Lake Worth Commission on a Fast Train trying to steamroll through the city

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Yelling "all aboard and don't get left behind" to the developers, Mayor Pam Triolo of Lake Worth, and one who admits that Lake Worth is poorer than dirt, is pushing developers to think of Lake Worth when they’re looking to expand or develop. The commission is riding a fast train to fast track the Park of Commerce and wants $17 million of your money to do it, all to attract developers, as well as to get development of any kind in Lake Worth. They are looking at every square inch where that can happen and it can't come too soon for any of them.

Unbeknown to the residents, the city hired a consultant group to come up with different suggestions on development within the city. This was done to help out potential developers...we paid to give them a light-bulb moment. There was no mention of the name of the consultant or what this study cost. Consultants are something this commission has always panned excepting for when it comes to pushing their ideas. Last week the city entertained potential developers and entrepreneurs for a meeting at our Casino and presented six ideas for "transformation" projects.

One of those ideas featured today in the Palm Beach Post is a transient oriented development right at Lake Osborne that abuts the Tri-Rail tracks. We already see the deplorable affordable rentals, although they appear to be built well, that we suspect will ruin this neighborhood. From the photo on the TOD, it is humongous with 4-5 stories and it would mean buying out the mobile home park and other property near-by--or figuring out a way to grab it.

Another thing that was presented was — A "258-room, 103,200 square-foot, up to-6 story hotel, with 20,000 square feet of street-level retail, south of Lake Avenue and running down the east side of Federal Highway." Of course, there is no mention of the heights election where the people voted to keep our downtown area no more than 45 feet or 4 stories. The commission believes that it now can do whatever it wants in this regard.

Limit would create framework for Growth

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Palm Beach Post
Letters to the Editor
March 9, 2013

Limit would create framework for growth

As someone who moved to Lake Worth in 2012, I will vote YES on Question 2 in Lake Worth’s election.

This charter amendment, which would limit new construction to 45 feet in the Lake-Lucerne Avenue corridor, wisely provides exceptions for existing buildings and approved plans. In event of damage, existing non-conforming buildings may be built back to their original height.

Passage would put Lake Worth on par with Santa Barbara, Calif. This American Riviera city, whose population is 2.5 times that of Lake Worth, established height limits through a voter-approved charter amendment in November 1972. If Question 2 passes in Lake Worth, the 45-foot height limit will serve as a framework for healthy, sustainable and achievable growth in Lake Worth’s traditional downtown and allow for transit-oriented development around a future station on the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. The height limit will set a reasonable goal for the building community to strive toward.

Question 2 opponents have made their opinion known to drivers on Lake Avenue by hanging a “Vote No” banner above the fifth story of the Gulf Stream Hotel. If a 65-foot structure was built in the vacant lot directly west of the iconic structure, the banner on the landmark hotel would be invisible to the public.

RICHARD M. STOWE
Lake Worth

Q & A on Lake Worth Charter Amendment

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There are a few on the growth side of this issue who constantly complain that we won't debate them--we won't give them any information. I don't know where they have been but the points below might help.

Q- Why do we need the Height Limit Charter Amendment?

A - During the Master Planning process, 75% of participating residents wanted building heights limited   to four stories or less.  The commission recently changed the Land Development Regulations and the Comprehensive Plan to allow high-rise development along Lake& Lucerne and the adjacent neighborhoods.

Q - What does the Height Limit Charter Amendment propose?

A - The Charter Amendment proposes to limit heights to 45 ft. from the intra-coastal to F St and 35 ft.from F St to A St, between 1st Ave South to 2nd Ave North.

Q - Don’t the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) already limit heights to 45 ft.?

A - Height limits in the LDRs and the Comprehensive Plan can be changed by the city commission at any time, as just happened. The only meaningful protection is to limit heights in our City Charter. Only the voters can amend the Charter.

Q - Why does the Charter Amendment limit heights to 45 ft. (4 stories) and 35 ft. (3 stories)?

A - There are three reasons:

1.   Good planning requires compatibility with surrounding structures. The 45 ft. heights will allow for quality redevelopment to improve our local economy without encroaching on our neighborhoods or the historic downtown.

2.   The new train station will require 45 ft. in the Transit Oriented Development District (just west of city hall).

3.   Residents in neighborhoods west of Dixie are fighting to limit maximum building heights to 35 ft.  in their single family neighborhoods.

Q - Why does this charter amendment only protect the downtown corridor?

