While most of us would like to be concerned with having fun with corn eating contests, Derby Day and other exciting ways to spend one's time, we, on too many occasions, have to literally "fight city hall" for not listening to the people or going against our best interests. Elected officials think about ways to get more money, usually from you, or dreaming up give-aways for developers for ad valorem and compromising residential neighborhoods. West Palm Beach can't get enough of development.
I think West Palm beach has a secret desire to be Ft. Lauderdale. If a developer even looks its way, wow, they have an orgasm. All the rest of you must watch out because the city will get its 22 stories right next to the waterfront and/or across the street from where you live and they will give waiver after waiver to allow it or in the case of Lake Worth, figure out a way to build $17 million in infrastructure on your dime to wishfully attract development or encourage commerce at John Prince Park or overturn a vote of the people.
Rybovich tried to block the activists in Riviera Beach by seeking damages for $10 million but the voters in Riviera Beach said no to Rybovich in 2010 when more than 4,000 voters in Riviera Beach voted to change the city’s charter to prohibit leasing space to Rybovich Superyacht Marina for a new megayacht refit and repair yard. It took a lot of hard work by residential activists at the time as they said it was their right to keep all of the marina open to the public. I was right up there, banner waving with them on November 5, 2010. At the time, Emma Bates, whose Citizen’s Task Force had opposed the Rybovich lease proposal, said “I don’t trust Rybovich.” Huizenga eventually decided to build on land that he owns.
This time it's the Rybovich Marina 14 acre expansion that will be voted on today in West Palm Beach. They say that it will improve the West Palm Beach Broadway corridor as well as the Northwood area. The promise (we know promises are always broken) of improving the area is not why the West Palm Beach council will vote to give Rybovich nearly double the residence per acre density. It's all about $$$$.
When passed today, the project will be humongous. This will be a big revenue boost to West Palm Beach just in permitting fees of mega millions but will generate $5.8 million a year in taxes. Look for a possible lawsuit but the mayor is not worried. Of course she isn't...elected officials never are... and it's the same all over especially in the corruption capital of the country...they work diligently and change ordinances to get their way.
Read about it...
where in the heck are all of these cars going to fit? Not to mention all of the extra water usage on our already strained resources.
ReplyDeleteIN THAT CASE THEN LAKE WORTH NEEDS A HUGE ORGASIM(I HAVE HAD MANY BUT THE SPELLING MIGHT BE WRONG)
ReplyDeleteThis development is crazy, this is an area with narrow roads, historic homes,it does not have the infrastructure to support this kind of development and it doesn't have the room to add the infrastructure. It is really sad that the citizens and residents are not being protected and the zoning, density and traffic rules are completely disregarded.
ReplyDeletethis continues to happen with elected officials. It is happening right now in The Acreage. elected officials are ruining our county and our state.
ReplyDeleteDensity is the lifeblood of any town any city any neighborhood. Don't fight it, embrace it and you will be a happier person. I know I will be. So what if cars are not happy. Learn to take public transportation. You may actually meet your neighbors or better yet, someone you don't know and who may have a different lifestyle/history than you. That's living people.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right anonymous...Detroit comes to mind. That's REALLY living.
ReplyDeleteLynn, Detroit suffers from a lack of density and is retracting so I am not really sure what you mean. This development will provide the neighborhood with access to the intercostal for everyone, not just the wealth who own waterfront property.
ReplyDeletePeople moved out of Detroit because of many factors---it's crime, it's massive debt, developers building suberbs with moving moving out, its loss of auto jobs and government corruption. It spent on huge projects such as the riverfront and is bankrupt...not because of people moving out but because it could not provide the most basic of services to the millions of its residents living there and borrowed money it could not pay back. It is still one of the largest cities.
ReplyDeleteI am sure your development will be lovely. I just don't like developments clouding the waterfronts of every city in America. That's what developers do.