What he didn’t say about the height referendum in Downtown Lake Worth--The Height of Hypocrisy
- The Commission disallowed the referendum to be voted upon in November 2012 on the pretense that the public had to “get educated.”
- The Commission pushed the vote to March 2013 to give themselves time to sabotage it.
- In March, the residents voted and won by 56%. (He did say that).
- The Public had plenty of time to get educated and the city commission did everything within its power to ensure that they were.
- The commission allowed an illegal banner to be erected on the Gulfstream Hotel right before a major weekend in the city—the Street Painting Festival. Not only were The Friends of the Gulfstream (two people who were on major boards that have influence on what our city looks like, Loretta Sharpe and Greg Rice) were told to remove it, but they erected it twice. They never were fined for their insurrection. This all was done within weeks of the election.
- A complaint was filed with the Florida Election Commission that did fine Loretta Sharpe who was Chair of the Friends of the Gulfstream PAC for her banner. The disposition of that complaint comes up next month in Tallahassee.
- This PAC made the election about the Gulfstream Hotel, pulling at the heart strings and lying to the voters. Of course, it was not about that at all. The Gulfstream Hotel was/is protected under the Height Limit Charter Amendment; it can be restored or rebuilt to its current height. Any expansion to the Gulfstream can be built to four stories.
- The commission kept telling us that we needed to build higher to attract a developer in our downtown and that we needed the tax base. Any taxes in this area goes to the CRA and the taxpayers will pick up the cost of services. Developers haven't come to Lake Worth in a half century to want to build anything but affordable housing, a legal scam on the US government.
- The commission would not codify the results of the election and delayed the outcome hoping to find a loophole to overturn the results. Some friend of William Waters came through in the much needed delay of the opposition and this city commission.
- H.B. 537 was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott just a few weeks ago that said referendums were not allowed for development orders, Comprehensive Plan changes or Map changes.
- The relevant question is--did the 2011 and 2012 versions of the legislation preclude local citizens' rights to vote in their community on heights. If it did not, an amendment to the legislation has probably no legal basis. Courts have regularly "shot down" post-facto legislation.
- The referendum in Lake Worth involved a charter change. Heights were already addressed in the charter.
- The opposition, as well as Andrew Marra, says that limiting heights discourages development. The 56 percenters say that is hogwash.
- Those who voted for height limitations in our downtown say that they did not want any more buildings over 4 stories in the downtown and that developers had 100 years to build higher buildings and didn’t.
- Although Mr. Marra did not like the vote outcome, 56% of the voters did.
- Although the majority city commission did not like the outcome of the vote, they ended up getting their way by subverting the will of the people with a delay that they say is in their favor…the public be damned.
- The commission, 100% created this problem and should have moved the results forward immediately. That was their responsibility.
- The commission, right now, could honor the vote by making a comprehensive plan change reflecting the will of the people. They haven’t. They won’t.
- This commission does not care about what the people want only what they think we should have. This is not democracy.
21 comments:
This commission has got be the most arrogant in the history of LW.
Gosh this will suck when Karma
comes round and bites our reps in the butt! Remember Seven/50 (the 7 county regional plan) wants 4 people to make the decisions for US - PBC alone is 1.3 Million People. They think we don't count - well neither will they! See there are OTHERS who think they Know Better then OUR REPS!
This Is Tyranny and the reps are UNFIT to serve due to Ignorance or Arrogance!
"In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."
"For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:"
"For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever."
The Lake Worth citizens
that were betrayed by
the current City Commission
should mount a petition for the
recall of the commissioners that voted against the majority
of the voters. The referendum
to recall could be on the next commission vote in March.
the worst commission ever
This is typical Palm Beach Post liberal leanings and never understanding the entire big picture or in the case of higher buildings, what really is is at stake in our city. WCE and the WEE (worse editorial ever). I give it about a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10.
I do agree with Marra when he says this:
... we really don’t like Tallahassee’s decree that such votes are no longer permitted. Stifling citizens’ voices on these issues leaves only the voice of elected officials susceptible to special interests. Kind of like state legislators.
"Charters of Freedom"
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
weetha, we live in 2013 not 1789. you may have something to say, but it is very hard to understand.
