Thursday, February 4, 2016
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Jury awards Dontrell Stephens $23.4 million
Comment Up
In a move that tells Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw that shooting unarmed civilians for no valid reason will no longer be tolerated, a jury just awarded a man shot in the back by a PBSO deputy $23.4 million!
Go to Gossip extra to read the whole story.
In a move that tells Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw that shooting unarmed civilians for no valid reason will no longer be tolerated, a jury just awarded a man shot in the back by a PBSO deputy $23.4 million!
Go to Gossip extra to read the whole story.
Magna Carta for all Humanity
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 10 December 1948 by the UN General Assembly, contains this text regarding housing and quality of living:
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.[19]
Lake Worth - Where the "Heartless" Begin
Comment Up
The City and this trio commission tried to tell everyone it was about safety and getting the drug addicts and dealers off our public spaces. That was only part of the truth. What they never mentioned nor did they say was the word "homeless," the true intent of their Resolution 06-2016 that set new hours for opening and closing of public property owned by the City. The City twisted the truth to avoid a civil rights lawsuit. It's not criminal to be homeless and by essentially criminalizing the Homeless, it might very well be a violation of the 8th amendment according to the Justice Department.
Commissioner Amoroso has been strongly behind this law as he is a business owner in downtown Lake Worth. Some of the public spaces that are affected by this Resolution besides the Cultural Plaza, Bryant Park and City Hall, are the Shuffleboard Court building, the City Annex on Lake Avenue and the public service complex on Third Avenue South
Channel 12 was there and in their video they featured Dylan Harrison, a downtown businessman, who spoke out in favor of this Resolution and even gave a promise/threat toward any commissioner sitting on the dais if they voted against it saying that he would pour thousands of dollars into the next election towards their defeat. His threat didn't matter as those two commissioners with heart, McVoy and Maier, voted against establishing hours of closing city spaces from Midnight to 6am.
The irony of featuring Harrison as a speaker in the Channel 12 video was the fact he is a convicted felon for the manufacture and sale of synthetic drugs. Even a warehouse blew up. He only spent a year in federal prison after a plea. Israel Balderas, reporter for Channel 12, was not interested and said he was only concerned with their comments. Perhaps he should have checked with Channel 5.
LAKE WORTH (CBS12) — The Lake Worth City Commission passed a resolution Tuesday night that sets a new curfew for designated public places. Between midnight and 6 a.m., it will be illegal for anyone to be in or on city owned property, like City Hall and the Cultural Plaza. While those who pushed for this new ordinance insist the curfew will make downtown streets safer for families, others argue it's really about targeting the homeless."
Mayor Pam Triolo, voting for the Resolution, said, "Let's do the right thing and lift each other up." But all it will do is drag the Homeless down even further than they already are.
Click here... to read more and see the video.
And a blast from the past--
I have to wonder where the Homeless all slept last night...maybe it was behind a bush at the homes of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso.
The City and this trio commission tried to tell everyone it was about safety and getting the drug addicts and dealers off our public spaces. That was only part of the truth. What they never mentioned nor did they say was the word "homeless," the true intent of their Resolution 06-2016 that set new hours for opening and closing of public property owned by the City. The City twisted the truth to avoid a civil rights lawsuit. It's not criminal to be homeless and by essentially criminalizing the Homeless, it might very well be a violation of the 8th amendment according to the Justice Department.
Commissioner Amoroso has been strongly behind this law as he is a business owner in downtown Lake Worth. Some of the public spaces that are affected by this Resolution besides the Cultural Plaza, Bryant Park and City Hall, are the Shuffleboard Court building, the City Annex on Lake Avenue and the public service complex on Third Avenue South
Channel 12 was there and in their video they featured Dylan Harrison, a downtown businessman, who spoke out in favor of this Resolution and even gave a promise/threat toward any commissioner sitting on the dais if they voted against it saying that he would pour thousands of dollars into the next election towards their defeat. His threat didn't matter as those two commissioners with heart, McVoy and Maier, voted against establishing hours of closing city spaces from Midnight to 6am.
