In the news

Lang Sr? Jr? Who cares, it's all in the family

John Lang is in the news today speaking about Mojitos, the bar that can only be opened until 2am and wants to be a nightclub that closes at 5am, and has been turned down by our Planning and Zoning Board to be a nightclub, but defies our ordinances and holds itself out to the public as a nightclub anyway.

Lang, (Sr? Jr?) one of the owner's of the Sunset parcel, used to be heavily involved in the Mojitos' property as his grandparents were the first owners. John Lang sold it to the present owner. He made a statement as follows, “If my memory serves me correctly, I did not close the bar at 2am, typically keeping it open until well past 3am on weekends.”

So, Lang learned years ago how to jerk the City of Lake Worth around by ignoring ordinances and trying to re-write the book. He got away with breaking our Ordinance. Now, he is insistent on doing that in the Lake Osborne Heights neighborhood, developing a parcel with much higher density than the Comprehensive Plan stipulates in a single family residential neighborhood. He keeps crying Bert J. Harris when it does NOT apply. He keeps crying about how much money he has spent.

Mohitos hired Dennis Koehler as its lawyer, a former Palm Beach County Commissioner and someone I respect, but he is playing lawyer. He plays to win.

So, today Lang makes a statement favorable to Mojitos' and its desire to remain opened until 5am, thinking that perhaps that will make a difference because he kept the bar opened past what the law allowed.

Yes, he bought the Sunset property believing that he would get favorable zoning because he is a favorite son and he trusted the politics of the day. He wants his way because, well, he’s always been allowed to have it.

He is, afterall, a businessman and a developer first.