Bloomingdale's growth, not the mayor's racial insensitivity, driving election conversation

Bloomingdale, known to many as a small, sleepy town west of Savannah, is headed towards expansion and with that comes growing pains.

The city of about 2,790 is looking at multiple industrial projects in the coming years, meaning whoever is in the mayoral seat next term will have to strike a delicate balance between rapid growth and residents' desires for a bedroom community.

All six council seats and the mayoral post is up for election on the Nov. 2 ballot. Mayor Ben Rozier is running for re-election and former council member Dennis Baxter is his opponent.

Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Rozier's bid is clouded by social media posts he made last year that were roundly condemned as a racially charged attacks on welfare recipients. His fellow council members - all of them - requested his resignation in the wake of the incident and a small group of protesters demonstrated in front of city hall in the weeks that followed.

Rozier refused to step down, though, and is aiming for his fourth term in office. And as election day draws nearer, both he and his opponent are focused on growth and development issues, not Rozier's insensitive remarks.

"I regret posting it, I should not have posted it, I don't have a racist bone in my body," Rozier said.

Both Rozier and Baxter said they want to preserve the "hometown feel" through careful zoning and keeping residential property taxes at zero.

One way the city plans to do that, Rozier said, is through Community Improvement Districts (CID), a revenue stream funded by developers building in the city.

"We're going to collect taxes from them to provide infrastructure services and upkeep and maintenance on all of the roads inside of that circle," said Rozier.

Rozier said one of his main priorities is bringing more recreational resources to the city as well, citing his nascent political involvement with the recreation committee in 1998.

"Back then they talked about wanting a gym ... we're the only city that doesn't have one," said Rozier. "About 22 years later ... we've set aside land, got drawings done, and we've even got a base down."

The gym, which will be located in Taylor Park, is still in its early stages with no finishing date in sight yet.

Baxter's past experience spans from serving as Pooler's city manager; on the state water advisory committee; and on the Savannah Trade Center board, a group now consolidated with the state.

During his experience as Pooler's city planner and manager from 1987 to 2007, Baxter said he saw the population, once the size of Bloomingdale, balloon 10 times.

"You want to make sure that the areas you develop into commercial areas, that you've got the infrastructure, meaning, not only water and sewer, but the road system in place to offset all the traffic," Baxter said.

The mayoral contender said he's been a resident of Bloomingdale for the past 51 years and knows nearly all of the long-time residents there.

"My goal is to listen to those folks and carry their torch, to make sure that we're not rooting out what people moved to Bloomingdale for," said Baxter.

Balancing the scale

However, finding that harmony between industrial and commercial growth and residential needs is not going to be an easy task.

"Let's face it, the only direction that Savannah can grow in is coming out this way to Pooler and Bloomingdale," said Randy Wood, a resident of 25 years, "You can't have all the amenities of a suburban or metropolitan life and still be a country town."

There's three major tracts of land being developed in the area, according to Trip Tollison, head of the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA): Grainger Honda Tract, Ottawa Farms Tract and New Horizon Tract.

"Bloomingdale is a pivotal point as it relates to the future of industrial growth...there's so much opportunity between the I-16 and Georgia Central Railroad," said Tollison.

Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Once the Jimmy Deloach Parkway is complete, access to the interstates and the Georgia Ports Authority will be much easier.

For resident Thomas Anthony Presson, who lives near Ottawa Farms, the growth is dizzying.

"I try to attend council meetings as often as possible, but sadly it's been nowhere near enough to keep on top of what's changing in our town," said Presson.

Presson said he would appreciate more transparency and communication between the city government and its residents such as live streaming council meetings or providing "better notification of what's on each meeting's agenda."

Tollison notes that the city is trying to confine development to the south of the Georgia Central Railroad.

Wood, however, thinks it can be better handled.

"The way it looks right now in Bloomingdale, there's warehouses everywhere," said Wood, "They're in residential areas, commercial areas, agricultural areas, they're all over the place."

City growth begets social change

Along with the rest of Chatham County, Bloomingdale saw a slight rise in population and an increase in diversity in the past decade. With development further spurring numbers upwards, the town's identity and politics may start to shift as well.

Some residents, past and present, believe city leadership will have to reflect that change.

"The world is progressing as a whole," said Hannah Minter, a former Bloomingdale resident. "The future deserves better than 'this is how it was, how it is and how it always will be'."

Minter, who now resides in Savannah, organized the demonstrations last summer calling for Rozier's resignation over his online comments.

The ensuing backlash made national headlines in the midst of racial justice protests across the country.

It's hard to gauge how much the controversy is still an issue with residents. Many have either forgotten or disregard the reaction as media frenzy. Others, like Minter, have moved away or feel disempowered to speak.

Presson said he's called the mayor out on some of his past comments online because he "feel(s) it makes people think we are all like that."

Baxter agrees Rozier's statements were embarrassing, but that Bloomingdale is a welcoming city overall.

However, last year's demonstrations may point to more widespread issues that exist within the community.

"We were getting cursed at, people were passing by yelling out the n-word," said Richard Lassiter, a Garden City council member who attended the protests.

Minter recalled the same. Although the gathering was small, Minter said, "one small voice is better than no voice. Just because it was this way doesn't mean it needs to stay this way."

Results of the election will ultimately determine who will lead Bloomingdale in the next four years.

"These are the leaders of the community," said Minter, "It is their job to represent everyone in that community, not just the ones who they feel deserve representation."

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bloomingdale's growth, not the mayor's racial insensitivity, driving election conversation