Letters to the EditorPalm Beach Post
February 7, 2016
Lake Worth Risks Losing small-town Appeal
I read about the dispute in the City of West Palm Beach (“Condo owners: Hotel will block views”; Feb. 19) between existing condominium residents and the developers of a proposed new hotel which will block views, have balconies facing commercial air-conditioning units, or worse.
A similar situation is playing out in Lake Worth on a smaller scale. The majority of the City Commission has failed to ratify a charter amendment, approved by voters in March 2013, that would keep building heights limited to 45 feet in the downtown corridor, a height that will retain our small-town charm.
Furthermore, the commission has now approved the “up-zoning” to 65 feet of the properties adjacent to the existing Gulfstream Hotel — an iconic historical building desperately in need of renovation. Everyone wants to see the Gulfstream renovated (which is grandfathered in, as far as height limits) and the adjacent properties developed in a sensible, low-impact way.
Some say “Big deal. What’s another 20 feet?” For this one project, it may not be a big deal. But the up-zoning will set a dangerous precedent that cannot be reversed as future developers also want to exceed the voter-approved height limit for their new projects.
Similar to what’s happening in West Palm Beach, the up-zoning may undermine the very revitalization that the city so desperately wants and needs. Let’s hope Lake Worth learns from those mistakes.
GINNY POWELL
LAKE WORTH
12 comments:
Thanks for speaking up, Ginny, and articulating this so well. It is crucial that we all insist that our elected leaders respect our vote on the heights amendment, or it will be all over for Lake Worth!
Thanks Ginny! Well said !
Well, I think that vote speaks volumes. If we won with that vote, and all voted to not increase heights, yet this trio ignored us, I think we still have the numbers to get this same vote again to make sure that none of these three have a chance to win their re-election. I think their days are numbered. They are bad, they refuse to respect us, listen to us, or show they care of will do what their constituents want. I hope they all get voted out on March 15! Thanks Ginny and Lynn for all you do for our Lake Worth!
This gets so old with you politicos who have closed minds to the facts.
1. The City of LW declared the vote null and vote--NOT the State of Florida
2. It doesn't matter what you say it affects. It affects every parcel as zoning changes are political.
3. See #2.
Thanks Ginny! It's refreshing to see a letter with no hyperbole or lies, only truth. Keep it up!
Oh, and you are the open minded one?
It does NOT set a precedent as only a hotel of 50 rooms or more.
And such hotel can only be in the area already with buildings higher than 65 feet bordered by Federal Hwy, 2nd Ave North and 1st Ave South.
Like we really are looking like West Palm Beach.
@8:40-
See my answer above. It has nothing to do with being "open minded." it is simply a fact.
There are No Rules that can't be changed by
a 3 to 2 vote from the dais! If they don't
respect/honor the people's vote they respect
nothing but their own Magical Thinking!
How are you going to spin it all when you lose the lawsuit with a clear explanation why you lost the lawsuit? Will you continue to blame your hated politicians that are merely abiding by state law?
This is the absolute LAST time I will address this.
The Trio could have honored the vote. They didn't. They didn't want to. They were more interested in a private developer than the will of the voters. They were more interested in John Szerdi and Wes Blackman who work for HH than in the voters. They believe they know better than the people.
DO YOU GET IT YET?
There is a balance between smart redevelopment and development and maintaining our character. Delray has tipped the balance and is basically a mess these days. A place I used to go but rarely do unless early in the am. Traffic, parking is too much.
Excellent article. Last summer I was talking to a family who's been coming here for some 20 years for those very same reasons. And the wife told me they had seen this very same thing happening in Connecticut near their home. There was a great lake town and resort where they would go. Overdevelopment came in and took over, taxes went through the roof. And it backfired: most people moved away. Now they have very high taxes and very few people who visit or live there. But the developers apparently were very happy.
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