Guest Blogger:Gael Silverblatt
(Former Chair of Lake Worth's Tree board and former member of the Planning and Zoning board, Lake Worth)
I just watched the news story called Pros and Cons- Lake
Worth height limit vote, and was surprised the reporter only presented the Cons
side. Perhaps he only heard from the proponents of the hotel district.
I heard him say repeatedly that the proposed Hotel
District will only be 'one block long'. The actual area proposed is 4 blocks
long and 2 to 3 blocks wide and abuts to
the North and to the South strictly residential historic neighborhoods. They
would be adversely effected by the 6 story buildings looming over them and the
increased traffic.
The architectural renderings prepared by city staff
showing the proposed Hotel District are on the Lake Worth City Website. The
renderings, which staff admits do not even depict maximum build-out, show 833 hotel rooms, over 1000 parking
spaces, 4 buildings of 6 stories and 1 building of 5 stories all east of
Federal creating a very congested area.
This is not a one block hotel district as he said on air.
The reporter said that a NO vote is for jobs but the Lake
Worth Economic Development Manager, Delores Key, reported to the city
commission at a recent meeting, that hotels only bring minimum wage jobs. She
also said there were no grants or tax incentives for hotels and that the city
should concentrate it's efforts to encourage the creation of higher wage jobs
for which there are grants and tax incentives available. Not that I am totally
against hotels but where is it written that hotels have to be 6 stories.
Who will benefit from this over development? Not the
residents because the area is within the Community Redevelopment Agency’s
boundaries and the increase in the tax base will mostly go to them and not to
the general revenue fund to pay the city’s bills.
The idea of a hotel district originated as an excuse for
the commission to raise the height limits and not follow the wishes of the
residents.
This referendum proposal was originated by a grass roots
group of residents who were offended that a new city commission majority
disregarded years of work and compromise in developing the city's new
comprehensive plan and zoning regulations that gave clear direction to the type
of development the city wanted that would bring progress but still respect and
maintain the city's low rise flavor.
The purpose of the referendum was to place appropriate
height limits in the charter that could not be changed without another vote of
the residents and prevent the look and character of the city's most important
gateways from being changed forever by a 3 to 2 vote of a sitting city
commission.
1 comment:
Fellow Lake Worth Tax payers. Crooked Realtors have stolen 110 parking spaces from Downtown, part of permit to build the Lucerne, without its legal setbacks,loss of Business to Starbucks and Kilwins.
The same crooked Realtors want to fool residents and suppress their intention for quick millions in Commissions to overdevelop Downtown with 700 rooms of hotels.1400 parking spaces would be needed if each room had one visitor!
lake Worth Citizens are very savvy in protecting the Town from the greedy vultures, who disregard human life.
Their builders will make their money and leave the City with 1400 cars to be parked.
To prevent this outrage,
VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT2!
Don't be fooled by their false claims,1400 cars to be parked is their real goal!!!
The Gulfstream is in no danger of demolition, which the greedy liars claim with a false sign as the hotel is in Court and for sale.I have an investor looking into restoration etc.
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