Parking Garage downtown Lake Worth Beach

Parking Garage in Downtown Lake Worth Beach

Palm Beach County’s last city with a traditional downtown that lacks a fully public parking garage is a step closer to building one. The plan’s opponents and even one key supporter say they expect it to bring an end to free street parking.

The Lake Worth Beach City Commission on June 8 gave initial approval to the construction of a long-discussed parking garage south of Lake Avenue, on the northwest corner of South K Street and First Avenue South. Commissioner Chris McVoy cast the lone dissenting vote.

The final public hearing and commission vote on the zoning changes needed to pave the way for construction is scheduled for June 30.

The planned 95,000-square-foot, four-story garage will have 260 spaces but after used for the museum and the apartments, it is wittled down to around 47 spaces. The K street garage will be part of the Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts and arts campus, which will include an art museum and 110 apartments two blocks east of the garage. The developer, Anthony Wiener, is contributing $1 million to the $8.5 million garage, with the city contributing the rest.

Read about it... As you read this article, the details get worse.
Lake Worth For All sued the city on Feb. 3 to stop construction of WMODA, claiming it illegally spent Palm Beach County sales tax money to get the project built.

The lawsuit argues the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, in charge of improving blighted areas, broke state law by buying land downtown with more than $1.6 million in sales-tax revenue meant for public parking, then selling the site to Wiener for $10 to build WMODA. The case is before Circuit Judge Scott Kerner.

And all commissioners other than McVoy, have no problem screwing the residents by eventually charging for downtown parking that has always been free.

Back in August 2010 we were going through this. Suzanne Mulvehill was the only commissioner who stated, "It is our job to support business." She also wanted to check with the downtown businesses before anything.

To bring it up again in 2026--does our present commission not believe that it might hurt our downtown businesses? Perhaps people will go dine and shop somewhere else? Perhaps shoppers don't like meters or pay-stations or the hassle of it all? Perhaps the amount of revenue derived is just not worth the risk?

Lake Worth has always been a draw because of free parking. But it was the same old philosophy of charging more to the people here because of a revenue need. Charge the shoppers and let those who don't want to pay, walk from 3 blocks away...not consumer friendly.

The downtown is hurting. We should be doing all that we can do build up our downtown, not put obstacles in its pathway to success. We should stop screwing the residents and shop owners of this city.

City of Lake Worth comes up with another outrageous idea

FREE PARKING IN DOWNTOWN Lake Worth Beach, a transportation perk enjoyed by residents and visitors for decades, may soon come to a screeching halt.

City commissioners have directed staff to draft a plan to replace free parking with a paid program that would improve the availability of street parking in and around downtown and add millions to the city’s coffers.

“We know this is going to be sort of a jarring piece of news for our residents because they’re not used to having to pay,’’ Mayor Betty Resch said Dec. 3, when the commission discussed recommendations by consultant WGI.

The report suggests hourly rates of $3 on Lake and Lucerne avenues with a limit of two or three hours, and $2.50 on side streets with longer time limits.

“The city currently is generating nothing (for downtown parking), so it’s hard to increase all the levels of service if you don't have additional revenue,’’ said Interim City Manager Jamie Brown. “If we want to be able to do more things downtown to increase our levels of service, there has to be generation of revenue.’’

Read more about it...

First of all, I want to know how we go to lunch or dinner downtown and then go to the Lake Worth Playhouse on the time frame they are suggesting. Do we have to leave in the middle of a play a couple of times to put more money in the meter?

If this is implemented, there goes all the businesses in our downtown. Charging people for a permit to park in front of their homes is outrageous.

Parking fees to be considered in downtown Lake Worth Beach

Is free parking in downtown Lake Worth Beach about to end?

"CITY OFFICIALS IN Lake Worth Beach are about to consider a plan that would slam the brakes on a transportation perk residents and visitors have enjoyed for decades — free parking downtown.

At a workshop May 9, the City Commission will discuss a private engineering firm’s recommendations to charge fees to park at nearly 700 on- and off-street public parking spaces on downtown streets and lots where visitors and residents have long parked for free.