A - This is the area where high-rise development will happen first. It is important to our economy to preserve the low-rise, Old Florida character of our downtown as this is the main reason that visitors, new businesses and homeowners are attracted to our city.

Q - Won’t high-rise development generate needed tax revenue for the City?

A - No, the entire area covered by the Height Limit Charter Amendment is in the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) District so tax revenues from new development in this area will go to the CRA, while increased cost of services will be paid for by the City.

Q - How will the Height Limit Charter Amendment affect the Gulfstream Hotel?

A- We believe that reopening the Gulfstream is an important part of revitalizing our local economy.  The Gulfstream Hotel is protected under the Height Limit Charter Amendment; it can be restored or rebuilt to its current height. Any expansion to the Gulfstream can be built to four stories.

Political advertisement paid for and approved by Respectful Planning Pac,  126 N. E St., Lake worth, FL  33460

Letter from Commissioner Mulvehill Lake Worth

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I am bringing the attached charter amendment regarding building height to the commission for consideration as New Business item12B at the June 19th regular meeting and requesting that it be placed on the November ballot.

I believe that it is the right of citizens to have a voice in land use issues and redevelopment in their community.

Our community has consistently affirmed that the needed redevelopment in the designated downtown area be compatible with the existing historic character and human scale that exists now.

There continues to be strong sentiment in the community for a maximum building height of 35ʼ in the downtown area. The additional 10ʼ of building height from F Street to the bridge will allow for transit oriented development to prepare for the new train station downtown, a parking structure and additional retail tax revenue from a third or fourth floor. To address resident concerns regarding buildings that exceed the proposed heights, the ballot language includes a provision protecting existing buildings.

Because economic development is crucial to creating a vibrant, sustainable future for Lake Worth, the charter amendment I am proposing balances the need for economic development with the communityʼs desire to preserve our unique, seaside community.

Our charter amendment complements other beach communities that Iʼve researched that have passed charter amendments in recent years to maintain their character while creating jobs, growing tourism and preserving their culture and historic ambiance.

I hope the commission will agree that it is the right of the citizens to chart the course of their community and vote quickly and unanimously to put this amendment on the November ballot.

Please attend the meeting if you are able or email your Commissioners and Mayor to let them know how you feel.

Commissioner District 4
Suzanne Mulvehill

Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill gives presentation

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It really is about time to finally get a presentation when you consider all of the travel to conventions, seminars, etc. that some commissioners make throughout the year who never ever give a presentation to the taxpayers who pay the tab. We are interested in how these "free lunches" benefit the city. We want to know that our commissioners are actually learning something, not just rubbing elbows with political cronies.

Pioneering clean energy projects, an aggressive carbon-reduction strategy and North America’s greenest building have helped the UBC to garner Canada’s first gold rating in a new international program that assesses sustainability achievements in higher education.

The 8th International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability held in Vancouver on January 10-12, 2012 was attended by Commissioner Mulvehill who gave a presentation Tuesday night at City Hall. While she attended the conference, she promoted our city by giving a presentation of her own on Lake Worth and what we are doing for sustainability.

One of the themes at the conference was that of community resiliency in building environmental, economic, cultural and social sustainability which are all the components of sustainability. She said that it is important to note that resiliency is something that can be cultivated and constructed in communities.

Key Resiliency Factors for Communities in Transition were developed following the fall of the lumber industry in small towns in British Columbia and some cities transitioned to a new economic model more successfully than others. It struck her how this applies to Lake Worth. Our community underwent a significant transition as a result of the recession.

Commissioner Mulvehill says, "Build on our natural resources – and I don’t mean the way other communities build on their natural resources – like with condos. As an example, the four corners of our bridge – are all natural areas. That’s unique in Palm Beach County and probably unique to many places in Florida, a distinct advantage that we have. Another plus is the diversity in population.

I have heard people say, Lake Worthless or that’s Lake Worth for you or we are a drinking town with a beach problem. Statements like those negatively influence people’s perception of us and we are allowing that to become our brand by default.

We are a great town with a bright future. The concept of community confidence is also quite relevant for us, and I think the notion of 'coping rather than being proactive' as a result of low community confidence is key for us. And I’m not pointing this out to make us feel bad about ourselves, but rather because I believe we have begun to reverse this lack of confidence by being proactive in some areas of governance.

