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For some background on the La Joya property said in an earlier blog: Pugh, the original owner, gets $643,500 for the land from the CRA; the CRA sells it to La
Joya Villages for $1; the CRA paid for the demolition even before it
owned the property; the CRA paid for the option for quite some time at
$14,000 a month in order to control the outcome; if there is a Realtor
involved, he gets his money; the CRA gets to spend government money; the
developer lines his pockets; poor people can rent and live on the
railroad tracks and traffic will be a nightmare at that intersection.
And the CRA gets any tax money from the project, not the city.
La Joya Villages is a 55 unit apartment complex that will be located
at southeast corner of 6th Avenue S. and S. “F” Street. The project is a
venture between La Joya Villages and the City of Lake Worth Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Last night when it came to the discussion and eventual
passing of the La Joya Village (everyone there knew there would be no
burps), Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell recused himself from the discussion and
the vote and left the chambers. Scott Maxwell is the 2nd vice President
of the League of Cities and the League appointed him to the Community
Land Trust Board.
The
Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County, Inc. (CLT of PBC) is a
countywide housing non-profit organization created for the purpose of
providing permanently affordable housing opportunities for residents of
Palm Beach County.
The CLT of PBC acquires land and makes it available in perpetuity for
affordable housing. The CLT separates ownership of the land from
ownership of the housing unit. The housing units are sold to income
eligible households at an affordable price. The land is made available
to homeowners through a 99 year land lease.
So? With the above explanation on the CLT, did Maxwell really have to recuse himself using the CLT as the reason?
The interesting part of the presentation was when La Joya Villages gave all sorts of kudos to Director Joan Olivia and the CRA for all their work in making this project an acceptable one to the Planning & Zoning board who approved unanimously as well as to the city commission. All they had to do was spend and turn over government money. Now we will have 55 more rentals in a sea of 60% rentals in Lake Worth with these located on the railroad tracks costing poor renters, who will probably get government subsidies, over $700/$1,000 a month. No wonder this country is broke...trickle down economics.
19 comments:
St Joan,the patron saint of developers everywhere, answers their prayers once more.
with scott, you can be assured that there is always something else going on, a devious motive.
If the CRA is a joint venture partner, does that mean that the 55unit rental will not pay real estate taxes?
Although one of the principals said that they would be paying ad valorem and even told me out in the hallway that they would be paying for 30 years, there is nothing that precludes the sale of this property to a 501(c) that will stop paying. Not sure how a 501(c) pays taxes but this guy said they would be paying as it was a for profit corp???
If Commission Maxwell didn't not recluse himself because he had been appointed by the League of Cities to the Land Trust Board. How long do you think it would take FOR ONE
OF YOU to file an ethics compliant against him.
Any real estate taxes paid by the owner for the valuation of his new construction will go to the CRA.
The City will get only whatever it got before the CRA took over this district many years ago.
So we will be responsible for concurrency and infrastructure for the new rental units, have a greater % of rentals than the staggering number we already have, and a likelihood of higher taxes to pay for this "Jewel".
This will be another Dunbar Village down the road. Thanks CRA. Thanks Chip. Your're the man. Lake Worth will never rise above the ashes.
While at the meeting last night and in the selection process that received unanimous approval for the La Joya Villages concept we heard many of the reasons you are so angry about this project.
Impact Glass and heavy insulation, granite or quartz counter tops, on-site Tot Lot and Splash Park, bar-b-que picnic area, community garden, metal roofs, solar lighting for common areas, community room for artists or tutoring of area children, cisterns to catch rain water and re-use, tankless water heaters and gas appliances to keep cost of operation down, on-site property management and maintenance placed in an area that is currently a vacant lot and that is already in a rental area.
The experience of the management team stressed thorough background checks on every potential tenant. Credit checks on every tenant. Annual review of the property by real investors, not some government agency, to make sure the property is maintained and secure.
How often does this happen in your neighborhood now?
Habitat for Humanity, the Arts Lofts and La Joya are examples of "affordable" housing and not necessarily "low income" housing.
NSP-2 required the CRA to spend the money on "affordable" housing ONLY.
So instead of having to send back a couple million dollars to the Federal Government to spend as wisely as they do, the CRA thought it better to keep that money here in Lake Worth, leveraged with private funds to build a $12 million project in a blighted area. One that will pay around $1 million dollars into the city (not CRA) for impact, permit and utility fees.
To compare this project to Dunbar Village, built in 1939, as a low income housing "project" is just as accurate as Mr. Timm getting up to state that La Joya "would pay no property taxes."
So yes, I felt comfortable voting for La Joya, as did everyone else on the CRA board, the P&Z Board.
My stated objective in applying for membership to the CRA board was to make sure all $23.2 million of the NSP-2 grant stays here in Lake Worth. That we would not send any of it back. Thanks to my fellow board members and excellent staff, not one dime went back to HUD. For those who think it hasn't made any difference in the neighborhoods, it shows just how great the need is for Lake Worth.
I encourage you, anonymous, to apply for the open position on the CRA board if you think you have better ideas of how to spend redevelopment money here in Lake Worth.
Chip Guthrie
Member
Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency
bguthrie@lakeworthcra.org
Chip, why do you and the rest of the racist CRA board(Whites with a white director) insist that poor minorities have to live next to the tracks?
