Century Village gets Upzoned

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It all came down to a political vote on a zoning change at Century Village. County commissioners Steven Abrams, Shelley Vana, Priscilla Taylor and Mary Lou Berger voted Thursday to allow development on the golf course property. Commissioners Santamaria, Paulette Burdick and Hal Valeche voted against allowing the development.

I voted for Shelly Vana in 2008 when she ran against Bob Kanjian. I voted for her because I believed that she would consider people over developers first. She hasn't. I made a big mistake even though Bob is developer oriented as well and the vote may very well have been the same.

It's a shame when zoning decisions, all political, can affect the lives of so many people. With a deed restriction and 13,000 property owners at Century County, commissioners Steven Abrams, Shelley Vana, Priscilla Taylor and Mary Lou Berger voted to allow development on the golf course property. Commissioners Santamaria, Paulette Burdick and Hal Valeche voted against allowing the development. The deed restriction and the owners in Century Village meant nothing to the majority of the Board of County Commissioners. With municipalities trying every way possible to come up with revenue, neighborhoods are often sacrificed by politicians to achieve more tax base.

This is a similar situation we could have in Lake Worth unless we vote to limit heights in our downtown with a Charter Amendment. Politicians can't screw around with the Charter (although they did for one week on the banner episode) and therefore can't screw around on you.

Vote YES on March 12 Amendment 2

County Commissioners vote on Up-Zoning - Century Village

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The most important person on today's dais

Today is the day that the Palm Beach County Commission decides on the Century Village/Reflections Bay perpetuity case. If you recall, it had to come back to the commission as Shelley Vana was absent from the January 24th meeting where the vote ended in a 3/3 on the rezoning issue for a builder to build 689 homes, town houses, retail and a civic center. Vana is the swing vote here. I would not put too much confidence in Vana's vote on the side of 13,000 residents in Century village and her upholding a Contract they have as she has already shown her colors in the Hatcher Mango Groves up-zoning situation. Hatcher Mango Groves went before the PB County Commission on January 3rd to change the zoning to high commercial and she voted against the Hatchers and those property owners living around the property. She lost that one.

Century Village is asking for a delay in the vote to allow a judge to consider the deed restriction on the property on "perpetuity," that prevents anything being built on it other than a golf course.

Palm Beach Post
Letters to the Editor
January 31, 2013

Century Village residents get shafted by officials

Just three of seven Palm Beach County commissioners have taken it upon themselves to change the time-honored and universally accepted definition (see Webster’s Dictionary) of the word “perpetuity” from “forever, unending” to “whenever we feel like it.” What’s next? Our environmental areas protected “in perpetuity?”

I do not live in Century Village West Palm Beach, but if this betrayal can happen to them, it can happen to any of us. The residents of Century Village were promised a golf course. What they are now getting is a run-down piece of property intentionally ignored by the owner in hopes of getting approval to build a community that is opposed by the majority. If this property owner cannot even have this parcel mowed and cleaned up, why would anyone believe that he could build and maintain a whole community in a proper manner?

My fellow Palm Beach County residents, do not let our representatives redefine the conditions of a contract. If they get away with it now, what’s next?

ARLENE OLINSKY

Royal Palm Beach

Reflection Bay stalled again - Century Village still in limbo

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The Palm Beach County Commission met nearly all day on the Century village controversial proposed development, Reflection Bay. Shelley Vana had jury duty and did not meet the morning part of the testimony. The zoning meetings are considered “quasi-judicial” and Commissioners are required to base their decisions on testimony and evidence presented. Therefore she had to follow procedure and was not allowed to join the meeting upon her return.

With only six commissioners to decide, the vote was split 50/50. Jess Santamaria was the hero of the day and presented the best argument to deny the developer and it revolved around two reasons:  1) The perpetuity clause has to do with the heart and soul of the argument.  He even bought a new Webster's dictionary to read up on the meaning.  "I have to protect my constituents," he said. 2) Most of the buyers who bought into Century village relied on the golf course. He felt the solution was to turn over the course to someone else as the present owner businessman, failed. He said to the developer, "Take your lumps."  This property was always meant to be a golf course.

The Motion was to deny and the following votes were recorded:

S. Abrams...NO
P. Taylor...NO
H. Valeche...YES
P. Burdick...YES
M. Berger...NO
J. Santamaria...YES

Please note who voted for the rights of the people. The quasi judicial meeting will come back to the commission on February 28.  Shelley Vana will be the swing vote.

Screw Deed restrictions say owners of golf course

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What brings people to Florida?  No state income tax, warm weather year round, our great beaches, recreation and golf courses.

Now that the real estate market is turning for the better, developers and those holding onto land who have been sitting in the wings are now showing their ugly faces.  West Palm Beach's Century village does not have to feel alone about its deed restricted golf course and its owners desires to sell off to developers.