The irony of featuring Harrison as a speaker in the Channel 12 video was the fact he is a convicted felon for the manufacture and sale of synthetic drugs. Even a warehouse blew up. He only spent a year in federal prison after a plea. Israel Balderas, reporter for Channel 12, was not interested and said he was only concerned with their comments. Perhaps he should have checked with Channel 5.
LAKE WORTH (CBS12) — The Lake Worth City Commission passed a resolution Tuesday night that sets a new curfew for designated public places. Between midnight and 6 a.m., it will be illegal for anyone to be in or on city owned property, like City Hall and the Cultural Plaza. While those who pushed for this new ordinance insist the curfew will make downtown streets safer for families, others argue it's really about targeting the homeless."
Mayor Pam Triolo, voting for the Resolution, said, "Let's do the right thing and lift each other up." But all it will do is drag the Homeless down even further than they already are.
Click here... to read more and see the video.
And a blast from the past--
I have to wonder where the Homeless all slept last night...maybe it was behind a bush at the homes of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso.
Lake Worth - Sued Again!
Comment Up
Yesterday, the City of Lake Worth was served with yet another law suit in their long string of suits. This one was directly caused by this city commission of Scott Maxwell, Mayor Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso, all incumbents up for re-election.
For a simple recap: The trio decided not to honor the vote of the people after they won the Heights Charter Amendment and told them no more than 45 foot heights were to be allowed in that area. The trio commission wanted their favored developer, Hudson Holdings, to be able to build higher as he was promising all sorts of things to "make our city great again." The city did not send the results forward to Tallahassee and waited to see if some law would be signed by Rick Scott three month after the fact that would not allow this election. Scott signed HB 537. The city then jumped on that bill stating that our vote was null and void.
The bill, HB 537 prohibits initiative or referendum processes for any development order, local comprehensive plan amendment, or map amendment. That was NOT what the heights election was about. It was a CHARTER CHANGE and in order to change the Charter, it must be by vote of the electorate. The Charter is the Bible or Constitution of the city, not the comprehensive plan or a map that can be changed by a political vote from the dais. The Charter already addressed heights. That is why Respectful Planning PAC was formed and took the issue to the voters. Their vote was decided on March 12, 2013 and it is supreme.
Hudson Holdings' intent was to build an "additional 150 room hotel with full catering and conference breakout space if awarded the beach front project." They are still in the wings to grab our beach until after this March 15, 2016 election.
The people who are a party to this suit believe we were all wronged by the city. I personally believe that anyone who petitioned for, who campaigned for and/or voted for the heights charter amendment should have standing as well.
Read the entire Writ...
Yesterday, the City of Lake Worth was served with yet another law suit in their long string of suits. This one was directly caused by this city commission of Scott Maxwell, Mayor Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso, all incumbents up for re-election.
For a simple recap: The trio decided not to honor the vote of the people after they won the Heights Charter Amendment and told them no more than 45 foot heights were to be allowed in that area. The trio commission wanted their favored developer, Hudson Holdings, to be able to build higher as he was promising all sorts of things to "make our city great again." The city did not send the results forward to Tallahassee and waited to see if some law would be signed by Rick Scott three month after the fact that would not allow this election. Scott signed HB 537. The city then jumped on that bill stating that our vote was null and void.
The bill, HB 537 prohibits initiative or referendum processes for any development order, local comprehensive plan amendment, or map amendment. That was NOT what the heights election was about. It was a CHARTER CHANGE and in order to change the Charter, it must be by vote of the electorate. The Charter is the Bible or Constitution of the city, not the comprehensive plan or a map that can be changed by a political vote from the dais. The Charter already addressed heights. That is why Respectful Planning PAC was formed and took the issue to the voters. Their vote was decided on March 12, 2013 and it is supreme.
Hudson Holdings' intent was to build an "additional 150 room hotel with full catering and conference breakout space if awarded the beach front project." They are still in the wings to grab our beach until after this March 15, 2016 election.
The people who are a party to this suit believe we were all wronged by the city. I personally believe that anyone who petitioned for, who campaigned for and/or voted for the heights charter amendment should have standing as well.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
JO-ANN GOLDEN, LYNDA MAHONEY,
ROSANNE MALAKATES
Petitioners Filed pursuant to
Fla.R.App.P.9.100(f)(2)
v.
