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Last night I changed my plans from attending the Lake Worth Democratic Club meeting to the Planning and Zoning board workshop with the Historical Preservation Board. After all the latest from the visionary Commission and the political hype regarding the P&Z, I felt my time would be better spent there to find out what's going on. Has the new city manager been compromised already? What does the P&Z really think of all the latest happenings?
Four members, the only ones left of the HRPB were to appear; two showed up. Wes Blackman was missing in action. There will be 4 vacancies on this board that must have so-called professionals by Statute. When you're trying to stack the boards with professionals, (your friends) you can see why a 5 member Planning & Zoning board would be preferred by commissioners with development (at any cost) interests.
As one person stated to me, "I find it ironic that the members of the P&Z turned up at the meeting having done it's homework on the 300 plus pages of backup - being prepared to discuss the comp plan or the LDRs yet the only 2 members of the historic board who came - one came without even a piece of paper to write on and the other looked at the agenda 10 minutes before the meeting.
I think the 'new commission' wants to write new LDRs with a new board of developing interests people. You heard Andy say - let's ask the developers what they want and write the ordinance to do want they want. And the scary part is I think he thinks that a perfectly fine thing to do.
Every time the LDRs or the master plan comes close to being passed someone throws a wrench into the wheel and stops it."
One commissioner on the P&Z said that the board was being treated like "excrement" by the city commission--referring to the visionaries, of course, and their latest decisions regarding the ZIP and qualifications of board members.
We really need to take politics out of our Comprehensive Plan Mr. Amoroso. This city is not for developers to become wealthy and it's not for 3 people to decide. This is all about the health of Lake Worth and its sustainability. And While you're at it, take politics out of board appointments if you really want to do the best thing for the people.
I'm with you no politicians (selfish and self-serving maybe even $$) in the comp plan. As Susan S. would rightfully say "of the people, by the people, for the people".
ReplyDeleteA couple of questions that need to be answered:
ReplyDelete1. Where's all the "political hype" you're talking about? You're the only one talking about the P&Z board.
2. You "think" the new commission wants to write new LDR's- have you asked any of them to confirm or are you just projecting your thoughts on them?
3. How do you know this mysterious commissioner on the P&Z that is being treated like excrement was referring to the "visionaries"? You stated "of course". Did you confirm that or is it more projecting? Maybe everybody treats Larry like excrement?
4. Don't you think when the cabal appointed their friends and political supporters to the P&Z board it was political? How is this any different? At least now there's a better chance the people making the decisions have an understanding of the job at hand and won't be followers like the board is now.
5. Unlike the readers of your blog most residents in the city are more comfortable with educated professionals, you know people that have worked hard to advance themselves making decisions as opposed to uneducated socialist liberals that think the city can be sustained with a bunch of unmaintained parks.
6. When the best commission ever held the majority you thought it was fine for 3 people to decide on everything. What's the difference now?
7. You've been asked this many many times and have yet to answer- which developers are getting wealthy off Lake Worth?
This crazy little town called Lake Worth. They just can't seem to get this comp plan done. They were ready to finish it in April 2009, but politics got in the way. Looks like we will be talking about it again April 2015
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, a "couple" usually means "two" not six.
ReplyDeleteYou continue to ask the same questions--you must live in a vacuum or only socialize with those who feel the same way as you--now that's scary.
I am the only person in this city writing on a perspective that I feel is honest. I am not the only person who feels this way.
As I have said, go beat up your Mother. Don't come here and insult my readers or me. Look in the mirror if you want to find someone to smack.
You at 2:35--you are one smart azz bitch.
ReplyDelete1. You want to know what stupid is? You obviously read this blog and you have to be the most naive or most idiotic person alive.
2. Are you on a board?
3. Do you live in College Park?
4. Do you go to school for those mentally challenged?
5. Or are you just plain stupid and nothing can be done about it? How many questions is that? Oh, I have one more--
6. Do you believe that anyone has a brain other than yourself and the rest of your cut-throat friends? Have you been around this city long enough to really know the score and to understand what exactly is going on right now?
I forgot to answer that one question from Mr. Personality--
ReplyDeleteWhen "my friends" (I don't run with any of them but I know honest people)appointed Wes Blackman to the HRPB Board and Chip Guthrie to the CRA, do you think they made those appointments based on politics or did they appoint people they thought were well qualified?
The volunteer city Boards were packed for years with the good ole boys who sold LW down the river. They are now back and eventually will be dominating our major boards again. What a damn shame for our town. For all you people who have become lazy and not showing up at commission meetings and not staying involved, you are part of the fault and why this has happened.
