JOT THE DATE DOWN!
Hudson Holdings is looking to up-zone its property known as the Gulfstream Hotel--you know, the group that wanted to grab our casino complex. The meeting of the Historic Preservation Board will be on November 18, at City Hall 6pm. All five of their parcels are included in this request to rezone the property to Downtown Zoning from Multifamily Residential MF-30.
On March 12, 2013, the Charter Amendment ballot initiative was won by the people:
AMENDING CHARTER BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITS IN DESIGNATED DOWNTOWN AREA, WITH EXCEPTIONS.
Should the Charter be amended to limit building height to 45 feet between Golfview Road and F Street and 35 feet between F Street and A Street within a designated downtown area (between a southern boundary of 1st Avenue South; northern boundary of 2nd Avenue North; western boundary of A Street North and South; and an eastern boundary of Golfview Road North and South), providing exceptions for existing buildings and already approved building permits?
Shall the above described amendment be adopted?
On August 6, 2013, the following Downtown District was created.
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Of course, they know as well as the city knows, we had a Charter Amendment and that any development there must stay at 45 feet. They want to keep stuffing this down the throat of the people and ignore the vote. When the city lost this vote by 56%, you would think that a commission would represent the people they serve. Not in this city. Their intent, however, is to allow Hudson Holdings to build a five story addition and ignore the voters. I hope that every voter remembers this in March 2016.
Ordinance 2015-04--8-4-15--amend various sections and tables in the LDR's. Vote 5/0
Ordinance 2015-12 9-1-15--amend various sections in the LDR's. Vote 3/2 McVoy and Maier dissenting.
The 2nd Public Hearing was held on 10-6-15 the vote was 3/2 McVoy and Maier dissenting.
This was the meeting from hell where the Vice Mayor and Mayor were bullies. Five people spoke from the public--Former commissioner John Szerdi who works for Hudson Holdings, Electric Utility Advisory Board member, Peggy Fisher and Loretta Sharp a member of the city's Historic Board spoke for the city's interest. Former commissioner Jo-Ann Golden and resident Mary Watson spoke for the people's interest.
25 comments:
Nudge - Push - Shove - Force
Explain to me how allowing them to add a new building to the hotel that is only 5 stories is bad for our city or in some way going to hurt the look of the city. The buildings around the hotel are all 6 floors and no one wants to see them come down. If this new addition will help the owners make this hotel a success why would we want to stop that. This hotel has never been a success and needs a chance at a new life. To fight this request just because it goes against the vote makes no sense when you factor in the advantages the city will see when this hotel is open again. It's time we as residents think smart and do what's best for the city.
@9:08--This is NOT about what you think. This is about what the majority of the voters said...only 45 feet is allowed.
This is a charter Amendment that went into effect at 12:01am the day after the election.
The hotel was a success for many decades until Schlesinger bought it, paid too much for it, and the economy tanked.
Elections count in this country...North Korea or Cuba, another story.
This hotel was never a financial success. That's why it's never been modernized and has sold so many times. To assume that it can be successful as it is without any knowledge of the hotel business is stupid. To conclude that the majority of Lake Worth residents are against a 5 story building is also stupid. Most of our citizens chose not to vote which tells me that they could care less. Those that did vote assumed that heights were going up everywhere.To conclude that we need to deny an upzoning request before hearing the owners of the property is unfair and not the way any city should do business. The vote is not the law of the city and has absolutely no merit to your argument. You constantly talk about how Obama is failing to comply with the law and you now want our elected officials to do just the opposite. Lets get real. There are some real big problems in this city that need to be addressed and this is not one of them. Who cares if the new building is 5 stories. Lets focus on crime and blight and bringing new jobs into the city. We need to increase our tax base now and this hotel will have a positive economic impact on our city. Using the 5 story issue as a political weapon hurts our city and makes no sense given the real problems we face.
Election results count, anonymous at 11:33.
It doesn't matter how many show up to vote. The results are what they are.
I'm not too happy that 3 mil Republicans failed to vote in the last election and Obama got re-elected. That's how our system works.
You can't make up a law, post-facto as it was, and fit it into your narrative.
