, 100% against expansion of the Villages, and think it should've stopped before they got as far as 466A.

Nineteen years ago we purchased our first house in The Village of Caroline. There was a waiting list to get a Villa. “We are building down to 466a” better buy now,” said the Developer. Just a couple years later “we building all the way to SR44 better buy now was the sales pitch”.

As long as there is land and money to be made, The villages will continue to expand. There is no other adult retirement community in the U.S. like The villages. “So shall it be written, so shall it be done” Ramses - Yul Brynner the movie Ten Commandments