A study conducted four years ago by WGI of West Palm Beach determined the downtown parking supply in Lake Worth Beach needs at least another 150 spaces to accommodate demand. That demand would increase by several hundred more spaces If vacant buildings are occupied, the study said.

The parking crunch is felt most on weekends, especially at night, when visitors are often forced to park along residential streets south and north of the main downtown drag of Lake and Lucerne Avenues."

Read Joe Capozzi's article and what our Commission might consider.

This is one way to KILL a downtown. NO parking fees, Andy!

Parking rate at Lake Worth goes up on August 1

Wow--the city couldn't even wait for the next budget year. The parking rate is going up in 12 days! Great going Commissioners. The press release says that the city is always exploring new ways to better serve the people.  Are you kidding me?

July 20, 2018

Contact:          Larry D.  Lightfoot, Parking Enforcement Manager
Phone:             561.533.7383
Email:              llightfoot@lakeworth.org  

WHAT:           CITY OF LAKE WORTH FEE PARKING/PAY BY PLATE PARKING RATE INCREASE
WHEN:           AUGUST 1, 2018
WHERE:         LAKE WORTH BEACH PARKING              
WHO:              ALL RESIDENTS AND VISITORS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:      

Lake Worth, Florida – Effective August 1, 2018 the City of Lake Worth hourly rate for parking in all beach lots will increase from $2.00 to $3.00 per hour.

To provide a more user friendly and simplified parking experience, the City of Lake Worth has also implemented a pay-by-plate parking management system in all beach and boat ramp lots. This system allows customers to pay for parking spaces by using their plate numbers at meters rather than having to note their space number. Customers may also add time and pay for parking on their phones by using the Parkmobile app which provides the convenience of not having to return to feed the meter.

The City of Lake Worth continues to explore new ways to better serve residents and visitors to ensure the Lake Worth Beach and the Lake Worth Casino Complex remain some of Palm Beach County’s best public beach locations.

Located in central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style.  People are drawn to the city by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

###

Parking at the Lake Worth beach

From what I could tell, none of these cars paid for parking this morning. The lot was full. They were all visiting the Green Market at Old Bridge Park across A1A. I witnessed one getting out of her car and walking to the market. Do they get free parking for the Green Market?

The Political Bird

Comment Up

It's got to be tough to be a brainless bird but then, they just fly around and poop. The pelican sure is STOOOOPID as The Donald would say but most birds are.

McVoy and Maier voted to raise parking at the beach, says the birdbrain!
Well, no kidding, Pelican. The Commission already had a consensus during a budget workshop to
1.  Hire 4 more lifeguards costing $142,393
2.  Hire two part-time custodians for $32,914
3.  Convert one part-time parking tech to full-time for an additional $29,925
These budgets increases were all predicated and approved based on raising parking fees at the beach. That was the only way we could pay for them.
So tell us, Mr. Birdbrain, why you think it's ok to operate at a deficit? Why didn't your bird friends take out the additional costs in the beach budget and then perhaps the entire commission would have said "no" to raising parking fees? Answer:  They want the beach to fail, at least on paper. They want to be able to tell anyone who will listen that the financial plan at the beach is FLAWED and has FAILED.  THEIR SOLUTION: increase costs to ensure failure.

McVoy and Maier voted to raise electric rates, says the Bird.
Well, no kidding, Birdy. We have had rate reductions over several years to accommodate the commission's insanity of rate parity with a billion dollar corporation, FPL. Now, in order to stay in the black for 2016, we had to initiate a small rate increase. Instead, and with a zero rate increase, we will lose $1,276,208 in 2016 according to the graph that the Finance Department gave out. But you just never know, as this is a "living document," as the city manager likes to tell us. Numbers could be different today than when they formulated the budget.
So tell us once again, bird, why is going into the hole and tapping into savings a good way to run a business? Run a city for that matter?

Birds should stay out of politics or at least know what's really going on. There were only three people on that dais who have decided to run for office again who obviously did not believe that living within our means is a prudent thing to do.  McVoy and Maier were not among them.

Folks, please remember these terrible, self-serving political decisions on election day.

Lake Worth Beach Fund Budget for 2016

Comment Up

Beach Fund Analysis using 12 year pay-back
The scenario kept parking rates the same at $2.00 an hour and the same loan term of 12 years. By using this scenario, there would have been a deficit in the beach fund of $410,321.
This scenario was approved by Mayor Pam Triolo and Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell.

