“It Looks Like Orlando Now”: Neighbor Unhappy With New Development

By Bryce Abshier – Contact Bryce@thevosm.net

At a recent Belleview City Commission meeting, a resident of SE 68th court expressed his displeasure with Belleview’s new Autumn Glen development. “I’m not sure if you guys have driven down there or not, but it looks like the small town charm just moved to Orlando,” the gentleman said to Belleview City Commissioners.

“I have lived on a piece of property for 40 years,” he explained. “They have totally molested the land. They’ve cut trees down that were 3, 4, or 500 years old. I was under the impression that if you cut a tree down, you’re supposed to plant a tree. That hasn’t happened”

This man’s complaint is not particularly uncommon amongst neighbors of Belleview’s new residential developments. With over 307 residential units planned for Autumn Glen (which is actually one of the smaller planned communities in Belleview), backyards that were once serene, rural paradises will soon be packed full of houses in urban sprawl fashion. Belleview City limits will also be home to Bennah Oaks on CR 484, with 419 residential units and Bellehaven near Baseline Road with a total of 1,024 units.

Using the U.S Census Bureau average of 2.6 residents-per-household, incorporated Belleview would have 3,388 new residents amongst these three developments upon completion.

While speaking to the commission, the man asked a question that he has struggled to find an answer to: what kind of fence am I allowed to put up? “I’m not sure if I can get a real answer on what kind of fence. I could put hedges up, but they’re going to take a few years to grow in. I’ve talked to code enforcement a couple of times and nobody can give me a clear answer,” he explained. “I feel like I have no privacy. I have a pool but I have no privacy now.”

“Every neighborhood in there, every block, has privacy fences but then when it comes to mine… there is no fence there at all.”

“I think D.R Horton (the real estate developer of Autumn Glen) has just ripped Belleview of everything we’re all about,” the man went on. “I’d really like to see all of the commissioners and the mayor to just ride through there. It looks like Orlando now. It’s terrible what we’ve let them get away with.”

Homes in Autumn Glen, described by homebuilder D.R. Horton as a “beautiful community perfect for first-time homeowners and families”, are listed starting from $281,990 and range between 1,672 and 2,605 square feet.

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