Monday, June 22, 2009

In Lake Worth, it's ok to have bad taste as long as you know it's bad

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Is this really pretty?

The reasons why I like standards within a community--

Betty, Tom, and my good friend and sister PAC member, MaryBeth, whose house is purple and green if I recall and very cool, will disagree but actually, when it comes right down to it, I love Gated Communities. Gated communities are always beautiful and I always say that every time I see one, especially if it has a fountain out front. That will always get to me.

I like them not only for the sense of security you get but the community has set rules and standards that all homeowners must abide. You never have to live next to a slob. You never have to live next to a guy who runs down his house, paint chipping and fascia falling off, has weeds instead of a lawn, raises chickens, lets his dog run free and it undoubtedly finds your front lawn, or keeps his garbage out on the streets.

My personal goal would be to always have the community looking impeccable, beautiful and inviting. Landscaping is maintained, fertilized and all lawns are manicured and shrubs trimmed in well run communities. Trees are pruned when needed. There is a lot of attention to appearance. This is probably why I love living in a condominium community. It is run by people who care what the community looks like and there are rules and regulations by which everyone must live. That is why most people move into a condo. They don't want to live next door to that guy who never cuts his grass, throws wild parties and throws his mattress out on the street not even knowing his trash pick-up day.

A gated community is more peaceful and quiet and the communities tend to have very low crime. People put a top priority on beauty and security. There are color schemes that must be approved. And I say, thank God. You can not have a yellow colored house with red trim, as an example depicted above which is not Lake Worth. Thank God, again. Sometimes you have to have standards as there are some people with no taste (I'll be hearing from you on that one!) and it is always your bad luck that they move next door. Always. Standards ensure property values and enhance the overall appearance of the neighborhood.

Would you prefer this?
Somewhere up on N E Street I believe. Do you want to live next to this guy?

Or this?

To me, the most beautiful neighborhood area in our city is Vernon Heights.

If people would just take care of their properties even the wild colors might not be that offensive to me, but they DON'T! Right now, within the City of Lake Worth, the color standards for painting your house or business no longer exist.

When the paint standards were eliminated, it was all a pretense on individuality -- freedom of expression. It GOT you, didn't it? Sort of like Michael Singer's design at our beach--We want more green so let's design a survey to prove that's what the people want! It just gets at your heart strings.

What really was going on here when the city eliminated the paint standard was setting the plan in motion to cater to all those uninvited "guests" in our country who came from south of the border or just others who say they want to be "free"to do as they darn well please..."No siree, no one should have the right to tell me what color my house should be"...or those who want to call attention to themselves and got caught up in that individuality crapola. We all can fall for it.

Actually, I would kind of go for the multi-colored houses and the pink flamingo on the front lawn if the owners kept impeccable yards and took pride in their homes. Many of them don't.

The small, multi-colored cottages are really attractive-- but as learned at a City Commission meeting from one member of the public, grass is ONLY for the wealthy and she made the word "wealthy" sound like a swear word. It was the inflection in how it was said...wealthy, ugh...the implication being if you live like me you can be a part of my group, the people with inner knowledge, the only ones going to heaven. I am not sure if this citizen was against grass or the wealthy (I think it was both) but she was definitely only for her own preference of xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping? Do you want this?
Code should be called.
If I still lived in the house where I was raised, this is what I would be looking at on a daily basis. What is living under all those weeds?

or this? Directly adjacent to messy yard above.

We will soon be repainting our City Hall Chamber. What about a medium light lavender with light gray or white trim? Tasteful but colorful and it will go with our carpet and seats.