Beach Fund Analysis using 14 year pay-back
This scenario raised parking to seasonal rates of $2.25 June-Sep and $2.50 Oct-May. This scenario got consensus and would show only a $29,965 deficit.
This was approved by Commissioners McVoy, Amoroso and Maier to be evaluated after one year ending September 30, 2016.

It is always unfortunate when you have to raise fees but this entire commission did not have any compunction  just a few weeks ago when it voted in 27 pages of increases to Business Tax Receipts by 5%. It also did it when it had consensus to not use the roll-back rate in ad-valorem. The "Visionary" tried to do it when it wanted the General Obligation Bond to succeed at the polls by raising taxes for 34 years and spent a fortune of taxpayer money to win.

With the beach decision, we will not be robbing our positive fund balance and taking nearly half of our account in order to pay back the loan to ourselves sooner. By raising the parking fees, it is expected to generate $300,658. McVoy, Amororo and Maier took the business approach and voted correctly.

In this case, there was an urgency to hire more lifeguards because of the numbers of people who use our beach and the numbers of saves by our guards. Hopefully the $185,280 that the city will spend will be made up in parking revenue rather than in closing the beach at 5pm. Many people use our beach after working hours.

L Street Parking Lot

Comment Up

The City, over the last 15 years or so, has been known to do some mighty stupid things.  Some call it corruption.  The lack of free parking on Lucerne Avenue has been to the detriment of those shops. For the City and some Commissions, it's always been about the tax base and/or helping "friends." Considering that this present commission says it is "business-minded," it now wants to rid itself, once again, of valuable and even historic properties to non-profits or to the CRA, but that's another story.

Facts on the L Street Parking Lot
1. The City sold it to Les Evans, their favorite developer, in March 2005 for $575,000 and he quit claimed it to one of his companies, 601 Lucerne Inc. in August 2005.
2. LUCERNE Holdings LLC bought the property for $375,000 in December 2010. Why didn't we buy it back?
3. Market value is $73,531 FOR 1 PARCEL, the same for another and $147,148 for the third parcel.

607 Lucerne Ave--38-43-44-21-15-509-0050 - $73,531
605 Lucerne Ave--38-43-44-21-15-509-0060 - $73,531
601 Lucerne Ave--38-43-44-21-15-509-0070 - $147,148 

If you have been wondering why there is a meter back on the property--

Finance Director Steve Carr says, "The lot owner did not want to renew the lease so the lot is in private hands and the meter is their meter. There is no City involvement with this lot any more."   

 

Hey, if Lake Worth can make money off of my lot, then I can do it too, thought the owner.  I just don't think Lake Worth was making enough to cover the lease and expenses. The lot was empty again yesterday morning. However, the parking charges are more advantageous than what the City was charging.

Lake Worth Pier 1959

Comment Up

The good ole days of summer--Photo sent to me by Paul Darst, riding shotgun in a 1958 Chevy impala while the Pier was under construction. Note--you could park facing the water. There were parking meters back in those days but I am not sure we had any at our beach.

The L Street Parking Lot

If you want to learn anything, you go to the guy in the know.  How many times have you been told, in so many words, that "I only do want I need to do under the law, or-- I fulfill my job description--not one little thing over and above that. In this case, it is the meter reader himself who had the answer--

he told me that the meter was temporarily suspended.

I did bring up the fact last week that the parking meter at the L Street Parking Lot was moved to Old Bridge Park. We learned this at the city commission budget meeting. No reason was given but we only can surmise that people actually park at Old Bridge Park whereas during the week they avoided L Street like the plague.

Nothing was said, however, about when the meter would be replaced at L. Street. So in the meantime, you can use your phone app to pay? Is it free? Forgot to ask that question. As my first blog on this got deleted somehow, I have included the finance Director's explanation: "That lease ends in September 2013 and the owner has sent the City notice that they do not wish to continue it.  So it will revert to private hands."

