Leesburg residents say they are beginning to fear the scarcity of water and medical care due to explosive growth in their city.
Leesburg commissioners on Monday night were voting on multiple annexations, most to with The Villages, when Commissioner Jay Connell warned it was time to hit the brakes.
When the commissioners were considering another annexation of 49 acres located east of U.S. Hwy. 27 and north of Windmill Road, Connell objected to the annexation.
“We do not have to annex this property. We have enough lots to meet our needs for 66 years,” Connell said.
Though the annexation eventually passed, Connell had already drawn attention to the ever-growing elephant in the room.
Several members of the audience who live near the proposed development applauded his statement. He went on to say that the schools were under considerable pressure and that the high school was at 90 percent capacity and that the city has approved 30,000 lots for future development.
When Mayor Jimmy Burry asked if there was anyone in the audience who wished to address the issue, five residents who live in the area rose to express their concerns which ranged from crowded roads, lack of health care and strained police services.
Barbara Schmidt, a retired nurse who lives in The Plantation development, explained that medical care is not adequate for the population. She said “that it takes three to four months to get a mammogram” in Leesburg.
“We cannot get young doctors here,” she added.
Other residents said there are not enough police officers or EMS personnel.
Janet Eisenhower, who also lives in the Plantation development expressed concerns regarding water use and is worried that there may not be enough water.
“Where is all the water going to come from?” she asked.
Six area residents all urged that the annexation not occur due to the crowded roads.