19th October 2022
The big machines trundled along the road in front of the house, they were heading for the only undeveloped plot in Central Bay Avenue.
There were big trucks, a bulldozer a tree eater and various tree cutting equipment. The plot had been available for quite a while, much to the relief of the people occupying the houses either side, but that was about to change.
All through the morning the big trucks passed full of tree wreckage, taking away the habitat of the wild animals that we see wandering about. We see this happening so regularly, vast housing estates are devouring the once farmlands and closing up the spaces. In the years I have visited the area I have noticed the expanding urbanisation of the town. Try to find a parking space in downtown, it’s now got to “find a space, now buy a car”. Holland now has its own rush hour. As we travel about collecting or delivering furniture we are so often aware that the townships are merging, Kelli feels that Holland is growing towards Grand Rapids. The big corporations are fuelling this expansion by wanting to employ highly educated workers from outside the state, and most of these live in these estates, it pushes up house prices taking them out of reach of the first time buyers, a familiar story.
We were fortunate to get our house at the price we paid in the location so close to the lake, if it had gone on the market it would have been well out of our reach.
By mid afternoon the heavy machinery had left, the area was stripped bare, including the roots, now it is ready for the builders to start their jobs.
Another Lifetime to go 