L Street Parking Lot

Comment Up

The L Street Parking lot has always been a problem--a problem in enforcing the metered payments. Some people have paid; others have not. All in all, it has been a complete failure to have it self-sustaining or bring in any revenue because the city ignored the abuse of those parking there and people don't want to pay.  This was a sneaky way to start the process of  having downtown parking meters by the former city manager...you get a good excuse and then run with it.

The City entered into a Contract on February 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011 for the sum of $10,000 which comes to $1,250 a month which seems like a reasonable rate. At least it came before the commission. It was signed by the Parties (Mayor Rene Varela signing for the City) on February 10, 2011. We  pay the owners, Lucerne Holdings LLC, rent. The new contracts that came up never went before the commission because well gee, it is under $25,000 a year and the city manager gets to make those decisions now. The threshold used to be $15,000 and I guess the mayor's signature rubber stamp is used for contracts too?

The entire idea was to charge parking fees to those using the parking lot thus helping to off-set the cost to the taxpayers of Lake Worth. But now It seems that the lone parking meter has been removed and moved to Old Bridge Park.  This lot is located directly behind  Commissioner Andy Amoroso's store. This is just one more decision that never went before the commission. These managerial decisions continue to happen; the commisison gets more and more irrelevant and the entire process is not transparent when it comes to taxpayer dollars. Because this lot has always been a failure (because no one wants to pay to park in our downtown), the city apparently has said "What the hell, if you can't fight them, join them"-- just another decision with the taxpayers holding the bag...or does the city have a meter on order?

Parking at Lake Worth Beach

Comment Up

Mark Sykes, Beach Parking Division Manager

Juan Ruiz, Leisure Services Director, gave last night's presentation on the Parking Division. Parking revenue is expected to be over $1 million dollars in the new fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2013. This year, parking revenue is estimated at $883,198 with the year ending September 30.

Mark Sykes is the Field Supervisor of this division under Juan Ruiz's Recreation Department and the only full-time employee in the Parking Division. He has 5 part-time assistants ( Part-time is 29 hours a week or less and the city does not have to pay benefits) and he is asking for one more full-time employee in order to increase parking security, oversight for parking collections and consistency of operations.

At the moment, they are in the process of recommending some updates to our ordinances and our signage. They have implemented the pay by cell phone option rather than someone walking back to their car to feed the meter.   ParkMobile

Questions that went unanswered:

• Cost for one full-time employee with benefits

• Decal parking - no report

• Fines - no history.  The draft budget indicates a revenue stream for violations at $100,000 in the new budget year but there is no break-down offered for the three metered areas in our city.

• Said there were no parking meters in the downtown. What happened to the L-Street parking lot meter on Lucerne?

• Wanted additional inventory in order to repair meters quickly...never gave a cost

• Did not mention income from meters and fines at the boat ramp or in the downtown. Three sections of this division should be separate each having its own line items on the budget-- beach, boat ramp and the downtown for revenue and costs.

• Did not mention the cost of the cell phone option to the city and the income expected from this option.The pay-by-cellphone system has been installed on parking meters at Lake Worth Beach. The Parkmobile system, also used in West Palm Beach and Hollywood, allows users to pay the $2-an-hour parking fee at our beach with their cellphones. Users pay an extra 35 cents per transaction.

If you are asking the Commission to approve of a budget increase, you must give them the costs.

Resident paid decal parking at the Lake Worth Beach

Comment Up

Armed with only a camera and a Don't Tread On Me cap,  a friend and I headed to the Lake Worth beach on Easter Sunday to see what was happening. As we pulled into the resident decal parking area, we noticed the many cars with NO stickers attempting to park. Little did we know we would end up doing our civic duty--talking to the many people trying to get away with something or just plain not understanding--that they were attempting to park for free in the Resident Decal Parking area with NO decal even though signs are posted.

We must have talked to 120 people in the intermittent 2 hours we were engaged, reminding them that it was paid resident decal parking only; we diverted them to Lake Worth paid parking. Most drivers spotted my camera and just turned around--we didn't have to say a word. They knew. One couple suggested parking there and taking their chances on the fine. They decided to leave. It was their choice. One lady with a decal shouted out to an offender, "This is for resident decal parking ONLY."

