Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Drew Martin in Wellington and the County Commission's love of Development

On Sunday, I attended a discussion on the overbuilding in Palm Beach County and to support Drew Martin for County Commissioner District 3.

"I am running as a Democrat for County Commissioner from District 3 to help restore the voice of the citizens at the County Commission."

Jess Santamaria spoke about his time on the county commission where most votes regarding development ended on a 6/1 or 5/2 vote to allow developers anything they desired. Over eight years, 100% of development got approved. Paulette Burdick was the only county commissioner who would vote with him. When it came to the developers paying impact fees, the vote was 6/1 against and the county lost $69 million dollars that was forgiven to developers. Guess what they allowed developers to pay. One dollar ($1).  As said, it is a government for special interests.

With no workable plan for how citizens will pay for the costs of new roads, schools, fire stations and other services other than to tax you an additional penny sales tax for ten years, this is what this elected body of Palm Beach County Commissioners have done:
  • July 23, 2013 GL Homes expanded in the "protected" Ag Reserve from 995 homes to 1,319 homes, a 33% increase. It allowed the Bridges development to expand from 591 homes to 1,008, a 70% increase.
  • October 24, 2013, Highland Dunes--the commission approved a rezoning allowing 2,000 homes on 1,200 acres owned by PB Aggregates.
  • June 26, 2014, Boca Del Mar. Rezoning approved on a 5/2. Voted to build 253 zero lot line townhouses and  multi-family units where they had already allowed developers to take over part of the golf course that was deeded in perpetuity. If you recall, they did the same thing to Century Village years ago.
  • October 29, 2014 Minto West. Approved of 4,500 homes and 2 million sq. ft of retail and offices on agricultural land.
  • January 8, 2015. GL homes allowed to expand Valencia Cove by 71% in the protected ag Reserve.
  • April 12, 2016 Initial approval given to GL Homes for Indian Trails Grove, 3,900 homes and 350,000 sq. ft of commercial space
  • April 27, 2016, More commercial development approved in the Ag Reserve that could open up a 21,000 acre farming region to more commercial development.
Read Point of View in today's PBPost on Westlake's shady incorporation.
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 29, 2016 at 8:21 AM

    We need to wake up. We are being taxed already for infrastructure for all this development that is destroying the quality of life for us. Then we will be taxed out of town with another glorious round of building and gentrification. We are being taxed to support the never ending money stream going right out the door to developers. We need to clone Drew Martin. If we had a few more like him we might someday have representative government, instead of gov. of, by, and for the developers.

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