12 comments:

  1. Wow.. you are the only person that I have ever personally known that likes gated communities. They are a total nightmare of homogenization with a false sense of security totally lacking in any sort of character. I cringe when I drive through them. I have a few friends that live in them and most of us feel totally depressed in there. It feels artificial, its no different to me than any other housing project where everything looks the same, no sense of individuality and no freedom of expression. Lake worth may have blight areas but it also has massive diversity which attracts a lot of artists and creative types that make their properties unique and beautiful. It’s a charming little town. I have brought people from all over the globe through here and every one of them has commented on how unique it is especially for S. Florida. The overall view of S. Florida is gated communities and strip malls, they both fall into the same category of tacky.

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  2. Well, if you personally know me, then you know that I like people to have pride in their homes, in their city, but basically pride in themselves. Is this the same person who does not like grass? The wealthy?

    "Tacky" is how some treat this city and some with obviously awful taste--are too lazy to cut grass and get out and do yard work to any degree, pile up code infractions and who live here and ruin it for all the rest of us who want to live in a nice, clean unblighted city.

    So, wow!! Get in touch with the thousands who live in clean, manicured communities instead of like a pauper waiting for your next welfare check. Individuality is fine; bad taste is not. There is a difference. To put a gated community in the same category as a strip mall is laughable and you know it.

    You don't have to like "gated." Personally, I can't even afford to live in one but with all the crime going on, it would be nice. And it is not a false sense of security. Atlantis is gated and crime is nearly non-existent.

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  3. I love Vernon Heights, the houses on the golf course and lake. I'm a renter and hope one day to own a nice house with a pretty yard and hope my neighbors are respectful.

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  4. SAME COLORS AS SOME OF OUR HOUSES IN THE BAHAMAS....NEAT.....THINK IT LOOKS BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS

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  5. Lavender is all right with me.

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  6. The point really was colored houses would be fine, even if Lynn prefers gated, if people took care of their property. all you have to do is drive around and see the problem. Xriscaping doesn't help the overall look of our town because those who would neglect grass do the same with that.

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  7. It is a clash of civilizations here in LW. We are catering to the undocumented people coming here and allowing our city to go to hell.

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  8. If I had all the money in the world, I would live on the ocean in my own gated house. I never will so I do the best I have with what I've got. I do take care of my yard and keep my house painted and looking good. I have a riding mower so my kid can't complain when I ask him to cut.

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  9. I don't really care about what colors someone has for their house . I do think that it is very important to try to keep the property looking nice and up to code.Neighborhoods turn into slums one house at a time.Now if money was no object- I would live next to a national Forrest/swamp, on several thousand acres, with a spring and a spring run.The property would have to be within driving distance to a Walmart.Also , not too far from a hospital. However,in emergencies there would always be the helicopter available.The main compound would have security fences,and a moat. At night I would release the Dobermans. I'm really not that into neighbors. Katie Mcgiveron

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  10. CAN WE PLEASE JUST CLEAN UP THIS CITY? YOU CAN PAINT EVERY HOUSE SKY BLUE PINK IF PEOPLE WOULD JUST DO BASIC MAINTENANCE. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALL THIS BLIGHT.

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  11. Lynn there are many gated communities in Boynton where the crime is just as bad as here and I am certain that you would be able to afford to live in them. Living in a prefab village with every home looking the same is not my idea of living. I constantly wonder why those who hate it here so much bother to stay. There are many other places to live that dont have this kind of cultural diversity or if it is there you are able to keep yourself far away from it. I for one love the funky paint colors. It makes it fun.

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  12. Actually, the only thing wrong with this city are some of YOU who always want to make the WRONG assumption about someone else or can not read and comprehend. If you clicked on the links I provided, you would see, WITH YOUR OWN EYES, that gated communities are NOT all alike and certainly NOT in your cookie cutter mold. The gated communities of which I speak, and everyone else understood, are the communities like Atlantis, Ibis, etc.--not Section 8.

    For your information, I happen to love this city and that is why I am involved. And I am rather sure I have lived here longer than most. So because I call to your attention the deplorable condition of properties here, does not have to make you wonder why I stay here. It makes me wonder why YOU tolerate it. Cultural diversity is one thing. Living like a total slob is another.

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