Showing posts with label Agricultural Reserve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agricultural Reserve. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Letters to the Editor- Ag Reserve
Comment Up
Letters to the Editor
Palm Beach Post
June 19, 2016
County Commission wrong on Ag Reserve
I am beginning to wonder if there is any reason to continue with the present Palm Beach County Commission. They appear to be uninformed or misinformed, and have no interest in following advice or heed comments from knowledgeable citizens.
Allowing an incinerator, the most toxic form of air pollution, to be built in close proximity to residential housing is inexcusable. Permitting the Briger tract to be developed shows a total lack of comprehension of how nature works. The old trees provide the oxygen we need to breathe. Their presence gives us the absorption necessary for excess water.
And now, permitting the Agricultural Reserve land, necessary for, amongst other things, food, to be used commercially is the last straw.
One of the commissioners in response to a comment from the public about the misuse of the Ag Reserve remarked that we couldn’t stop “progress.”
Dear misinformed commissioner: misusing land set aside for agriculture is a “regression,” unless you’re no longer interested in eating.
Recall the county commissioners and replace them with responsible, knowledgeable and concerned citizens.
CAROL STRICK, WEST PALM BEACH
Letters to the Editor
Palm Beach Post
June 19, 2016
County Commission wrong on Ag Reserve
I am beginning to wonder if there is any reason to continue with the present Palm Beach County Commission. They appear to be uninformed or misinformed, and have no interest in following advice or heed comments from knowledgeable citizens.
Allowing an incinerator, the most toxic form of air pollution, to be built in close proximity to residential housing is inexcusable. Permitting the Briger tract to be developed shows a total lack of comprehension of how nature works. The old trees provide the oxygen we need to breathe. Their presence gives us the absorption necessary for excess water.
And now, permitting the Agricultural Reserve land, necessary for, amongst other things, food, to be used commercially is the last straw.
One of the commissioners in response to a comment from the public about the misuse of the Ag Reserve remarked that we couldn’t stop “progress.”
Dear misinformed commissioner: misusing land set aside for agriculture is a “regression,” unless you’re no longer interested in eating.
Recall the county commissioners and replace them with responsible, knowledgeable and concerned citizens.
CAROL STRICK, WEST PALM BEACH
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Drew Martin Candidate for Palm Beach County Commission District 3
Comment Up
On Sunday, Drew Martin, running for The Board of County Commissioners District 3 (Shelley Vana is term limited), was at the home of Paton White, Atlantis. Ms. White is the president of the Audubon Society of the Everglades.
Drew talked about why he wanted to run for office--to have one more voice for sensible growth in Palm Beach County. He mentioned the humongous development projects in the county as well as in the Agricultural Reserve.
As the Ag Reserve is of special interest to everyone in the County as we passed a bond to protect acreage there, let's touch on that. Residential development is seriously impeding the ability of farmers to conduct large-scale farming operations. Those operations have fallen to thousands of homes, shopping centers and commercial businesses. Because of politicians, our state is being paved over.
According to Drew, Palm Beach County farmland is the biggest in the nation growing peppers, green beans, squash and other vegetables. The nurseries in Boynton and Delray were primarily the ones behind the push to change the land use development in the Agricultural Reserve and the present county commission allowed more development exceeding county rules. Years ago, we approved a $100 million bond issue for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land and other lands for agricultural use to protect acres of farmland from development. Now things changed with this present commission. With the exception of Paulette Burdick, this county commission always votes for the developer.
The Palm Beach County web site says that Palm Beach County serves one of the largest agricultural counties in the U. S. in value of products sold, exceeding one billion dollars annually. Easing building rules and paving over more of our farmland is what this County Commission did. Shelley Vana in October of last year said, "It's the right thing to do."
Vote for Drew Martin for County Commissioner District 3, a grassroots guy with no hidden agenda; He's for the betterment of our county and all who live here. And he will never vote for a baseball stadium at John Prince Park.
