PR for Save Our Neighborhood, Inc.

Victory for the residents of Lake Osborne Heights and the political action committee, Save our Neighborhood, Inc.

Lake Worth, Florida, August 25, 2009

In a special meeting held today, the Lake Worth City Commission voted to repeal two city ordinances that would have allowed MF 20 zoning (20 units per acre) into the single family Lake Osborne Heights neighborhood. The undeveloped 4.02 acre property that was the subject of today’s Commission action now reverts to its previous zoning of “County Agricultural” (five units per acre).

Katie Mcgiveron, Chair of Save our Neighborhood, Inc. and Vice President of the Residents of Lake Osborne Heights Neighborhood Association said, “This Commission recognized the absolute necessity of protecting the single family neighborhoods of Lake Worth when they repealed these two ordinances. I will be forever thankful to Commissioners Cara Jennings, Commissioner Retha Lowe, Mayor Jeff Clemens, Commissioner Joanne Golden and Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill.”

Since 2005, this property has been the subject of intense debate by neighbors demanding that their way of life not be destroyed by up zoning and inappropriate development. In 2005, the Save Our Neighborhood, Inc. PAC collected over 3,000 signatures city wide that wanted the single family zoning kept in place. Former Lake Worth city attorney Larry Karns refused to forward the petitions to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections for verification citing a State Statute that you could not petition on less than 5 acres. A battle in the circuit court then ensued between Save Our Neighborhood, Inc. and the City. Save Our Neighborhood won its case in the circuit court, but the decision was challenged by the city of Lake Worth and the case moved up the judicial ladder into the Appellate court which was then overturned.

“Comprehensive plan changes are always political decisions. With this present City Commission, they recognized the value of the single family residential neighborhoods in the city of Lake Worth. Therefore, they rescinded the up zoning and land use change on the Sunset parcel approved by a previous Commission,” said Lesley Blackner, attorney for Save Our Neighborhood.

Save Our Neighborhood, Inc., 2121 Collier Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33461

Pd. Pol. Adv. Paid by Save Our Neighborhood, Inc. PAC