Lynn,
Have you ever considered the fact that the condo building where you live is no less an affordable housing project than the La Joya Village? With an approximate value of around $30,000, the units in your building would rent for only about $300 per month. Can't get much more affordable than that and with the homestead exemption, most wouldn't pay any taxes. It just happens that you and your neighbors are seniors, but what makes your age group any better than a young family trying to provide decent and affordable housing for themselves and their families? In fact, I'd bet you would qualify to live in La Joya, so you might want to check yourself before you start profiling who may or may not live in La Joya or calling it a future slum.
Further, there was time when the land where your building is located was a vacant property owned by some investor who sold it to an evil developer who made tons of money. I don't hear you criticizing that project or advocating to shut down your precious condo building and return it back to nature. I'm sorry, but to me, it sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. Unless anyone criticizing the CRA housing programs lives in a thatched hut on public land that they built themselves with their own labors, you are all just hypocrites with nothing better to do with your time than criticize any progress made in Lake Worth. I'm just glad none of you are decision makers, just bitter old fogies afraid of change. Those who fear change will just be left in past (where you belong). :)
What happened to your rules Lynn?
It's inflamatory, inaccurate and they didn't use their full name.
Please take it down. Thanks.
According to your rules I request that THIS not be posted.
Chip
Chip, you are a public figure. Unfortunately, when you are, you have to take the heat sometimes. This remark is "putting you on" and I don't think it is meant to be a real reflection of the facts, just joshing you a bit...yanking your chain. No one would believe it to be true.
What my rules state: Commenting on a public figure is okay but again, use fact if at all possible. Keep it clean.
Pot--sorry your facts are a little off and that you don't like Senior citizens that much. Hopefully you will be one some day and have a sharp mind.
My community was built nearly 50 years ago. Condos were a brand new concept then and it was an exciting time--snowbirds and seniors could buy a condo and share expense with fellow owners. This was built before we had LDR's, comprehensive plans and the like. And yes, it was land owned originally by Ray Smith who sold it to a developer.
Why should I think the land here should go back to nature? Does anyone believe this of the Pugh property?
My beliefs in some of the CRA projects are critical. Sorry you don't agree with me but frankly, a lot of people do. This, however, has nothing to do with where I live or not giving young people a chance to live in a rental somewhere. We have rentals all over town--64% of the city are rentals. More than likely where oyu live was raw land at one time as well--no? :) Silly argument.
Incidentally, rentals out here run about the same as La Joya Village.
Lynn, Thanks for reminding us of the very high proportion of rentals in this city, and also the preponderance of affordable housing. I really don't understand why we have a CRA. They seem intent on bringing many more poor, uneducated people into our community. It would be nice if we could attract a few more of the other kind. You know, people with college degrees!
That horse has left the gate. Back when the do gooders labeled us a "Sanctuary City" which helped to sink us from a middle class city to a low income city, now competing with Belle Glade for the bottom spot, where was the outrage?
The CRA is trying to work within a downward spiral, including the recent anti-development charter amendment, to try to bring us back to a Riviera Beach, Lake Park or even Lantana status.
It's a fight against an ideology that less is more and moving backward is sustainable.
Any wonder why college educated upwardly mobile people would possibly NOT want to invest here?
Hello....
You people over-built. You encouraged affordable housing. Now it is affordable RENTALS on the rail road tracks. No one with a college degree would have done that!
The CRA is outside its' Mission bound district.Lake Worth Commissions HAve collaborated with CRA in making lake Worth a Dunbar Village, third world,low income, rental slum.
Commissions are there to control all CRA actions, and redistrict ,when wrongly positioned, to restore tax revenue of our most lucrative Downtown to the City's General Fund, for sustainability.Instead theY voted to steal from snowbirds, $34.50 a month for services not rendered, and allow the CRA to make nefarious deals with OUT OF tOWN,developers. Lake Worth Commissions have been too lazy,irresponsible,elected with liars' promises, to control the CRA, and the hot air selfaggrandizing widbag Boards, and the CRA's bank account(OUR MONEY PEOPLE, MORONS WAKE UP!).It is time for annexation to the County,if you don't stop City hall bums.
Which Appraiser has appraised the Pugh land , to allow the Lake Worth Rental slum creating Lake Worth CRA,give $600.000 plus of our money(low in come slum creaters'CRA steals that money from our City people,with approval your elected useless,devious CommissionThe non-functional,lazy,irresponsible useless Commission, allowed this?Did they engage the Appraiser to protect our taxpayers' interests? That is their job. They can't handle it, throw the bums out!
That money must be verified. The Inspector general will be requested to verify the appraisal
in favor of Pugh and the low income slum creating with out of Town Developers, lake Worth CRA,
instead of for the taxpayers, to whom Commission memebrs have their hand out for doing a job, every month.Stop a;ll payments till job as mandated, done, and slum creating CRA, has been redistricted approprietly!
This is to correct my comment on April 3 wherein I stated it was Ray Smith who owned all this land on Lake Osborne. It was his father, Tom, who the power plant was named. Tom G. Smith is another interesting story in LW...another day.
Another thing, at that time, these condos were selling for the same prices that single family houses were selling for. It was not affordable housing.
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