On Sunday, Drew Martin, running for The Board of County Commissioners District 3 (Shelley Vana is term limited), was at the home of Paton White, Atlantis. Ms. White is the president of the Audubon Society of the Everglades.
Drew talked about why he wanted to run for office--to have one more voice for sensible growth in Palm Beach County. He mentioned the humongous development projects in the county as well as in the Agricultural Reserve.
As the Ag Reserve is of special interest to everyone in the County as we passed a bond to protect acreage there, let's touch on that. Residential development is seriously impeding the ability of farmers to conduct large-scale farming operations. Those operations have fallen to thousands of homes, shopping centers and commercial businesses. Because of politicians, our state is being paved over.
According to Drew, Palm Beach County farmland is the biggest in the nation growing peppers, green beans, squash and other vegetables. The nurseries in Boynton and Delray were primarily the ones behind the push to change the land use development in the Agricultural Reserve and the present county commission allowed more development exceeding county rules. Years ago, we approved a $100 million bond issue for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land and other lands for agricultural use to protect acres of farmland from development. Now things changed with this present commission. With the exception of Paulette Burdick, this county commission always votes for the developer.
The Palm Beach County web site says that Palm Beach County serves one of the largest agricultural counties in the U. S. in value of products sold, exceeding one billion dollars annually. Easing building rules and paving over more of our farmland is what this County Commission did. Shelley Vana in October of last year said, "It's the right thing to do."
Vote for Drew Martin for County Commissioner District 3, a grassroots guy with no hidden agenda; He's for the betterment of our county and all who live here. And he will never vote for a baseball stadium at John Prince Park.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Florida losing more of its agriculture land to developers in the Agricultural Reserve
Comment Up
"More of old Florida has gone to developers as some 10,000 homes — many selling for $1 million or more — soon could stand in a vast stretch of once-rural Palm Beach County. About 7,000 of those have already been built, and the rest are in the pipeline on the 21,000 acres known as the Agricultural Reserve," says the Sun Sentinel.
The purpose of the Agricultural Reserve is to preserve unique farmland and wetlands in order to enhance agricultural activity, environmental and water resources, and open space, by limiting uses to agriculture, conservation, low density residential development, and non-residential uses which serve the needs of farmworkers and residents of the Ag Reserve Tier.
"The Reserve, a territory with special development rules, stretches between Florida's Turnpike and the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, spanning unincorporated areas west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth." A 60/40 rule was adopted by PB County in October 2015 (every four acres of development, six acres had to be set aside for preservation) but small owners of land there wanted the 60-40 rule set aside.-
Many of these owners showed up at the County Commission meeting and after some debate, the Commission voted in favor of dropping the preservation requirement for those who own less than 16 acres. The Palm Beach County Commission voted to allow more commercialization with Burdick and Valeche dissenting.
Read about it...
"More of old Florida has gone to developers as some 10,000 homes — many selling for $1 million or more — soon could stand in a vast stretch of once-rural Palm Beach County. About 7,000 of those have already been built, and the rest are in the pipeline on the 21,000 acres known as the Agricultural Reserve," says the Sun Sentinel.
The purpose of the Agricultural Reserve is to preserve unique farmland and wetlands in order to enhance agricultural activity, environmental and water resources, and open space, by limiting uses to agriculture, conservation, low density residential development, and non-residential uses which serve the needs of farmworkers and residents of the Ag Reserve Tier.
"The Reserve, a territory with special development rules, stretches between Florida's Turnpike and the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, spanning unincorporated areas west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth." A 60/40 rule was adopted by PB County in October 2015 (every four acres of development, six acres had to be set aside for preservation) but small owners of land there wanted the 60-40 rule set aside.-
Many of these owners showed up at the County Commission meeting and after some debate, the Commission voted in favor of dropping the preservation requirement for those who own less than 16 acres. The Palm Beach County Commission voted to allow more commercialization with Burdick and Valeche dissenting.
Read about it...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)