We were called Mother F'ers by one young gal. We heard every excuse in the book from a woman saying she just moved here and was going to buy a decal on Monday to a guy from Palm Beach with an attitude who said that we were "going to lose business."  I guess he didn't care about the fact that Lake Worth residents pay the maintenance on the beach and buy a resident sticker to be able to have the convenience of parking in a designated area with only 50 spaces. Overall, 99% of the people were grateful; some did not notice the sign until they entered the parking lot and thanked us for saving them from a possible parking ticket. Several residents with decals thanked us for saving them a spot.

Mark Sykes, head of the parking division, was working on Easter and showed up to fill the pay stations with tickets so that we didn't lose revenue over that busy day.  The parking lots were full and people kept coming and going the entire time we were there. The Decal Resident parking area is being abused. Larger more visible signage needs to be installed and tickets given. Mark Sykes said that it was Florida Statutes that dictated handicap parking policy and he is looking into that to confirm that signage needs to be erected informing those with handicap tags to park in the metered/pay station parking lots only, not in the decal resident parking.

Mark is going to check the possibility of having some resident volunteers to inform those non-decal visitors where the pay stations are until such time the traffic division is completely manned and people "catch on" and fines can be written.

Parking at the Lake Worth Beach

Comment Up

Mark Sykes, Beach Parking Division Manager

Because parking is a premium at the Lake Worth beach ($2 an hour), there are always people wanting to beat the system. Getting something for nothing is an entitlement that they think they deserve.  Parking for free is their goal and some are abusing the 50 or so decal parking spaces reserved for residents of Lake Worth who have bought a current decal.

Everytime, without exception,  when I have been to the beach, there are several cars that have not displayed a current decal. This one yesterday had an expired decal from 2010.


From the City's web site: Beach Parking Decals are on sale at the Cashier’s office, located at 1900 2nd Avenue North from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $21.30 for year-round residents and $63.90 for seasonal residents (This might have changed for 2013/2014). Decals are valid May 1 through April 30. Decals go on sale the last week of April for the upcoming year but can be purchased at any time of the year during business hours.

Friday at Lake Worth Beach

Everyone is working to meet the challenge of opening on time. Mulligans has pushed back its opening to accommodate Lake Worth. All the wonderful landscaping at the lower level has been ripped out so that we can re-design parking lots and replace it with new landscaping and spend $5 to $7 million on the beach redevelopment. Including the casino, our beach will have one heck of an expensive makeover at the tune of around $13.5 million. We will be charging visitors $2 an hour for this major renovation. We will now have 163 less parking spaces at the upper level, traffic backing into each other but we will have a Swing for little Sally.

Lake Worth Beach Decals

Comment Up

Tomorrow is the start of the new beach decal season. I am beach decal permit owner number 110. That means right now if the beach redevelopment was completed, there would be only 55 spots available for residents with decal permits. That is some time away, so for this year, we will be able to park any where we can find a spot of our choosing.

If you are a year-round resident, the decal cost $$21.20 including tax. If you are a seasonal resident, it costs $63.60. If I go to the beach during the course of this year for 11 hours, this decal has paid for itself. Originally decals came to pass because a city commission decided that it was only fair to give the residents a break on parking at their own beach as the taxpayers are the ones who pay to maintain every aspect of it.

The new decals were printed incorrectly. The "glue" was printed on the wrong side of the sticker. So you will have to stick it to your windshield with Scotch tape.

In the past, we have had over 700 decal permits sold. Several years ago the number was double that. I am sure that those who want less parking at our beach (they forget that parking is an important revenue source, not to mention convenience) will not worry about buying their decal. They can hop on their bikes. But all the rest of you, buy it soon if you want to save on $2 an hour parking, an outrageous sum. You won't get a break on price by parking at Kreusler Park--the price is the same.

L Street Parking Lot and General Gripes

Comment Up

From the CM's report:

A 45 square feet concrete base, built by West Construction, for the Parking Division to replace an eight year old parking meter with a new Parking Pay Station at the Lucerne & 'L' Street Parking Lot.

L. Street Parking Lot

Swell. What was the cost to build a concrete base on or near someone else's property? This is a parking lot that is nearly empty other than weekend evenings. What sort of revenue do we make on this property? What are our expenses? Do we finally have someone giving tickets? How much was the meter? Did we renew this lease? If so, for how much?