ReplyDeleteOh my my! This is getting heated! I'd like to check in here and make a couple of points. And frankly, it's hard to take people seriously when they use a post as an opportunity to name-call and treat others disrespectfully, but not to present facts that support a thoughtful, well-considered point about the future of our city.
ReplyDelete1. If the new commission did not want to alter the LDRs approved on first reading in some way, they would have approved a second reading. It's not likely that they want lower heights, so the logical assumption is that heights will increase. I also believe that the public benefit requirement will disappear or be watered down to be more beneficial to developers than to the residents of Lake Worth. I guess time will tell.
2. I look forward to the commission removing ALL board members who have not obeyed the law in our city. That will mean that at least one seat on the CRA held by a contractor who does work without pulling permits in LW will be opening up.
3. The problem with the professional qualifications has been pointed out over and over and it's not necessarily the "professional" or the "qualifications" that are the issue. The real problem is called "conflict of interest". This occurs when board members, for example:
a) buy property in an area that they know is being upzoned so they can benefit from their own votes
b) vote favorably for a condo project so they can make money selling them
c) vote favorably for a friend or associate in the development community to curry future favors or power
in my opinion, all of these have taken place in the past. This is how we ended up with a condo downtown and a lifeguard for mayor and an anarchist on the dais. Qualified professionals sold public land at a loss during the height of the real estate boom. Please note the barren wasteland that used to be the First Union Bank. Devastatingly stupid decision, that.
A good rule of thumb is not to "fix" something if it is not broken. The current P & Z, along with staff, has done a very good job. What, exactly, have they done wrong that can be attributed to a lack of professional qualifications? This is the question that I would like to have answered. And yes, when I need surgery, I want a qualified doctor, etc etc. Let's not belabor that rather base point that we all surely agree on.
Rather, let's look around our city, county, and state to see what happens when you put "qualified professionals" in charge of planning and developing communities. I've lived here for a long time, and this county has been ruined by over-development driven by qualified professionals. Lake Worth will be no different if we're not careful. Following this model on our P & Z will yield the same results, make no mistake about it.
This is how we ended up with a condo downtown and a lifeguard for mayor and an anarchist on the dais. Qualified professionals sold public land at a loss during the height of the real estate boom. Please note the barren wasteland that used to be the First Union Bank. Devastatingly stupid decision, that.
ReplyDeleteThe above is mostly true and I appreciate your comments. However, we had Mayor Drautz who was an ethical person and had nothing to do with any of the corrupt decisions here. He was certainly as qualified to be a mayor here as anyone else. Just because someone was an attorney or a salesman or a postal worker, doesn't make them any more qualified or any less. We ended up with Cara Jennings because the voters saw her intelligence and her respect for all human beings. Hard times hit us and her ideals were put up to ridicule with some pretended fear of her bringing down the collapse of our city.
The First Union Bank deal was made by "qualified" people on our P&Z. It was corrupt as were many of the deals made back then.
My fear is that the city is going backwards to the days of under the table dealings. That is the fear of many of us.
anony at 2:35 question number 3. The reason why everyone knows it was Pam, Scott and Andy is because they are the ones who voted down the ZIP and voted for the P&Z members to have licenses in some profession. Obvious unless you are the poster at 2:35 and just want to dish your crap here.
ReplyDeleteYou slam the person who posted at 2:35, and then post the comment of anon at 3:13?
ReplyDelete3:13 obviously has a huge bias and a nasty form of prose.
Are we in College Park the object of hatred in LW now?
I was very aware of that sentiment during the previous 3 Commissions - cara and her group hated everything about College Park.
It was their (extreme) way or the highway.
I thought maybe now things would be better and that we could stop feeling unwanted in our town.
But now I'm hearing it all again, on your blog.
I think it is sad for all of us in College Park - we love Lake Worth, have chosen to live here and do not want LW to become WPB nor to have high rises.
Smart Development is NOT a bad word.
Livestock in our backyards is bad for the town on the whole.
That you all believe Amoroso or the Mayor might be just out for themselves and do dirty deals with developers just tells me u don't know them, or their foresight for our town.
I know bad deals were done in the past...but this is now, and lessons were learned. To be continuously harping and slamming on what you all think 'might' come in the future - to be deathly afraid of the word 'development' - and to not see the difference btw now, and back then is in my opinion a sad state of affairs for LW.
I have no doubt this post will stir the fires of the naysayers - After all, I'm from (that dirty word) College Park.