Philippe Leonelli: "Enchantons Cavalaire is the choice of courage"!
"Enchantons Cavalaire" is the revitalization of the town center where nature and urbanity meet with tree-lined squares, etc.
THE CHOICE OF COURAGE But they are also relaxation areas, playgrounds, a city stadium, a performance hall, a cinema, the Conservatoire, community halls, the Office de tourisme, the Médiathèque, etc. On the occasion of the New Year's address to the population, on January 11 at the Complexe Henri Gros in front of a crowd of guests, Philippe Leonelli, the mayor, recalled the outline of this project: "Enchantons Cavalaire is a reinvented, modernized port harmoniously connected to this town center with numerous landscaped spaces, a new harbor master's office, a yacht club, a port that lives to the rhythm of meetings and water activities, where residents, boaters, and visitors mingle in a warm and lively atmosphere. Enchantons Cavalaire is the promise of work starting after the summer because we now have all the necessary permits."
WIDE-RANGING CONSULTATION However, the mayor noted with regret: "For several weeks, I have been hearing the grumpies waking up, the armchair critics, the pessimists, the complainers, you know, those who are never happy, those who systematically criticize but never propose anything! Strangely, I have been hearing them for a few weeks on social networks, hiding behind fake profiles, some of whom have held positions in former teams and others who do not even live in Cavalaire! I hear them flailing in all directions and crying wolf: pharaonic projects with no means to finance them, we do not need to change, it was better before!
" "A vast program," General de Gaulle would have replied. The truth is that the world is changing and is not waiting for us. And the truth is that "Enchantons Cavalaire" is the realization of the projects for which you elected us in 2014 and 2020!
These projects are not only the initiative of a municipal majority but the fruit of wide-ranging consultation with the residents, entrepreneurs, professionals, and cultural and community leaders of our beautiful town. Together we imagined what we wanted for our future!" It is with the population that the municipal team built this local project to transform Cavalaire through workshops, public meetings, and numerous consultation phases.
Because the observation is unanimous: Cavalaire-sur-Mer is blessed with an enchanting living environment, with its beaches, its enchanting landscapes, and its ideal Mediterranean climate. Every day, its residents have the chance to live in a place that attracts visitors from all over the world. However, despite its natural beauty, the town does not escape certain issues that affect its development, such as the lack of central cohesion between the port, a real economic lung, and the town center, the beating heart of the municipality.
This separation has the consequence of limiting the attractiveness and holding back the potential of Cavalaire, which Philippe Leonelli wishes to keep lively all year round.
"Faced with these challenges, we could have, with the municipal team, chosen the simplicity of inaction, folded our arms and been satisfied with a quiet routine, without ever daring to launch major projects. It would have been easy to give up in the face of difficulties, to drift along, to live day-to-day, to ignore the crucial challenges on the horizon, and to yield to demagoguery that reassures but achieves nothing. But we chose courage.
We decided to carry out ambitious projects, essential to the development of our municipality, because we have a vision for this territory that we love so much: that of a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable future. We are committed to improving the daily lives of our residents, supporting our families, and creating spaces where our children can grow, learn, and thrive in safety. This is also what "Enchantons Cavalaire" is about.
Those who advocate standing still or going backward are hiding the truth from you out of ignorance, opportunism, and political calculation. Granted, this local project involves a significant investment that will be carried out in several phases and spread over several years." SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION This is a budget that is the foundation of a significant transformation of the territory and a commitment to future generations.
A project, both realistic and ambitious, which will be divided into two major interconnected initiatives. First, with the redevelopment of the port, financed by guarantees of use and not by taxes, and second, with the revitalization of the town center.
"Investing in our municipality today means offering our children the keys to a better tomorrow. The role of a mayor is not only to manage the town, but also to shape and design a future for their fellow citizens and to build the foundations upon which future generations can thrive. Every decision made, every investment completed, is done in respect of the general interest and within the framework of rigorous and secure budget planning.
"If there is one fact that forces itself upon us today, it is this feeling that we are changing worlds, changing eras," the town's first magistrate concluded.
Photo Philippe OLIVIER.