The rights of the people prevail, not what developers and those coddling to their interest want.
The building generates taxes right now and always has. Any new taxes off of anything built there will go to the CRA. The only place in the country where a vote doesn't count is in Lake Worth. We don't want to hear the owners and why they want this. Their voice doesn't count. It is the voice of the voters that matters. We already know the city isn't going to make more money from them going higher and higher. The more hotel rooms Hudson builds, the more money they will make. Who gives a crap about what they want?
HH is only out for their own profits, said this when the beach issue came up and say it now. Of course they are going to seek to maximize profits by getting as many zoning waivers/changes and as many tax credits (including tax waivers for the historic property) as they can. So, not sure why anyone should be surprised by this. I really have no problem with a hotel district in this area, but the problem with scratching the height vote is that means 6 story buildings can be built anywhere in the 2nd Ave North to 2nd Ave South corridor and those potential buildings do impact neighborhoods and historic homes (take a gander at the cottages in the 100 block of North O to see an example, with the giant building, mostly empty at Federal Hwy and 2nd Ave. No. shadowing them)
Also, you'll see the same thing when they start revitalizing the many properties they own along South Federal Hwy (expect zoning and density waivers and requests along Federal Hwy as well).
It's interesting that some of you believe that if the CRA gets an increase in tax dollars the city gets nothing. It's as if the CRA is in another world. The owners of the hotel needs to make a profit if the hotel is to make it. Do you realize that we will soon be at the point where they will be able to demolish the building because it is beyond repair. Why would anyone want to stop this. I agree with the post above that says we have better things to push for. Give me a break. Who cares if they get one extra floor to their new building. It will have no impact on my life and I may even be able to get a job at the new hotel. That would really help my family.
"Who cares if the new building is 5 stories".
Anon at 11:03 , we the majority of the people in Lake Worth who bothered to vote in a LEGAL FLORIDA ELECTION care.A totally unrelated piece of legislature that Rick Scott passed months after the we the people exercised our right to vote does not pertain to this LAW! My God Anon at 11:03, are you really stupid enough to suggest that it is OK just to follow the laws that you think matter?
Where do you live, Anon at 11:03? I want to take stuff out of your house . WHO CARES ABOUT BREAKING AND ENTERING LAWS?
@3:28
If we're at the point of Demolition by neglect, this is on the backs of Hudson Holdings and NO one else.
I want them coded and I want them to fix up this property...not up-zoning it to make it more valuable to add to their investment portfolio in order to flip. They are pulling the same crap that Schlesinger did.
Do you really believe they are going to open a hotel there? I'll believe it when I see it.
" This hotel has never been a success and needs a chance at a new life."
What the heck? The Gulfstream was very successful for decades. Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the accepted truth, right? This must be another Scott Maxwell crap covered tidbit blown out of his azz. Just like "Our beach is losing money". "Our pool was never financially successful". "An uncapped bond for 63 million will only cost the taxpayers and businesses in Lake Worth the same amount as a cup of coffee and a hamburger".Or my favorite, "The people of Lake Worth don't care about Lake Worth Beach ". Tell that one to Dirty Szerdi, Hamburger Boy.
The majority of the people in this city did not vote when it came to the height amendment. The law is the law and the law said voting cannot affect land use laws in the way this vote tried to control private property. Therefore I see no reason to stop this upzoning. It hurts no one and I need a job.
What difference does it make? A hellofalotta difference. 1. Respect for the law. 2. Mr. Knowitall: I DON'T WANT HIGHER BUILDINGS there, and YES, I DO CARE. That's why I live here, why I vote, why I pay taxes, why I participate. How about our "small town character?" How about a solid area of nothing but carbon copies of the Lucerne? No sunlight, no breeze, no green. And don't forget this is from the same people who brought us the secret ITN, gov't out of the sunshine, and proven ability to trip all over each other playing kissazz with HH. You can't really believe they intend to leave the beach alone. And once the spot zoning is pushed through with no consideration of the people who live here, good old HH can flip it for a Grand New Holiday Inn like Scottie Boy just has known all along will save our city. Anyone remember the huge amounts of laughter on the ITN audio about maybe selling a few memberships to several LW citizens to satisfy the "public participation" stipulation? And the comments about "Whaat's WRONG with you people...Whaayy do you want to be this one little house in the midst of all these Sky Scrapers?" This will just nail the door open for free for all spot zoning and flipping for the highest density. And Scott will have his heart's desire: a massive Holiday Inn right here near the beach--maybe ON the beach too.
