Commissioner Andy Amoroso is calling for a special meeting this Thursday, March 8, in order to "discuss" the duties of the Community Relations Board. Also to be discussed, will be the qualifications of members of the Planning & Zoning and Historic Preservations Boards. I have already talked about the CRB enough so this is just a few comments on the planning & zoning board and the CRA which is not up for discussion on Thursday.
If you recall, during his campaign Amoroso said that there were unqualified people on the Planning & Zoning and Historical Preservation Boards. He did not clarify this remark but we assume he meant that there were non-professionals in the planning, development or architectural field who were on these Boards. What he also might have meant was that this Board was asking and demanding certain standards and some developers had problems with them. Some of his supporters complained about the P&Z's direction that was looking out for Lake Worth per our code, etc. They were not happy that we now have a Board watching the store for ALL of the people, not the few wanting to come here with the only goal of making money. He did not approve of this...not sure why as he was on the Community Redevelopment Board and his qualifications were never revealed to us for someone to oversee millions of taxpayer money other than he owns a shop in the CRA district.
The CRA, a launching path to Amoroso becoming commissioner, is a Board that should have much more oversight. However, as an independent authority with control of funds in their areas of operation, right now it has a $23 million NSP2 Grant that is burning a hole in their pocket. In fact, there is a ground-breaking ceremony this Friday for another townhouse project on Lucerne, a project that came before them allowing them to spend millions of that Grant and more "affordable" housing.
Recently, even William Waters has wondered about some of the decisions of past Planning & Zoning boards regarding some of the decisions made. Even Wes Blackman, admitted in the joint meeting that some mistakes were made in approving some of the townhouse projects. Right now we have a planning & zoning board that is extremely conscientious in everything that they do. When you start packing these boards with professionals with developer interests, you are only going to have one point of view moving forward.
Advisory boards are established by special ordinance with their tasks reflecting community concerns. These bodies gather information on issues, hear arguments, weigh values, and recommend action to the commission. Such boards may be permanent or may be assigned only one specific task such as the sub-committee recently voted on at the Community Relations Board to investigate Panagioti Tsolokos who was recently removed for what it considered unseemly behavior--he was arrested for driving without a license and for being a self-proclaimed anarchist although no where in the Ordinance does it mention anything of this nature as a reason for dismissal or being removed as Chair.
Here in Lake Worth our Planning & Zoning Boards have the assistance of professional and clerical staff. William Waters, Sustainability Manager and a planner, is at every P&Z meeting as is legal and clerical assistance. The meeting is recorded live. It is one of the most important boards in this city. Anyone who is appointed must become familiar with our City Codes and the Comprehensive Plan and this present Board has done that.
The only qualifications by Ordinance for the P&Z are:
Members of the Planning & Zoning board shall be appointed from the residents and electors of the City who shall be knowledgeable concerning the functions of municipal government and interested in the furtherance and promotion of planning and zoning matters, preservation, stewardship, and sustainability, and municipal development, in keeping with the health, safety and welfare of the citizens and integrating social and environmental equity in future planning efforts. Board members shall hold no other city office or position.
If there is any Board that should be discussed, it is the CRA. Sunset the Community Relations Board and a few other boards that are unnecessary.
16 comments:
His own weak qualifications and educational background create his desire to question the qualifications of others.
He is attempting to destroy the collegiality reached by the 2 boards and the commission at the golf course re LDRs.
I imagine the hidden agenda is Maxwell's desire for greater height.
How do you make the connection between unqualified people on the P&Z Board and Maxwell's alleged desire for greater height?
Most of the people currently on the P&Z board were appointed for political favors and are totally unqualified to make decisions. If you can't see that but scream politics every chance you get there's some kind of bias there.
Why should the CRA be discussed if they are the only board getting anything done? Because you don't like what it is they're doing? Rubbish!
I have mixed feelings about this. While it makes sense to have "professionals" on the P&Z board, the real estate and developer world are just too small. If you have a bunch of developers and real estate agents on the board, as has been the case for many years in the past, the risk is just too high that too many concessions will be given to friends on the board or board members will end up profiting from projects that they supported or voted for.
I think there should be a healthy mix of people on the P&Z board and the historic preservation board and it shouldn't be loaded with the developer crowd. Someone should be looking out for the historic properties, the laws that are in place for a reason and those laws should be enforced, too many concessions are bad for planning and zoning.
I think it is important to point out that the requirements to have people experienced in construction, architecture, urban planning, etc., were only removed in 2010. That was presumably to allow some of the current members to be appointed.