I realize that Commissioner Muvehill and some staff believe that we all should be concentrating on the positive--shiny things--but there's a lot more of this stuff than that stuff. Even the good stuff they seem to f**&k up--take the casino hours as an example and their song about it and that song being sung off key and off pitch.

The City entered into a Contract on February 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011 for the sum of $10,000 which comes to $1,250 a month. Around 2 months ago I asked if the city had renewed this lease and never got an answer. I don't recall that it EVER came before the Commission...just another thing happening out of the Sunshine like this entire issue?

We just keep on spending.

There is a certain Commissioner who, along with the city manager, says that I am part of the problem in this city--too negative they say. They don't want to hear the truth. We are supposed to let the city staff run ramrod without a complaint.

Gripes

I'm not the one spending money like a drunken sailor. I'm not taking the free lunch on tax payer money. I am not giving away our casino to the first ugly offer. I'm not part of that Black Hole. All I know is that my property value went down 17% this year and I had nothing whatsoever to do with it. I don't have a cushy city retirement. I live within my income which has been reduced thanks to the banks who got us in the mess to begin with and the government having the nerve to bail them out with tax dollars. I'm getting poorer and the City (and Andrew Marra) wants me to pay my "fair" share on anything it wants to assess me for without the City living within its means. Lake Worth is just a very small part of why the entire country is in the shape it's in.

L Street Parking Lot

Comment Up

Commissioner Maxwell asked, "Are we making any money?
"Yes," answered the C.M.

Commissioners, in your one-on-one meetings with the city manager that you all feel are so important to clarify issues that come up on the Agenda so that you "know how to vote," kindly find out the revenues we have received and the expenses on this city lease. Just how many vehicles are utilizing this lot on a daily basis, etc.

L Street Parking Lot - Can of Worms

Comment Up

Oh yeah, we're making money!

The L Street Parking Lot is never full. In fact, it is always empty other than perhaps Friday night and weekends where you might find a few vehicles. Susan Stanton, when asked by the Commission, said that it was making money. How much? $2 a day? The Commission never asked, "Well, how much money are we paying for the Lease and how much revenue are we generating?" Would not that be a normal question when you are going to approve a budget.

The Commission never approved a parking pay station downtown. It just appeared and a Lease agreement was on the desk of resigned Mayor Rene Varela. We were then subsequently informed of the deal. This is a highly questionable transaction. And speaking of Varela, he was the one who constantly pushed for special assessments. He wanted everything but the kitchen sink put on special assessments. If you don't like assessments, we can blame him for supporting and pushing for the whole horrible and unfair idea of which you have not yet seen the worst. He was instrumental in opening the can of worms.

The Scenario: The City entered into a Contract on February 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011 for the sum of $10,000 which comes to $1,250 a month which seems like a reasonable rate. It was signed by the Parties (Mayor Rene Varela signing for the City) on February 10, 2011. We will pay the owners, Lucerne Holdings LLC, rent and charge parking fees to those using the parking lot thus helping to off-set the cost to the taxpayers of Lake Worth and hopefully paying for the Lease. How much did the black-topping cost? How much did that pay station cost? On top of all of that, one of the problems with this and never addressed is the simple fact that there is no one there to write tickets and/or collect fines. This was all a dirty rotten decision by Staff to get downtown parking pay-stations in the City in spite of all of the rest of us who said "no."

This lease is coming up for renewal in 30 days. Commissioners, make sure that you are not, once again, opening a can of worms by allowing paid parking into our downtown. Ask all the right questions but most of all, ask the residents and the downtown merchants whether they want pay stations downtown and what our expenses are for this lease. The argument now will be, well if we don't continue on with it then the owner can put in a pay station--we've already spent all of this money to improve someone else's property so why not just keep paid parking there? We can't get that worm back into the can.

Also, don't screw up the 4 hour parking time limit and change that either, unless you really want the downtown to be a ghost town.

We gave you an emphatic "no" last year on parking pay stations, as did the Finance Advisory Board, in spite of the fact that a few of you wanted paid parking downtown. Stanton found a way of getting it and many of you are on that former Commission that said nothing.

New Parking Meters at the Lake Worth beach