July 18 Agenda
One of the more interesting items on the Consent Agenda is the approval of the naming rights on the property known as the "Steinhardt property." No discussion on this--just pushing items forward in this "transparent" city environment.
A little background:
Originally leased to Marshall, owner of the Gulfstream Hotel back then, who flipped the lease to Milton Steinhardt--submerged land was leased from the City of Lake Worth in 1967 on a 99 year lease. He wanted to develop five, 10 story condos on three man-made islands at the southeast end of the Intracoastal Waterway bridge across from the Lake Worth beach. He also sought federal permits to build a boat marina at the site. The City applied for the permits on his behalf in order to bring some sort of clout to his requests and to possibly speed it along.
He was paying $6,000 a year to the City of Lake Worth and after Save the Waterfront and Town, chaired by Laurence McNamara along with other members, one of whom was the late Peter Timm, went out on a petition in 2005, Steinhardt's dream was soon ended in spite of elected officials such as the then mayor, Rodney Romano, trying to keep it off the ballot. Eventually, the PAC got it on a March ballot and won at the ballot box on a Public Land/Public Vote Charter Amendment with 60% of the vote.
Betty Resch, former City of Lake Worth attorney represented the Steinhardts and came before the City Commission some years ago and asked for an extension of the Lease. On first vote, Romano, McKinnon and Burns voted FOR the extension. At the next regularly scheduled meeting, McKinnon brought it back on the Agenda and switched his vote to "no." Steinhardt lost again on a 3/2 vote.
The heirs eventually terminated the lease with the city and the city accepted (they owed a bunch of money to the City of Lake Worth) after their dream of development was shattered.
Read my blog of January 6, 2014. They don't deserve their name on this property as they never owned it.
Old man steinhardt tried very hard to ruin our Intracoastal Waterway by filling it in and building on the fill. He never owned the submerged land or the property across from the beach. On top of all of that, he owed the city money on the lease that we had to write off. Why does he deserve his name on this little park? Answer: He doesn't. So why then is the city rolling over on this? More legal compromise. BS.
ReplyDeleteAnd, at the time of the successful referendum, the Tyler Islands project was on the table, a proposal of 5 ten story buildings on created islands in the intracoastal. The developer went back to New Jersey after Save the Waterfront and Towns ballot item passed.
ReplyDeleteSteinhardt also owned a problem property in the South end that was perpetually on the code board agenda for substandard housing violations of all sorts. If anything should be named after him, it should be the landfill.
ReplyDelete