The Urban Lofts project being described as "townhouses" to disguise their true intentions to be affordable "live/work" studios with living space above, does a dis-service to CRA's push to help make Lake Worth a destination for the arts community. They are not "double stacked", are not 3 stories, and don't look palatial.
Fortunately, the second half of the NSP-2 grant with its very narrowly defined requirements cannot be spent on anything but housing. And that housing must be offered to a narrowly defined group of qualified people.
While volunteering at the CRA booth at the Street Painting Festival, I was very pleased to meet two participants in the program. Their families will be moving into Brand New Energy Efficient Houses, will be owner occupiers of real estate hopefully joining their Neighborhood Association to make a positive difference in their neighborhood, and paying approximately $400- $500 per month for Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance.
I am as happy for them as they are happy for the opportunity to participate. I wish more people knew of the programs offered by Habitat for Humanity and Adopt-A-Family.
Since I was appointed to the CRA, I have asked for input from anyone who has concerns about the way this Federal Stimulus Money is being spent. I have gotten very positive feedback and have become more proud of what our Staff and previous boards have accomplished.
Our most recent endeavors, of which I have taken part, revolve around creating a public fitness park in the Tropical Ridge neighborhood and naming it to give identity to the neighborhood, much like Sunset Ridge, Bryant, and South Palm. We have also started the engineering to provide broadband access to much of the NSP-2 area which will help many more people than just those in the NSP project.
I still invite anyone with positive ideas or serious concerns as to how we are carrying out the mandate to SPEND THIS MONEY in Lake Worth.
Chip Guthrie
Board Member
Lake Worth CRA
bguthrie@lakeworthcra.org
561-719-6696
Thanks, Chip. You guys are spending the CRA grant money in record fashion.
This blog was really about Amoroso believing that certain members of the P&Z are unqualified. I happen to disagree with him even based on the old requirements. Even when you look at the supposed professions of the current members, some are so incomplete and leads someone to believe that one member, Mr.McNamara as an example, is nothing more than a retired old man who tinkers around counting his marbles. This is so far from the truth.
A case can be made for or against any member depending upon what side of politics you are coming from. I believe the average citizen in this city has a very good idea of what they would like our city to look like. We told them several years back during the master plan process. From there, you make sure that anyone coming before you on P&Z abides by the Plan and our vision. No concessions over and over again. Crony politics should be out of the equation as it finally is now. I like this P&Z Board, its honesty and integrity.
The 1.2 million dollar master plan, that 370 residents that were involved in the master plan process hardly over rides the Charter amendment, all the voting residence of lake worth voted for which was 65 feet east of Dixie, and 100 feet west of Dixie, what happened to that charter amendment.
Do you really want 10 story buildings West of Dixie?
I guess you had better ask William Waters as he is the Planner and he is the one proposing the heights within Lake Worth that the Commission, the P&Z and the Historic Preservation Board agreed to. There are solid and concrete reasons for the heights he has proposed.
This is nothing more than political cronyism hiding behind the lofty words "qualified individuals". Shame on you, Commissioner Amoroso. If you are SO WORRIED about "qualifications" get rid of all the boards and HIRE "qualified" people.Why are you wasting valuable time with this crap? How about getting that long promised electrical audit under way?Stupid me, I thought that the Commission finally had a balance between the naked chicken people and the growth whores.It's political games as usual. The regular people of Lake Worth who have a lot to offer need not apply to a board unless they fit a certain political agenda. The citizens of Lake Worth get screwed,AGAIN!Sick,Andy .Katie Mcgiveron
Lynn if Mr. Waters even hinted at 10 story buildings you would be screaming bloody murder. But remember it is what the people want and passed. Yes if it means ringing money in to the Tax Base, I am all for it. Besides do you thing that the Towers is ugly?
The Towers is not an example of fine architecture, that is for sure. The Towers was built for the poor elderly decades ago before we had much of planning and zoning in place. Do you remember the old casino and its look? Pretty dreadful. I would most definitely NOT want any more buildings of this height ANYWHERE in our city other than the Park of Commerce. We don't have the resources to support more density nor do we have the money to support infrastructure, public safety or any other public service.
Any city can put anything on a ballot and there will always be a certain amount of people who will vote "yes." That is a given. That yes vote is difficult to defeat. People like to believe their government when they tell us "this is what you need." We are still idealistic especially all those who don't get involved and trust their elected officials. What a pity.
Well, wait a second Lynn. A Charter Amendment is not something taken lightly. I was here then and voted FOR the amendment which had merit at the time.