We’ve adapted the '8 pillars' approach used by HB Lanarc for sustainable planning and applied this with a healing cities lens. Within each of these, considerations are made to the different facets of health: body, mind and spirit.

• Complete Communities (Land use, density, site layout)

• Conscious Mobility (Environmentally-friendly and community oriented transportation systems)

• Restorative Architecture (Green buildings)

• Thriving Landscapes (Multi-tasked open space)

• Integrated Infrastructure (such as greywater reuse)

• Nourishing Food Systems (from production to consumption to the return of resources to the cycle)

• Supportive Society (Community facilities and programs, social systems and governance)

• Healthy Prosperity (Economic development)"

What will Lake Worth look like in the future?

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Besides all the wonderful accomplishment over the past few years in Lake Worth, Thursday night there was a Tri-Meeting at our Golf Course consisting of the City Commission, Planning & Zoning Board and our Historical Preservation Board to come to a consensus on what our city should look like in the future and revise some of the parameters. The purpose was to discuss Land Development Regulations including city policies, height, density, intensity, design parameters, permitted uses, current and future land uses and the Comprehensive Plan. There was good attendance and those with a particular and specific interest attended as well.

The addition of three (3) new districts was introduced and the discussion of collapsing several districts into one district. The new districts are:

• the Artisanal Industrial

• the Industrial Park of Commerce

• the Mixed Use West.

The Convenience Commercial was renamed Neighborhood Commercial. The proposed collapsed districts include the Mixed Use, Downtown Edges, Downtown West, and Mixed Use Federal Highway, all into one Mixed Use East District (moderate intensity, 20 units per acre residential); and the Downtown East and Downtown Central into one Downtown District (high intensity, 40 units per acre residential).

There also is a split Mixed Use district that was proposed for Dixie Highway. The former Industrial District, Commercial District, Professional Office Districts (four) all have been eliminated.

There are no changes proposed for the Mobile Home Residential, Public, Public Recreation and Open Space, Conservation, and Beach and Casino Districts. When the process began again in March, there were twenty six (26) zoning districts. Now there are eighteen (18) districts in the revised proposals.

The meeting began at 5:30. It was lengthy and public participation was not allowed until the end even though we requested to speak after the break around 9:00 pm. When I left after the break, there was only a handful of the public left.

William Waters, Sustainability Director, is essentially the architect of our city right now and has a lot of respect from the Boards and the citizenry. Most of his vision was adopted with some exceptions:

1. Dixie East-- Staff Wanted 35 feet and 3 stories and under the "assumption" that the bottom floor would be used as parking. P&Z and Consensus of the boards was to keep it at 2 Stories and 30ft.

2. Dixie West-- the consensus was to take P&Z recommendation of 45 feet if the property faces Dixie. If it faces the railroad tracks, 35 feet.

3. Federal Highway-- Staff recommended 3 stories at 45 feet and P&Z recommended 2 Stories at 30 feet. Consensus was to allow 2 Stories at 35 feet with public benefits.

4. Park Of Commerce--The P&Z wanted 6 Stories at 65 Feet and Staff Recommended that is be 4 stories and 45 feet. Staff had determined that the Infrastructure Study indicated that it would not support P&Z Recommendation. The consensus was that we need to tweak the infrastructure plan to allow the higher as suggested by P&Z.

5. Transit Oriented Development--The biggest conversation was the TOD's where staff was recommending on the east rail 5 Stories, 55 feet at three locations, 10th, Lake Worth Road and Somewhere around the 10th or 12th ave south area. That was debated for a while and the Cara Jennings' suggestion was the best for the higher station that it be at the city center and the other two be zoned as just pick up and drop offs with parking.

The TOD on the West Rail Staff--Staff recommended 65ft and 6 stories and P&Z recommended 4 Stories and 45ft. Consensus was for P&Z. Please note on all the TOD's that everyone expressed that there be very CLEAR language that if the TOD's do not happen that the zones must revert to its surrounding properties to ensure conformity with adjacent properties/Zoning.

As one member of the Planning & Zoning Board said, "It was democracy in action." I left the meeting extremely encouraged about heights and keeping our small town feel that will ensure Lake Worth standing out from all of the rest. We now know that with this consensus of our three boards, that will happen, at least for now. Highly qualified in so many areas including planning and architecture, William Waters had a lot to do with that. Thanks to the P&Z, Historical Preservation Board and Mr. Waters for an extreme amount of work and dedication that has been going on in some cases for years.