Regarding John Prince Park as a site for a national baseball Spring training site, the will of the people who will be affected by this
enterprise is the primary consideration. It's easy to armchair it ...if
you're not the families impacted by this project.
The prevailing thinking is... 'that's their problem and
it doesn't affect me so let them deal with it.' Special interests bank on
this thinking to isolate and marginalize the impact of their projects on the
public. This is how it happens that one day when a problem affects your
neighborhood... no one is there to help and when you try to get neighbors
involved they say "what can we do... it's just a few of us."
The sudden reversal of zoning at Hypoluxo and High Ridge
Road last year looked like an inevitable slam-dunk. The
neighbors to the project were few in number but we helped them get organized,
appeared in photos and at commission meetings with them and stood in solidarity
with their position which was appropriate and reasonable. In the end, the
project was voted down despite Commissioner Vana's desperate efforts to keep
the deal alive for the developer who wanted a 24 pump RaceWay gas station
across the street from their homes.
Unless we are willing to accept that our neighbor's
problems are our problems, special interests will continue to successfully
nibble away at our quality of life one little neighborhood at a time ...and
isolated communities are prime pickin's for those interests. In fact,
it's the first consideration... "are there any neighborhood
organizations?" And unless we connect with our neighbor's concerns,
how can we expect them to connect with ours when our time of need arises?
Mostly it takes numbers and bodies to change things.
That being said, I think Mr Haine's indicated that deed
restrictions moved this project to another location... so this may all be over
before it begins.
One other thing, Lake Worth's problems are self inflicted
and no matter how much money rolls into that city... the money will just roll
back out again in the form of waste and in support of special interests.
No one there, once in power, is willing to address either the waste or
corruption issues that have plagued that city for decades. What other
city has electric, water and sewer utilities they can rob and still can't
balance their budget? How do other cities without an electric utility do
it? Imagine losing 8 million dollars by a supposed accounting
error or imagine not being able to find 4 million in CASH in a
bond account.
William Coakley
President of the Lake Osborne Estates Civic Association, Inc.
William Coakley
President of the Lake Osborne Estates Civic Association, Inc.
14 comments:
Bill, you hit the nail on the head. Several times. Thank you ! Katie Mcgiveron
Bill, much of what you say is true. But when you throw around the word corrupt without any specific proof you play into conspiracy minded citizens fantasies. Read our latest ROLOH post if you do not believe me. Bizarre.
EVERYTHING he says is true. Corruption comes in many forms--it is just not the elected official with his hands under the table. When used as an adjective literally means "utterly broken." Although Bill did not use the word in connection to the JPPARK SITUATION, corruption is described as the illegitimate use of public power to benefit a private interest. this is exactly what this commission did here.
I read again what Bill said and what you said Lynn. Still not one specific bit of proof that would allow you to throw around the word corrupt so blatantly.
Please tell me that one of our officers did not write that insane ROLOH post using 9/11 as an argument against baseball. I do not want baseball either but that post was, well, embarrassing.
The word "corrupt" is NEVER thrown around blatantly.
All you little hit and run anonymous personal attackers--go to that OTHER blog--he LOVES YA.
People who are corrupt would never admit it nor would they recognize it if they tripped over it. The rest of us recognize it and it has existed in this town for decades, just as bill said. It is most unfortunate that these people have taken over the city politics once again. What a pity. Shelley Vana has to go.
While Mr. Coakley's narrative was very eloquent, it failed to make a proper comparison between two totally different situations. The concept of a Spring Training Complex in our area to boost our total economy and interest in Lake Worth compared to a gas station being constructed on a commercial corner affecting several homes in the immediate vicinity is not fair by a long shot.
The first is just a concept. The second was a concrete proposal with certain location and consequences and no benefit to the overall community.
There is well founded discussion surrounding the group of people who are against "everything" who happen to be some of the same who are making this a divisive issue and again showing Lake Worth in the worst possible dysfunctional light. "Any change and we are against it" is their motto. I have made the point several times before that you cannot name one development project they have supported. Ever.
The argument that was given against having this in their back yard cited the lights and noise and traffic. The proposed location, abutting Lake Worth Road and Keller's Canal would not have adversely affected them. The taking of park land for this endeavor was the more valid point. But THAT could have and would have been addressed once Lake Worth was seriously considered for our location and enthusiasm for having it here.
This was just one more opportunity to give Lake Worth a black eye. Thank you again to the Citizens Against Virtually Everything!
@1:06, so you and your buds recognize it and it has gone on for decades. why have you not exposed it. Lynn you support McVoy, but he has not exposed any corruption. What gives?
The only people who gave Lake Worth a "black eye" were those who insisted that John Prince Park be considered as a site for a Spring training camp...those who insisted that it be so without even doing any homework to find out it was deed restricted...never once asking the neighbors and people for whom they represent who would be affected by such an atrocity happening to a county park.
If there has been any BLACK EYE, look to this commission for its betrayal and working behind the scenes and out of the sunshine to get its way for what they consider is economic growth at the expense of people, growth that may benefit LW...corruption? You betcha.
As far as Coakley's comparison, I won't even explain that. Everyone else can get it but you GROWTH AT ANY AND ALL COSTS people.
@2:15--
Now you are turning the narrative around to McVoy? Too funny.
I support people for whom I consider moral and ethical. That is a MUST starting basis for me. Anyone in a minority position can't do much now can he? As Maxwell would say, you have to pick your battles.
We are right back where we started around year 2000.
"...they have not supported any development project. Ever."
The record of the Planning and Zoning Board will show this statement to be totally inaccurate.
I was a member of the Planning and Zoning Board for 2 years from 2010-2012.
I worked with Lynda Mahoney as chairperson and Robert Waples, first as a fellow member and later as vice-chairman.
We approved virtually every development project that came before us and bent over backwards to find reasons to approve projects that fell outside of our normal guidelines (the TD Bank required extremely creative interpretations of our codes to warrant approval but we managed it). We used State codes to get around an inadequate visibility triangle, and community appearance to sidestep another failure to meet the code.
We were in general unanimous in our approvals; occasionally 6-1.
The anonymous poster has used a broad brush in his/her totally inaccurate statement regarding concerned citizens who volunteered countless hours to make Lake Worth better.
The Lofts were required to be setback slightly further than the original plan, reduced from 13 units to 12, changed from one bland design for all units to 3 varying and more creative designs, and required to have more foliage to soften the 'block' appearance of these buildings.
The school at 13th and Dixie was approved although temporary trailers are not allowed by our codes. The greater good was recognized and the replacement of an eyesore pawnshop was considered.
The Chase Bank that now can replace the Dixie laundromat was approved and Chase repaved 2nd Ave North from H to Federal in return for 2 way traffic between Dixie and H.
These are just a few examples of the error of the anonymous poster's assertions. If truth is of any concern, read over the minutes of the P and Z meetings.
Thank you. Some people continue to re-write history.
"Imagine losing 8 million dollars by a supposed accounting error or imagine not being able to find 4 million in CASH in a bond account. "
Sounds pretty fuc$ing corrupt to me !
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