You really have to wonder why this commission went against the people's vote here. Change it. That's what you should do, commissioners. Stop listening to Loretta, Mary and Greg who seem to try and influence every decision you make. You had 56% of the voters who told you they wanted 45 feet there. You aren't stupid, are you? None of you are representing me. You have to be about the most corrupt and devious commission ever, a new acronym. CDCE.
From everything I've heard up till now, the current commission would have little problem lowering the heights in every part of the city except the area East of Federal and between 2nd North and 1st South.
In that area, they want the heights to reflect what is already there and help to promote a pro-development incentive for a hotel.
What I hear from the "YES" people is "no... we want it all to be lowered."
You probably won't post this and call it lies. I don't see any other posts above with reason.
The Commission RAISED the heights on our comp plan. When they did that, we who want a low-rise city said NO. The people said NO. Why is that so difficult to understand?
I personally don't give a fig about what the commission wants. This is NOT about them.
We do not want any more buildings over 4 stories unless it is the Park of Commerce.
The people spoke. The commission now needs to do the right thing. They won't. Therefore I hope that THE PEOPLE do the right thing in March.
The commission even lowered the heights in the Park of Commerce from 100 feet to 45 and you didn't agree with their decision in that regard. What did the advisory board advise the commission in that area of town?
I can't speak for all the other 44 percenters, but I was in favor of what Marra, who is also a resident of Lake Worth, said about the area East of Federal.
You have written opinions since the vote and they are ALL against ANY type of development. It is always negative against providing affordable housing, or the single family home is too big.
I asked a while back just what new development either proposed or built in the recent history that you approved of. There was no response.
Lynn could you tell us in what area of the city were heights raised in the new comp plan and in what areas they were lowered? I think that's important for folks to know.
I did not publish your previous comment because it was full of DISTORTIONS and just plain WRONG on many accounts. SO IS THIS COMMENT OF YOURS.
I am NOT against ANY type of development. I am AGAINST more affordable housing. We have enough. I have NEVER said that the single family house is too big. Where ever did you come up with that one? I 100% believe in the single family residential neighborhoods.
The park of commerce at 100 feet I would agree to. That is where we will get our tax base and it will ALL go to the City, not the CRA. Why the commission decided to go lower is a mystery.
The heights on the POC were probably lowered because the multi-phase plan that was delivered a few years ago was based on 45' heights. I remember the commission asking why 45', and the consultants said that's what they were told. The study came back when Varela was mayor, I believe.
I think that any grants or assistance we ask for with the POC has to be supported by a "shovel-ready" plan, and that's the plan.
Today's editorial and it's title Height of Hypocrisy also could be titled chutzpa or audacity . Do these four elected officials think they are now Kings and Queen of our City and that the voters just don't know? What are the backgrounds of these four? One a former stock boy, another one, sells magazines and newspapers, a part time cook, and the other an Architect who screwed up our Casino building and parking lot and they believe that the Voters should only do as they are told not what they believe in. They think the only ones who are right are themselves, and the voters don't have any rights.
They ignored their own laws in regards to signs, political literature, because they are Kings and Queens.
Today's newspaper referring to the election laws starting July 1 2013, also explained why they filed early which gives them the advantage over their opponents because they will be allowed to collect money in a way that their opponents can't. July 1 also required all elected and board members to file a financial disclosure
statement. How many do you think complied with that law ?
Funny how when the election was over all we heard was We Won, The People have Spoken, and know that Tallahassee has spoken all we hear is Bitching on your part.
It is over, it is dead, Get It.
Anon above I could not agree more. The City Attorney has said this is Null and Void. Let's move on.
He is one legal opinion, anonymous, in a sea of many.
Lynn, go find one, and Hire him, bring a Lawsuit, you people always do.
It's the PAC's call, not mine. Hope they do something.
Who are "you people?" Ya know, if it were not so pathetic and the same people behind the development crowd in this city,I would laugh. Do you feel that the right to file a lawsuit should be taken away from the people too? You just okayed that our vote be taken away? Do you want to be under communism or something? A dictatorship is ok with you as long as you are in power? Is that it?
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