Should I retire to Bella Vista?

Should I retireto Bella Vista?

My significant other and I live in upstate New York, where we both recently retired. We have been thinking about life-after-retirement for a few years.

We traveled to Arkansas a few years back and really enjoyed the people and the state. We hike, bike and kayak and want to live someplace that has outdoor activities. After looking around on the web, we decided to visit Bella Vista for a week to get a feel for the area. A great couple that lives in Bella Vista volunteered time to show us the area. We had almost decided that we wanted to retire to Bella Vista.

We are now having second thoughts and looking at other areas so that, when the time comes to actually move, we know where we want to live. Why are we having second thoughts about Bella Vista? I'll tell you.

One of the main attractions to Bella Vista is how quaint it feels. The people are very friendly and the place has a smalltown ambiance to it. But now, after subscribing to the Weekly Vista for a couple of years, we understand that certain people want to turn Bella Vista into Bentonville or Fayetteville. Why?

I don't understand why 40 miles of mountain bike trails is not enough. What percentage of Bella Vista residents actually use those trails? And now "they" are planning another 50 miles on the west side. Why not try for activities that more of the people can use? What about families with small children and retirees? Plus, it is my experience that hiking on mountain bike trails can be dangerous. The biker needs to keep his/her eyes on the trail and may not see the hikers in his/her path. Are these trails just part of turning Bella Vista into a large city and to attract more outsiders? Larger cities tend to have more problems and higher crime rates. Is that what you want for Bella Vista?

We watched as the people in charge have spent down the reserves, building new facilities and remodeling others, only to claim that the POA is now broke and needs to increase the POA assessment by more than 40 percent. Why couldn't the improvements have been done over years so as to not deplete the reserve? I'm sorry, but claiming you can't pay your mortgage because you remodeled your kitchen is just irresponsible! If I were already a property owner, I would make it known that I would vote "no" to any POA assessment increase until the "big city push" was over and there was some stability in the smalltown feel.

Bella Vista seems like the perfect place for us to live. We fell in love with Bella Vista for what it is now. It would break our hearts if the changes force us to look further. Are we moving to Bella Vista or elsewhere? Time, and what we see happening in Bella Vista, will tell.

Peace,

John Walters

Upstate New York

Editorial on 10/03/2018