The 18-hole "Casselberry" course at the Casselberry Golf Club facility in Casselberry, Florida features 5,472 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 69 . The course rating is 65.6 and it has a slope rating of 111.  Designed by Paul McClure, the Casselberry golf course opened in 1946.

Some Trivia on Florida golf courses:
Number of golf courses - more than 1,250
-Florida has more golf courses than any other state
-Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the country

"The owners of the Casselberry Golf Club have sued the city, claiming that a decades-old deed restriction preventing them from building on the property is unlawful." Well of course it is.  When it comes to making money, people will find or invent any loophole to their advantage.

Read more...

Golfcourse property is part of Century Village

"in perpetuity"

Century Village® is a gated community that provides round the clock manned security.  Seniors feel safe there with its convenient buses that  provide transportation to local shopping centers and restaurants as well as medical facilities.  In addition, there is an on-site medical building and pharmacy conveniently located inside our beautiful community with affordable prices available for its one and two bedroom apartments.

Century Village was built back in the early 70's with seniors in mind. At that time they built an 18 hole golfcourse and people bought with the idea that it would remain. Never did they ever consider that the use could be changed. It was guaranteed...there was a resriction on the land that the site required its owner to use the land as a golfcourse, "in perpetuity."

Now the only people who don't know what that means are landowners, developers, investors and some politicians. The land has not been used in some time and the owners broke that restriction years ago when they allowed the course to go to weed due to finances they say. They now want to have it developed into a huge complex of homes, condos, shops and offices. This project was postponed in January by the PB County Commission but it is coming up once again this Thursday.
  
Century Village residents (fiesty seniors who all still believe in fair play) are angry and they should be.

Read more... at the PB post.

Rulebreakers Rule

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More and more of this is happening. People buy into condos knowing full well the "No Pet Rule." Do they care about rules? Hell no. RULE-BREAKERS RULE. Read the Sun-Sentinel article

In this case, the owner of Sweetie, a 3 pound Chihuahua, says she is emotionally fragile and lonely so she had her doctor write her a prescription for an Emotional Support Animal. Doctors and the ADA are part of the scam. These pets are not allowed to enter no-pet-allowed places but they are allowed to LIVE in condos with NO PET RULES. Her lawyer refers to this dog as a Service Dog...no it is not. A Service Dog is a different category than an Emotional Support Animal and different laws apply to them.

Phyllis Schleifer, the "emotionally distressed owner" who must be declared legally disabled under the FHA or State law and/or have a letter from her doctor prescribing an ESA for her mental well-being, says she would like to move from Century Village. I am sure that Century Village would like that too. Condo living is for rule-breakers. They always prevail.

Insurance - The Big Florida Rip Off

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Brendan Lynch of Lake Worth and former member of our CRA is the CFO of Plastidge Insurance Agency. His company is in the middle of a law suit with Century Village, Ventnor's B Building in Deerfield Beach. CFO's are in charge of the money and most don't want to part with a penny.

A fire started in a condo unit 5.5 years ago and to this day, all those units that were affected, are still considered unsafe and uninhabitable. 192 people filed a class action suit. These folks feel that it is because they are elderly that the system is throwing them down the tubes.

When you are dealing with insurance and you have a claim, you are just screwed. It is nothing personal against Brendan and this is not just about Plastidge but all insurance companies and agencies. Brendan's company just happens to be involved in this claim. You learn quickly that most everything that lead up to filing an insurance claim is not covered. Not only that, you can't even get the coverage.

Insurance companies have expert after expert writing policies to make damn sure that you are not covered and any possible claim will be in their favor. Some even have an unwritten policy to deny as much of a claim as possible. Have you ever tried reading a commercial policy? It would take 10 lawyers to figure it out, maybe. Basically, after spending thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on your insurance premium, you are self-insured. CLICK HERE. The insurance company is the only winner.

Insurance companies have the big bucks to lobby politicians to get favorable legislation. Now Rick Scott wants the insurance industry to be deregulated. Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Fort Lauderdale, sits on the House banking and insurance committee and worries about releasing the insurance industry to market forces. I don't blame him there. It will be a free for all. There is a property insurance Bill that Rick Scott supports that will make it harder for property owners to get claims paid.

“That’s what it’s about this year is turning the reins of government over to big business,” Jenne said. “I don’t think people really understand what complete deregulation or massive deregulation will do to them as consumers. They’ll pay less to their government at the end of the day, but they’ll be paying even more to the insurance companies.”

This, if it happens, will cause nightmares for everyone in the State of Florida. Bring your wallet if you want to live here. Retirees who used to be welcomed residents, who paid their bills and added to the economy as well as all those on fixed incomes, forget it. You are forever screwed. Move to Arizona.