I do take offense to a small group of people who are tasked to envision what our city will look like in years to come. Opposing those of us who took the time to research the issue and vote to increase height limits West of Dixie Hwy. The height limit East of Dixie was NOT changed or raised, but we affirmed that it should STAY 65 ft.
But who are we.... just ordinary citizens who don't know as much as the few "concerned residents who want to keep Lake Worth a small town"?
How much of a majority do you need to change our Charter?
Wait another second anonymous-- You can keep comparing what our land use was years ago or even back when we took it away from the Indians--natural resources are a precious commodity and in order to be sustainable, we can't over-build. We are already the most dense city around and you want more? For a tax base? We already know that it costs our city more to support a residence than it gets in advalorem. We need more commercial development. We have the entire Dixie corridor. Get going. Do some research here.
I'm sure you'll say I'm wrong.... but it was the commercial aspect of the Charter Amendment that proposed making the blocks between Dixie Hwy and the Railroad Tracks much more commercial and allowing the new heights in that area specifically. The idea was, and is still, that the area is heavily blighted with a mix of industrial, commercial, residential rentals and home owner/occupied. The last is the most scarce.
So we did address both the Dixie Corridor AND the density issues.
But the MOST IMPORTANT THING was that we, the tax paying voting residents of Lake Worth, and not a few people who were heavily influenced by the "anti-gentrification" crowd, voted on this and actually changed our Charter.
If you don't like the Charter and its mandate for an internal auditor, you don't ignore it.... you propose to change it.
If you don't like the height limits we overwhelmingly agreed to and put in in our Charter, propose your "responsible growth" amendment so we all have the chance to be wrong like we were on Amendment 4.
Circumventing our Charter is NOT the way to go. Whether YOU think it is the right way or not.
Thank you for some intelligent comments.
Just one question for you--Do you ever believe that circumstances change and therefore laws have to change? What about the Amendments to our Constitution? Even that document is not cut in stone.
We are built out, residentially speaking, in Lake Worth. This has nothing to do with Cara Jennings as you allude. This has everything to do with "Change I can believe In" and if you put this in front of the people today, would it stand up? People want a small town feel. I am not even for TOD's and certainly do not want high rises on the rail road tracks. No one has convinced me that anyone would want to buy there. Just like the Lofts going up--very close to the train tracks. The developer wins in this one.
Amendment 4 was not perfect but it certainly would have helped in runaway growth and urban sprawl within the State of Florida. Also, the Supermajority was a good amendment as well that was never on a fair playing field in this city politically speaking.
You are absolutely right that when circumstances change, we must adjust. While we did get the amount of votes needed to change the Charter, that doesn't mean that there was no opposition to the increased building heights West of Dixie. What is interesting though, is that there was no one screaming for lowering the heights allowed (65 ft) East of Dixie until "circumstances changed" (Mr. Rogers would say "Can you say 'Lucerne'?")
So the big building in the middle of town that got all kinds of waivers for parking and setbacks and it's architecture changed "circumstances" and got a whole bunch of people's panties in a wad.
That is what I believe got some people to ignore our Charter instead of change it. Sort of like the "pregnant pig" State Charter Amendment.
In my opinion, you'd have a good shot at changing our Charter BACK and placing the new height restrictions into the Charter due to the change in attitude here.
But THAT would be the proper way to do it. Not to pass an ordinance which does not and cannot supersede our Charter. What would you say if McVoy had the support to pass an ordinance that we do away with the internal auditor position? He did have Golden on his side. And your BCME didn't want one looking over her shoulder with all her "award winning" alternative accounting methods.
Our Charter is our Constitution.
Our Charter- and you are right it is our constitution- is a limit beyond which the people must be consulted, different from zoning which addresses building characteristics such as height and density in various specific areas.
Lower heights can be prescribed in zoning, as the Charter addresses only the maximum allowable heights, disregarding other issues.
Having visited thousands of Lake Worth citizens in their doorways over the past ten years, I was made fully aware that the great majority of them are here because of the low profile, single family home community that now exists. This unique characteristic sets us apart from Ft. Lauderdale, WPB, Boca, and Miami,to name a few.
The overdevelopment of the early years of this century caused the financial crisis under which our entire country still suffers.
Ms. Linda Davis of the P and Z works for the property appraiser and is an expert on the costs and effects of development. She regularly reminds us that residential development does not pay for itself, commercial development breaks even, and industrial development is the one of the three that actually is a plus for any city's bottom line.
Some of our Commissioners will do well to be aware of this before they are lobbied to vote for expanding our residential density.
The developers' siren song of increased tax base rings hollow in relation to additional residential construction. Protection of our unique assets is the proper mission of our Planning and Zoning board.
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