Hey Venus, oh Venus, make my wish come true

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1414 Lake Avenue

What's worse?  The obnoxious sign or the fact they are trying to

pull one over on the city?

I want what I want when I want it and there are city board members as well as commissioners who allow it all to happen.

On April 3, 2012, the Venus Cafe got its proximity waiver for a 2COP license...they just had to have it in order to help their business be successful.  The owner spoke before the commission.  Loretta Sharpe, former member of the Historical Resource Preservation board,  spoke before the commission as well, advocating for the owner.  Well, why not?  Everyone gets waivers in this city when it comes to alcohol.  Soon after the commission voted it in, the owner "temporarily" closed it for ...?  Nearly two years later, it is still closed.

Last Night's Commission Meeting

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decay and neglect--our legacy after 100 years?
NO--it is a broken pump

Green algae will usually rear its ugly head immediately following a hazy condition in the water from a lack of proper filtration and/or sanitation and in Lake Worth's case, a pump broke causing all the green, slimy stuff. Now the city is scurrying around hunting up the money to buy a new pump, I think.

The main item on the agenda was the approval of the 3 story, 216 rental units on Boutwell and Lake Worth Roads. I can agree with Commissioner Szerdi that it is a good location for them--west of town and not a NIMBY situation, although the traffic congestion will be tremendous in spite of the contractor's traffic projections. I disagree that competition will indirectly force rental home owners to improve their properties. Slums are slums and slum landowners don't change.

Yesterday the developer/contractor gave me renter estimated target incomes of between $60 and $80 thousand a year but the back-up says the targets are $36 to $48 thousand a year. This is affordable housing even if Scott Maxwell says it isn't. He doesn't want to understand the lack of distinction of affordable and workforce housing.

All Realtors are giddy with anticipation (usually you get a 10% commission on rentals), particularly the real estate agent who sits in the front row. She was even allowed to make personal attacks and mock me when she spoke at the lectern. Civility is subjective with this commission and discarded when she speaks. She had announced earlier that she will not be reapplying to the Historical Planning board; her term ends this month. Perhaps we won't have to see any more Venus Cafes pulling a fast one (she recommended that they be allowed to have a COP license and once they got it, closed their doors and the place has gone to blight on Lake Avenue) or we might be less likely to see a monstrous home being approved on N. Lakeside Drive being built right next door to a small cottage. She finally sat down and called me "evil" again, one of her favorites. One thing that is not confusing for her is her lack of politeness...she thinks she is still attacking me on my blog anonymously.

My only point, which the Mayor chose to miss as well as our favorite Realtor, is approving seven buildings without knowing or caring what any other completed project from this contractor/developer looks like today. Many times affordable rental projects attract the undesirable or they go to seed. I asked if they did any D&D or had seen any other developments by this contractor..no one answered the questions.  If you are building a home, before contracting with a builder, you usually visit other houses to visually inspect his work...normal operational procedure.

As you only are given 2 minutes to make a point, my comparison of this project to Greater Bay was not an apples to apples comparison but it was only to point out the lack of due diligence on GB and how it negatively impacted our community. In fact, the vice mayor was highly annoyed that anyone with a different opinion could have the nerve to even raise a question. He threatened to walk out of the meeting if anyone else on the dais had anything "negative" to say about it. He did not want to hear Commissioner McVoy or any point he had to make and was shockingly discourteous. He then called the question to stop the debate. The bully dais continues and their friends are allowed to be obnoxiously rude at the lectern..

These buildings, once built, are here to stay. We will have to live with them for at least 40-50 years. No one can say that this project will be a positive effect in our western neighborhood. The commission is flooding the city with affordable housing and more rentals when their goal has always been more home ownership believing that is the only way to raise the city from the slum and blight.

Everything is expendable when you have such a strong desire to develop the Park of Commerce at any cost (Maxwell's catalyst) and fulfill campaign promises--or you are looking at a tax base of an estimated $145,000 a year that will be totally diminished by the cost of services.

Planning & Zoning Before the Lake Worth City Commission

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Other than self-satisfaction for a fleeting moment, when has retribution done anyone any good? Is it satisfying to know that one has received his " just deserts" or met with a comeuppance by three city commissioners with the power to show who is boss? Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso want to exercise control and fulfill the wishes of their supporters. Amoroso, former member of the CRA, spoke out against the P&Z Board when he was campaigning. Now with the power, it was just easier to change the Ordinance. Now they can justify their "fairness" towards volunteers who have done a great job for Lake Worth. There is not one fault from the P&Z that I can state other than my personal opinion on the Venus Cafe variance.

Tomorrow night, all the trumped up political propaganda of late will come to fruition--this visionary commission has the power to eliminate all present members on our Planning & Zoning board no matter their appointment expiration date on the pretense 1) they want "qualified" people and 2) they want a 5 member voting board, not 7. This will no longer be an independent planning and zoning board but one they want to appoint consisting of members with special interests...those who make their money from development. They want to get rid of their "undesirables" and shhh, an "anarchist."

It shows you the power of one political group that wants to "give away" our city by making things easier for their developer friends. Some squawk about heights, mentioning our comprehensive plan that was developed years ago before we had a sustainability director and a professional who actually knows what he's talking about...they want higher buildings. They want to take control and continue to give favors by making it easy for developers who come before the P&Z board to get their site plan approved on first try. Afterall, they say, development is what we need for our tax base, any kind of development. It doesn't matter that we have empty and foreclosed townhouses all over town. They want more.

