The City of Lake Worth wanted to grab our ballfields for development

With growth on their minds, on Tuesday, The City of Lake Worth, once again, voted to change our Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map.

We all know that William Waters runs this city as far as his suggestions for growth with the city commission usually lapping it all up but it is our elected officials that should be concerned about resident input and not reducing our green space within the city for the tax base.

Citizen comments at the meeting saved our northend ballfields from being eventually sold off to developers as well as two blocks in Bryant Park from zoning changes with Commissioner Hardy making the motion.  Commissioner Amoroso quietly dissented. We don't know his reason but it suggests that he might have wanted height or to grab our ballfield land for developers. Who knows. He should have said. He talked about our poverty rate and the 2020 census coming up.

Our parks are protected by a 2005 referendum from any sale unless decided by the voters but the clever city wanted to snatch some of them by changing the zoning in order to allow more density, thus going around the intent of the voters. The city attorney said, no big deal, all we have to do is have another referendum to allow the people to weigh in. We already know the odds of defeating City Hall on referendums as they have unlimited taxpayer money to defeat the residents as well as what they pulled on the Heights Amendment that was won by 58% of the voters, which was basically, "just ignore the vote."

It's no wonder no one trusts politicians or many of the leaders at City Hall.