The hotel will be coming down. Can you imagine what the inside of that place looks like with no ac for years. It's just a matter of time. They will get the upzoning and there's no way to stop it. Once the new hotel is built everyone will love it and the addition at 5 floors will blend in fine with the other buildings in the area that are all taller. It will be a big benefit to the city and we should all look to the future with this hotel being the beginning of great things.
It's on the Historic Register and you casually say "it's coming down?" This is why people don't like this admin or HH.
If you all aren't careful and keep dicking around and not working with property owners like HH to make a property viable you may have another big ugly and even bigger problem on the horizon.
Yep, deny, deny, deny, and HH could ever so easily turn the Gulfstream into a giant sober home.
That's a fact! And there's literally nothing you or I can do about it. I say play fair, allow them to redevelop the property. They will need parking so they don't use all our surface residential and business spaces on the streets, so building a parking garage make perfect sense. Even if it is 5 stories, due to the historical nature of the property they will have to make it look in the same style.
I would really like to know how many of these comments stating as "fact" that this will be just wonderful; you, me, and everyone will just love it once it is built; and changing zoning on every developer's whim is inevitable--are these coming from HH employees? The same way we have HH employees working on strategic boards that already tilt the game in their favor? And no conflict of interest is ever stated. Quite simply if we let these guys bulldoze over our right to representative government with more behind the scenes BS, influence and maybe kickbacks yeah, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THIS IS INEVITABLE. We still retain the right to vote and have a say in the government of our city. It's high time for the bullies to be sidelined. If you want spot zoning go back to Miami. And please take all your speculating buddies with you. Then go ahead: buy a beach, buy a government, have a ball. Just go. Far, far away.
Since the comment is anonymous and stated very confidently, may we assume that Hudson Holdings has already decided to demolish the Gulfstream?
Yes, they seem to be hitting hard on the prospect of demolishing this historic building. Must be Blackman and Szerdi with their disgusting propaganda?
I'm pretty sure HH wants to demo the Gulfstream, hence the neglect. They will hem and haw for years until its beyond repair (and just because its on the historic registry doesn't mean it can't be demolished, just goolge it, and in fact HH has demo'd historic structures in Delray, so they well know the maneuverings). It is a lot cheaper and easier to build a new hotel rather than renovate a neglected building which is the reason they've don no work on it and left it open to the elements. The City doesn't care either, since it doesn't enforce code on them.
@10:55, sadly I agree with you. And there is just too much influence with a former commissioner who this trio seems to like and with a former chair of the Historic board who has no problems cementing in our pool, a pool he uses several times a week, and building 3 different pools by his employer Hudson Holdings. If all of this is going on, what else do we need to know?
We need to know why the lawsuit brought by Laurel was dropped, and we need to know why you want the city to ignore a state law? Written by the way by your conservative friend. Skyscrapers? really. What a bunch of simpletons.
Who really cares what "you need to know." It's a state law that does not affect a Charter Amendment. Now who is the "simpleton?"
The zoning change is is to change it from Multi-family, which will not support a parking garage, even if it is two stories tall. So will you all get up there and oppose changing the zoning to keep anything from being done on the property?
I agree that a five story structure would fit in with the area of other 8 story buildings. It will not block the sun and breezes any more than the existing ones do now. It will help make the property more viable. I want to be able to go to the Gulfstream and have dinner before I die.
The law suit was dropped and you won't answer why. It appears it would be a loser. The post ablove @12;44 is totally a lie. We need a hotel in Lake Worth. I hope the zoning change is approved.
the lawsuit can be revived at any time if needed.
No one cares what you want--it is about what the voters want. Don't you get that Yet?
And why do you think the post at 12:44 is a lie? It is a valid opinion as yours is I would suppose.
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