![]() Happy Monday! We welcome the return of warm weather with a little tale of yesteryear. I was once banned from Beverly Hills. It was the early 1990s. Something was happening between residents and the developer. I don’t recall the details, but I wrote a story for the Chronicle that angered an organization so deeply that the president typed a letter to the editor saying I was no longer welcome at their meetings. That organization, the Beverly Hills Recreation Association, ceased existence over 10 years ago. In fact, the public owns a community building and park in Beverly Hills because that group went belly up.
Beverly Hills, once a beacon in Citrus County, is struggling to find its direction. I recently learned that the Beverly Hills Civic Association folded its tent. Once a mighty warrior in community strength, I knew its leaders were doing all they could to keep the momentum going these last several years. The other night I attended a meeting of the Beverly Hills Leadership Council, a group of individuals hoping to breathe some life into Citrus County’s largest community. About 50 people were there enjoying pizza and one another’s company. I admire their enthusiasm. I would suggest that the downfall of Beverly Hills’ influence in the community has more to do with shifting winds than anything the citizens there have done. Beverly Hills ruled in the 1980s and ‘90s. Cookie-cutter neighborhoods housed retirees from the Northeast and they carried enormous influence in Citrus County. In a county heavy Democratic, no one was elected to the County Commission without first passing muster in Beverly Hills. Well, time marches, you know? As other developments started cropping up, and the political shift moved Citrus County to the right, Beverly Hills started to lose that influence. Today it has practically none, and I’m just being truthful. Folks in their 50s and 60s today are not like the folks of the same age 30 years ago. Civic organizations have a much rougher go in the age of smartphones and Zoom meetings. I took a drive Saturday through Beverly Hills, and really took in my surroundings. Some observations: — There is no “welcome to Beverly Hills” sign. Nothing to tell motorists on C.R. 491 they’re entering Beverly Hills. Yes, the developer has a landscape entrance. I’m talking about a highway sign, the kind one would expect when entering any community. Holder has a sign. Why not Beverly Hills? — Beverly Hills Boulevard is just about the prettiest old neighborhood residential street in Citrus County. And the Civic Circle — an iconic staple! — C.R. 491 does Beverly Hills no favors. My God, what an ugly stretch of roadway. And for the section where it’s six travel lanes the raised medium is replaced with a center turn lane, creating seven lanes of asphalt. (I have numerous beautification ideas that fit into the One for All theme. Goal No. 1 is making this roadway pretty. It can be done.) — “Central Ridge” also doesn’t help. I get that we place these vague one-size-fits-all names on buildings and such, but I’m going to suggest we rethink that. Central Ridge library, Central Ridge park, and Central Ridge community center doesn’t exactly give me the warm and fuzzies. — Is there another community in Citrus County that has such a mix of old and new neighborhoods? Beverly Hills truly is Citrus County’s melting pot. — It dawned on me that Beverly Hills losing its influence is not necessarily a bad thing. It would suggest that the community doesn’t NEED influence. Pine Ridge and Citrus Springs, for example, are constantly clamoring for this or that. Still, it’s a community in search of identity. The older folks want the younger folks to take a leadership role. The younger folks don’t see a purpose in that. It’s a challenge facing all of Citrus County — transitioning to the next generation of leaders. Not sure how Beverly Hills balances all that out. I do know this: Beverly Hills deserves better respect than it now gets. I don't want Beverly Hills known as the place to pass through on the way to Pine Ridge, Citrus Springs, or whatever mega development is up the road. I attended a small community carnival Saturday at a church on the Civic Circle. It was great seeing families interact in the cool January sun. I could overhear pickleball players not far off in Lake Beverly Park. Beverly Hills is set. It’s a large mix of citizenry, businesses, and open spaces in the center of our community. We wouldn’t be where we are without Beverly Hills. To all our neighbors, enjoy. Join the discussion on our Facebook page. Enjoying the blog? Please consider supporting it at Venmo, PayPal, or Patreon. Comments are closed.
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AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
February 2025
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