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"Coalition OK with few condos"
That was the headline in today's Palm Beach Post. Andrew Abramson was writing about the huge condo project on North Flagler Drive. This project is in opposition to the City's Comprehensive Plan that only allows 164 units being built in that location. The residents in the immediate area, after taking beating after beating, have compromised with the developer and the city and now say that he can proceed with the development but drop 50 more units making it a 350 unit project. The response of the developer?--"We can't make a profit if we do that". Where have you heard that before?
Lately, we have been hearing that from all the naysayers on keeping the City of Lake Worth a small low-rise city and limiting heights to 35 and 45 feet in our downtown strip. They have fallen into the ridiculous and bogus claim that a developer will not want to build here if we restrict the heights in our downtown. What the real reason is and they don't want to admit, a developer will not be able to make as much money; that the developer will not compromise the potential profit that he wants--no way, no how, at the expense of everyone else.
Developers have a big lobby. The poor resident who lives nearby has little time and no money to fight developers or City Hall. When you have city commissions siding with the development side against its own citizens, there is no way residents can win. Pressure is put on them to compromise and they still get less than they deserve.
West Palm Beach City Commissioner, Shanon Materio, wants the project inspite of what the residents say or what the Comprehensive Plan says. This is just another example of abuse, intimidation and a city commission placating to developers at the expense of their city and those who reside in it and pay the taxes...three people who won't listen to the residents without battle after battle, intimidation after intimation, name-calling and worse..
8 comments:
You should have done a better job on passing amendment 4
I bet people who elected her regret it now. So typical of so many elected officials, I am sure the developers got to her with promises of favors and future campaign funding, etc. I am not a fan of her or their business in Lake Worth, they, they kiss up and act like they do so much for the city and neighborhood, but they have other self serving motives and I am afraid they are not as sincere as they act, time will tell. Hopefully now she won't get re-elected. So many politicians are so self serving, West seems good, but most fall into the trap of greed, power, and corruption, Shanon has already had a lot of all of this in her family as we know from her dad. How many WPB comm are in jail or were for their self serving corrupt ways now?
" Shanon Materio, wants the project inspite of what the residents say or what the Comprehensive Plan says. "
Shanon Materio was appointed, not elected, to fill the seat of the late Bill Moss.
What do you bet that the Terrible Trio & their supporters (which includes Materio) --those who want more height East of Feberal-- have more in mind than the Gulfstream Hotel?
I think they can't wait to see our Intracoastal shoreline look more like West Palm Beach.
Why not find a "good business" reason to sell the doesn't-pay-for-itself LW Golf Course & build luxury highrise condos there? Followed by a new highrise that overlooks Bryant Park. That's their real vision for Lake Worth, in my opinion.
Commissioner Materio did not say she wanted this project in the city of West Palm Beach. Nor has she voted in favor of it as yet. She has however been working with the 9 nieghborhood presidents to make sure that their wishes are heard. What she did say and the paper mentioned this, is that something is needed in the northwood area to generate revenues to maintain infrastructure and safety.If you want to know what Commissioner Materio's thoughts are on this just call her.She is very friendy and accessible. I did.
ACCORDING to the paper, Materio said that this project will bring life to the northend (does that sound like she disapproves of these huge twin towers?) and that Moffett was the only one who said she will vote the will of the neighborhood leaders.
This is what I don't understand, why does a project like the North Flagler project even get to the point that the WPB commission is going to vote on it.
This property was zoned, BEFORE the developer bought it, for a certain density (164 units). Related is proposing a project with 397 units. It boggles my mind that the WPB zoning laws can just be disregarded and a huge/tall project can be plopped down in the middle of a single family home neighborhood. Related is asking for a minor variance for a couple more units, its asking the City (which seems fully in favor of it) to more than double what is permitted.
This is why I think we need our height amendment, there is just too much back room shenanigans going on between developers and elected officials.
This says it all. The comp Plan means nothing!
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