Even though this present P&Z (smart and knowledgeable people who followed our code as well as making common sense decisions when necessary) insisted that some of the projects before them be better designed and asked a few developers to improve their plans, and even though this present board has not denied one request before them, this doesn't matter to this majority commission. They have been listening to some complainers and have drummed up an excuse of "qualifications" in order to replace many of them well before their terms expire. This action is unprecedented in Lake Worth. I ask you--who are the real anarchists?

Look for more Lucerne condos in the future. Look for many more variances and not just the type they gave to the Venus Cafe which has happened with frequency in this City. If any member of the P&Z had gone against that particular variance and had followed our Ordinances, it would have been suicide for sure. It just shows you should always stand up for principles. The Commission approved it on a 5/0 vote. We just don't have enough bars. Give it to one, you have to give it to all. This started years ago.

What brought about removing members and changing out the P&Z was a result of the highly contentious CRA townhouse plan, ooops loft plan, that was previously before them. The CRA, dying to spend part of that $23 million grant on time, packed the P&Z meetings with angry people who spoke in their normal caustic manner using all sorts of negatives to make their points. When you want "angry," you know exactly who to call upon. Some of these folks are probably on speed dial. The CRA did not want any deterrents to its plan. There is no civility any longer in this city. What we have is bad politics and a few vocal sheep who act as if they are leftovers from Charles Manson's cult, continually bending the ear of this majority commission.

• Kate Sheffield (appt. October 26, 2011) serves as a planner and her term expires in 2013

• Cara Jennings (appt. August 11, 2011) serves as a citizen at large and her term expires in 2014 (They forgot to say she was elected twice to our city commission and previously worked on our Master Plan and has untold knowledge of this city)
  

• Gael Silverblatt (appt. August 11, 2011) serves as a citizen at large, but has extensive landscape experience and her term expires in 2014 (They forgot to say how intelligent and conscientious she is)
  

• Lawrence McNamara (appt. March 25, 2010) serves as a citizen at large, but has real estate experience and his term expires in 2013 (They forgot to say he is a paralegal and obtaining his law degree)
  

• Robert Waples II (appt. July 31, 2009) serves as a project management and his term expires in 2012
  

• Linda Davis (appt. July 31, 2009) serves as an appraiser and her term expires in 2012

• Lynda Mahoney (appt. February 5, 2009) serves as a real estate mortgage investor and her term expires in 2012. (They forgot to mention she does her homework and understands the big picture, our Code and Ordinances and is always looking out for Lake Worth, we the citizens)
  

Also, under Consent Agenda is an owner at 182 Vassar Drive wanting approval on a variance involving installation of pavers on their driveway which causes an encroachment on city right-of-way. I see no evidence that this came before the P&Z or even the Historic Preservation board but instead it is approved by the Public Works Director. Perhaps this property is some exception.

Is this what the City has now become? No law. No order. A board literally "thrown under the bus" to the detriment of the City of Lake Worth all for politics...all for a couple of people who wanted to derail our casino, or got a nose bent out of shape because he was not appointed to the "right" board, or build to one hundred feet.

Have Class in your Glass and pick up your Trash

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As someone discarded this quart glass beer bottle on downtown city property, I was wondering what the best malt liquor is. Afterall, if you are going to trash our streets you should at least have some sort of class about your glass.

The best answer that came up was--There is no such thing as "Best" malt liquor. Malt liquor, by definition is made as cheaply as possible to get a higher ABV. It is all cheaply made, mass produced and low quality. The only people that buy this crap are homeless alcoholics, underage kids, and street corner drinkers that "hide" it in a brown bag.

Now, if this empty, discarded bottle was found west of the railroad tracks I would be more concerned than ever about the recent political commission decision allowing for a 2COP waiver there for a little take-out cafe that recently politicked singing the old Frankie Avalon song, Oh Venus, make my wish come true. It pays to have friends and a good, cheap hotdog.

Just say "No"

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Although a fairly new establishment,
it is beginning to look like the neighborhood.

Just what we need in Lake Worth--more places that sell beer and wine to winos in "go cups." There is no inside seating. You order from a window and take your food and drink to go or you can sit on a picnic bench that is provided between the two small buildings.

The Venus Cafe is located at 1414 Lake Avenue situated west of the railroad tracks in a zoning called MIC-1 - Moderate Intensity Commercial, soon to be changed. Not only do we have multiple establishments in our downtown that sell booze, wine and beer, now a business wants to sell alcohol in our district west of the Shuffleboard Courts. They are seeking a 2COP license and a proximity waiver at tonight's city commission meeting and they will probably get it because there are so many who are paranoid about law suits and well, just because everyone gets waivers in Lake Worth.

Residences surround this establishment on all sides. Immigrants are constantly spotted walking drunk in that area with open containers. It has been an on-going problem for years as they stroll down our alphabet streets, urinating on the bushes. It's tough to hold that beer. There are 5 other establishments that sell beer and wine within the 400 feet city code. Plus there is a church.

What our Code says:
(a) Prohibitions. No alcoholic beverage shall be sold:
***
2. where such place of business is within four hundred (400) feet of a church, public or private school, park, library or other place of business of a person holding a beverage license.

Does every business come into the city and say to themselves, "Not to worry...we will get that waiver to sell whatever we please or build higher, or build to the sidewalk." Are we known as an easy mark?

As Greg Rice would say, "Lake Worth is a great little drinking town with a beach problem." Even though this was a funny quip, Greg might be closer to the truth than we know. When is enough enough? When can the City just say "No?" Ever?