One of the Boynton Beach commissioner's told a citizen opposed to the 4 story Holiday Inn project near their residence, "Get a lawyer." Apparently citizens spoke out at the commission meeting for an hour with complaints. It doesn't matter what citizens think anymore, not to elected officials anyway. If it's in the Zoning Code, it will happen.
Take Lake Worth as an example. We even had an election to change the Charter on heights and this commission consisting of Scott Maxwell, Pam Triolo, Andy Amoroso and John Szerdi didn't like the results. Then some friend of the Sustainability Director whispered in their ear--"Guess what, I think there is some legislation coming down the pike in three months that might be relevant to your position and if signed by the governor, you can throw the election results right down the toilet and tell all those citizens to take a hike." So what did the city do? They held up the results for three months to see what would happen.
Essentially, that is what this commission did to the Lake Worth citizens who won the vote--told them to "get a lawyer." Residents shouldn't have to hire lawyers to fight city hall but it is getting more and more that way as power driven elected officials don't listen and don't give a fig and are desperately seeking tax base, dreaming up ways to do it all at the expense of the resident.
There is this mindset that more development is good; anything else is bad and our city boards, especially the Planning & Zoning and Historic Resource Preservation boards, are packed with people with this mindset, some even registered lobbyists involving development.
16 comments:
Is there a lawsuit? I want our downtown to stay small. These commissioners really are disgusting.
Lynn, do I see you in that group?
LOL. No, I have enough to think about right here in LW. I do think that is Scott Maxwell over there on the left, however. :)
Whose toilet is that?
"... the Planning & Zoning and Historic Resource Preservation boards, are packed with people with this mindset, some even registered lobbyists involving development."
Quite a declaration. Who, pray tell?
You, or somebody on this blog wrote that this hotel is getting built and its only four stories, and that if Boynton can have a four story, why can't Lake Worth.
And the increased tax base our Mayor and Commissioners seek comes only from development outside the CRA districts; development costs in CRA districts will be borne by the taxpayers, and the additional tax revenue provided by any building will go to the CRA.
11:49--the toilet belongs to someone in the 55.86% who voted for 4 story buildings in our downtown.
This blog was about elected officials treating the public they serve like chit--not 4 story hotels, although if Boynton can do it, so can LW. Good point, anonymous at 1:48.
You didn't answer the question regarding who on those boards is a registered lobbyist for developers.
You are an astute reader. It was. This particular project was originally approved to be larger, 5 stories I think. The developer voluntarily reduced the height. What's missing in this blurb is that it is one some 4 acres of land, a minute detail that if lots that size were available in coastal Lake Worth, we wouldn't need the height to fit a standard size hotel.
What is also telling is how these residents are against this development even though it is "low rise".
Make NO MISTAKE, the recent spat about keeping to 45 feet was only grudgingly agreed to by some who wanted only two or less stories to ever be built in our little struggling city.
Let's all just sit back and watch how they come out of the woodwork opposed to improving our infrastructure. Because that too will increase the ability to develop and re-develop our town.
This city needs to knock down about 1/3 of the structures West of Dixie and rebuild.
The Charter Amendment was for four (4) stories in our downtown...not 2, not 1 not 3 not 6.
The reason why those at Leisureville are unhappy is that it is being built right next door to their community. The streets will be widened. The traffic will increase. They believe that it would be more appropriate to build somewhere in or close to the downtown...not there. It has nothing to do with the number of stories as to why they are against it. At least the developer had the common sense to reduce it to 4 stories.
Why not try and snag this developer and see if he will build a 4 story here? He can buy up a block.
Why should the taxpayers be stuck with paying for developer's infrastructure? I have never been able to grasp the reasoning behind this. NO ONE IS AGAINST IMPROVING WHAT WE HAVE. What we are against is paying millions for something that a developer should be paying for and part of his cost to develop. You had better clean up this city or NO ONE WILL WANT TO COME HERE. It's not roads that attracts business. In fact, businesses/people are moving out.
Nice, middle class people are moving out. Halfway houses are moving in. There's a house on Federal Hwy with 20 guys living in it. They kick back all day, smoking cigs. Half will be back doping by next year. And now that they've gotten acquainted with Lake Worth, they'll probably be doing it here, breaking into cars and houses to fund their habit. The city needs to do something about this NOW. The PBSO also needs to stop ignoring the enormous illegal alien problem here. Our schools are ruined, and many of our churches are struggling. Shootings every other night on A-B-C-D streets. Why would any nice, law-abiding Americans want to stick around and watch this nice little town go down?
Anony at 8:34 you are correct. And now that the code enforcement manager quit, you can expect 0 response from the city on the unlicensed illegal "rehab" homes in the city.
Every house in Lake Worth needs to become a vacation rental! We all heard the B.S. line that EVERY vacation rental is so well maintained that it IS LIKE PARADISE !!! No more slum and blight! Everyone will be a wealthy landlord! YEOWWWW !!
Mr. Sibia, the developer in Boynton WAS going to build a hotel on 10th Ave across from Wayne Acres, after full evaluation, he went to Boynton first where he already owned property. It's not that LW is totally off the table, but he will finish the one on Hypoluxo first, then Boynton. Maybe we can convince him to buy "Gulfstream- Holiday Inn"!
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