Petition started to get a fair deal for Lake Worth and Benny's
A Fair Deal For L-Dub started this petition...whoever is in back of this is unknown...probably a bunch of liberals/anarchists...bet on it.This is what they say:
"The residents of Lake Worth Beach deserve a fair deal at their most valuable property on the beach. Benny's on the Beach, right on the ocean, should be paying the same or more per square foot than other businesses at our oceanfront property.
Benny's owner, Lee Lipton, claims that they are facing eviction, but it's important to set the record straight. The commission declined the 10 year contract in order to renegotiate and ensure that Benny’s rates are competitive to surrounding municipal properties, just like other successful businesses at the beach.
Did you know, if the city commission accepted Benny's offer of $42 per square foot, it wouldn't even match that of Mamma Mia's and the Lake Worth Tee Shirt Co.?
Here's the deal:
Mamma Mia's and the Lake Worth Tee Shirt Company pay $47 per square foot.
Benny's negotiated to pay $42 per square foot.
If two other successful businesses are able to sell pizza and sundries while paying $47 per square foot, then why can't Benny's on the Beach do the same?
Let's get a fair deal for Lake Worth Beach and Benny's." Lee Lipton negotiated with the city over months to come up with something they could both work with and was blind-sided by this commission at the last 29 seconds. And, on top of it all, they (the socialist Democrats) are using the fact against the Lessee, Lee Lipton, that he is a Republican. They will never get my vote even if they bully Lipton in paying more.
It's on Change.org...A Fair Deal for L-Dub
11 comments:
Well Penny's on the beach also has the pier so they're making money on the pier they're making money on the patio they're making money in the restaurant so I think he should pay a little more we gave him a lot of concessions to get them there considering you bought out the other guys lease and kick them off
He got a 33% increase...that's not enough for you guys?
what are they going to do with the extra money.i dont see where they are using it to keep the property neat and clean
is this the same gang banger posting
I couldn't care less about Benny's. It's a dump masquerading as some kind of historical monument to the beach.
Imagine, taking up a collection to help a millionaire. (Multi)
@9:32...I care about them. The city has a proclivity to run out the top go-to restaurants at our beach like they did with John G's years ago. People DID come to the beach just to dine at John G's, a restaurant that was a fixture at the Lake Worth beach for nearly 4 decades.
Benny’s On The Beach was founded in 1986 and has become an incredibly popular local, oceanfront dining landmark...may not be a "historical monument" as you are stating, but popular, never-the-less, even with celebrities stopping there from time to time.
Why does everything in Lake Worth have to become an icon. Businesses come and go. That's the way it is.
There are so many stores that I used to love that aren't there anymore or have changed beyond recognition.
I think that's what they call Capitalism!
NEXTDOOR--
Thomas Osterholt
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North Lake Worth
I would like to respond to two posts that support Bennys leaving. One says the food is bad so let Bennys leave the Lakeworth pier location. This ignores the fact this restaurant employs approximately 200 people who work to support their families, it ignores it is a major sales tax payer, and is a major draw for the beach which generates parking revenue for the City. While this poster doesn’t like the food a of people do. This same poster says he is sure McVoy, Stokes And Diaz have some other business lined up to take Bennys place. Please supply evidence to support this theory. The facts are the City owns this building which houses the restaurant which needs a new roof and all new systems. Any new tenant would need to meet code requirements and provide these updates to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars although it is really the City responsibility to make these upgrades but it doesn’t have the money.The most likely outcome if Bennys leaves it will be another empty building in our City.
The second poster says Bennys should have known how much the new rent was going to be 10 years ago and saved money to pay its. The facts are the City attorney and manager started negotiating a lease renewal with Bennys 6 months ago and reach a new rental rate that ended up being a 38% rent increase at the end of the lease extension. Bennys showed up to sign the new lease and McVoy, Stokes and Diaz pulled the rug out by wanting to renegotiate. Bad faith on the city part and a warning to anyone else dealing with this City commission not to trust a deal.
So the City’s choice is to have 200 people unemployed, loose the money it receives from the rent and sales tax , take over at its cost maintenance of the pier and manning the bait shack or signing a lease that increases the rent 38% over its life. I Hope reasonable heads prevail.
Something will take its' place. This is a wealthy prosperous owner, who serves mediocre food. He's playing hardball. He is not going to give up a profitable enterprise due to a rent increase. Maybe he can't get property insurance unless he spends some money on the place.
What? He hasn't raised the prices of food.
I remember it was the end of the world when John G's left.
christine dehnel
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Parrot Cove
Our family has four homes in Lake Worth, and so collectively we pay dearly in taxes. My son, who also owns a home in our town wrote this today to the mayor and I couldn’t have said it better.
Commissioners Stokes, McVoy, and Diaz - Knock it off with the elite ideological obsessions, and bring back Bennys. Do whatever it takes.
I am a small business owner and I know restaurants are incredibly hard businesses to succeed, especially on a run-down municipal pier. You're acting like it would be trivial to get another tenant in that space. But you are putting our community at risk here. People love that spot. And odds are, a new tenant would fail. That is the reality of running a small business. Do you want a failed business and months of lost rental income? Because this is how you get that.
Mr. Lipton was more than reasonable in accepting your new lease. But you dishonorably pulled the rug out from under him multiple times. He agreed to a significant rent increase and you pushed too hard. It comes across as greedy and out-of-touch with your constituents.
We want our elected officials to behave with integrity. Honor the deal, keep Bennys, and keep your jobs.
Maybe we should take up a collection for him?
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