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Yup--I'm going to be bitching about this for a very long time. It is an unbelievable mess right now but to even imagine that 162 spaces in our upper level parking area are GONE, is unimaginable.
People do go to the beach to GO TO THE BEACH...not to play on the grass and they want convenient parking. Greg Rice, saying he would have no problem walking up the dune, is one of the few exceptions. Just imagine thousands of people trampling on the grass and what it will look like a short time down the road.The City and its elected officials can screw the resident with the belief that eventually we can get used to just about anything--think Lucerne.
1/3rd the spaces at the top--higher cost--close the pool on some ridiculous reason--but the Atlantic Ocean is still free to swim. Now we're going to have people driving through a parking lot at the upper level with cars backing out onto them on both sides. Give that architect the Genius of the Day award.
Our beach property should have gone to a vote of the people.
Thanks Cara. Thanks Rene.
Money was burning in their pocket.
But even when issues go before the electorate, not everything is the will of the voter--not when you get new administrations and elected officials in place who have no idea of our history and/or don't care. SWAT did a referendum in 2005. It went to the ballot and won approximately 60/40 to save the Old Bridge property and dedicate this land as a city park. The city never spent one dime to improve this asset. They wanted to sell it to a developer for a highrise condo.
Now the city wants to turn over Old Bridge Park to the merchant's employees at the Casino so that they can park their cars and charge them $40 a month for each merchant vehicle with a special decal. Staff must have confused the word "park with "parking" lot. Fishermen (the public and among those we petitioned for) get 5 spaces. Residents with decal stickers get 55 spaces down near A1A. The worst part of this deal is that Palm Beach County has control over our beach for thirty (30 years) even though we have been paying on this Recreational Bond since it was voted in. It's our money but taxpayers of Lake Worth have ALL of the costs.
Unless you have an all terrain vehicle or precision 4-wheel drive, don't venture to the upper level for awhile...hazardous to your wheels and very possibly, your frame of mind.
Should we start calling it HOT DOG PARKING lot now?
ReplyDeleteYes, much thanks should be given to Laurence McNamara and his PAC for the referenda that got on the ballot. For 5 years, he and Mrs. McNamara paid for free food and drink for all of the people--not just the poor--ALL. There were many volunteers who gave of their time and donations to keep the spirit of democracy alive.
ReplyDeleteKudos to both of them and all who helped this worthy cause.
Its a construction zone, what do you expect it to look like? I'm sure there will be sidewalks or paths for people to walk up to the beach from the parking lot.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people come to the beach to put there feet in the sand and swim in the ocean, which is another good reason to close the pool. Who goes to the beach to go swimming in a concrete pond, fill it in and be done with it, total waste of money.
As for the parking lot "old bridge park", I fish there and launch my kayak from there time to time and can tell you it looks like something you'd see in Baghdad, not America. You can feed 50 people cheap hotdogs and burgers from Costco for $100, no biggie.
Polish Chris
You sound like a delightful fella.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Lynn
If you go to Kreusler Park you will just about always find people enjoying the grassy area there. I think some picnic benches and barbeques so people could cook out and eat there would be far better than the extra parking.
ReplyDeletePlease don't bite my head off for thinking this Lynn. But not everybody hates the idea of more green space near the beach.
LOL...my bark is a lot worse than my bite--
ReplyDeletehaving said that, we had picnic benches, etc. and I never saw anyone using them. RARELY EVER.
If you want grass, go next door to Kreusler Park.
The only people that just love the idea of taking out 162 parking spaces are those who DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH or rarely go there. Just a guess.
Hey Pollack--it is not just the hotdogs and the sodas and the water but there was a cost of extra cops and garbage removal. There was a lot of time organizing the event, getting the bands, the prizes for the kids for the fishing contest, etc. It cost quiet a bit and it's more than you ever did. How come your kayack hasn't tipped by now?
ReplyDeleteWhere were you for the past year?? McVoy, Golden and Mulvehill wanted it that way or they could have changed the design during their tenure. But NO.. they wanted a eco-friendly park and the heck with parking. This is not new. This has been hashed over many times at the commission meetings but no one wanted to listen or do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI guess you are talking to me? I agree with you and disagree with the direction of our beach redevelopment nothing new. I don't get turned off to people for one disagreement--it has to be a series of bad decisions like Clemens made, as an example. It does not diminish the fact that I do not approve of what is being done at our beach. Once it is complete, I am sure it will look lovely, however.
ReplyDelete