Turning down workforce housing in New Smyrna Beach a slippery slope and travesty

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Progress is something New Smyrna Beach says it wants and encourages, just not in the back yards of anyone influential. The way they see it, it should only be allowed in certain sections of the city like way out west on State Road 44. There is always a group that rises up and protests: “Not in my back yard!”

That’s happening again with the proposed development on the North Causeway, which would include many different types of housing as well as a restaurant and maybe a business or two. When I first read about the proposal, which would include affordable housing for people like police, firefighters and others who are gainfully employed, but can’t afford high priced homes, I thought I would enjoy living in such a place. I would be able to walk downtown as well as see and be near the river with its sights and wildlife. The setting is perfect for that.

The seniors would purchase homes there would enjoy being near younger families and close to shopping. It would be a nice mix of all kinds of people and include affordable housing not section eight housing. That affordable housing is what seems to be causing the biggest problem for the naysayers. This newest community would be perfect for the area that used to house a shopping center years ago but has been a big piece of vacant land for quite some time now.

No one seems to be jumping up and down about the assisted living facility that is proposed for the old Alba Court property but then it is not on the “beachside” which is what many call anything on the causeways. It is as if those properties should be affluent persons and business only. How absurd!

Not only New Smyrna Beach but also Edgewater need communities like this one being proposed and turned down by the city commission due to the builders wanting to add more affordable housing. We don’t have a local Lowes because a similar group didn’t like where the company purchased property for the facility and they got it booted out by packing the commission meetings and protesting.

Such things being determined by a small group of people in any town is a slippery slope; one that we shouldn’t be sliding so often. It is a travesty in my opinion.