Case No:
CITY OF LAKE WORTH
In Re Applicant: GULFSTREAM HOTEL LLC
Respondent
____________________/
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI
Read the entire Writ...
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
WPB Citizen jailed for speaking before commission
Citizen speaks before the West Palm Beach commission, gets arrested and thrown in jail.
Read about it...
Read about it...
On Tonight's City Commission Agenda - Kicking the Homeless to their knees
Comment Up
Lake Worth has received a lot of complaints regarding the Homeless in our downtown, at the cultural plaza and those in Bryant Park. This is how the city wants to handle people in need:
Under Unfinished Business tonight--the gigantic cover-up to the truth--
Resolution No. 06-2016 - establish opening/closing hours for “public property” owned by the City.
The Resolution provides that City-owned public property shall be opened/closed between the hours of 10:00p.m. and 6:00 a.m. with certain exceptions.
BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:
The Commission, at its January 19, 2016 meeting, approved Ordinance No. 2016-06, which provides for certain rules and regulations regarding City-owned “public property.” The Ordinance also authorizes the Commission to establish the opening and closing hours of “public property” by City resolution. During that same meeting there was a 2-2 tie vote on Resolution No. 06-2016 to establish the opening/closing hours between sunset and sunrise unless there was a City sponsored or approved special event, City approved meetings, or other City approved activities. In accordance with the Commission’s Rules and Procedures, a tie vote shall constitute a continuance of the item to the next regular meeting.
According to Robert's Rules, on a tie vote the motion is lost. A tie vote is not a majority, consequently if your motion requires a majority vote, the motion is lost if it receives a tie vote. Therefore, a tie vote is as much of a decision as a majority vote in opposition. But this Trio is bringing it back to vote on again. It's sort of like losing an election but not believing it and having another election to counter the one they just lost.
NOW HERE COMES THE CROCK:
Some of the concerns raised during the Resolution discussion were regarding use of the City Hall parking lot to patronage restaurants and shops or people cutting through the Cultural Plaza instead of using sidewalks between sunset and sunrise.
Folks, everyone knows it's all about the Homeless. Why can't these people tell the truth?
City staff’s proposed solution to address these concerns is to establish the opening and closing hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. when most restaurants and businesses in the downtown area are closed. Staff is also working on revisions to the 2008 resolution that governs City recreational facilities including the hours of operation for City parks. It is anticipated that when the revisions to the 2008 resolution are completed by staff, staff will present the Commission with a combined resolution for both parks and public property hours of operations.
Lake Worth has received a lot of complaints regarding the Homeless in our downtown, at the cultural plaza and those in Bryant Park. This is how the city wants to handle people in need:
Under Unfinished Business tonight--the gigantic cover-up to the truth--
Resolution No. 06-2016 - establish opening/closing hours for “public property” owned by the City.
The Resolution provides that City-owned public property shall be opened/closed between the hours of 10:00p.m. and 6:00 a.m. with certain exceptions.
BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:
The Commission, at its January 19, 2016 meeting, approved Ordinance No. 2016-06, which provides for certain rules and regulations regarding City-owned “public property.” The Ordinance also authorizes the Commission to establish the opening and closing hours of “public property” by City resolution. During that same meeting there was a 2-2 tie vote on Resolution No. 06-2016 to establish the opening/closing hours between sunset and sunrise unless there was a City sponsored or approved special event, City approved meetings, or other City approved activities. In accordance with the Commission’s Rules and Procedures, a tie vote shall constitute a continuance of the item to the next regular meeting.
According to Robert's Rules, on a tie vote the motion is lost. A tie vote is not a majority, consequently if your motion requires a majority vote, the motion is lost if it receives a tie vote. Therefore, a tie vote is as much of a decision as a majority vote in opposition. But this Trio is bringing it back to vote on again. It's sort of like losing an election but not believing it and having another election to counter the one they just lost.
NOW HERE COMES THE CROCK:
Some of the concerns raised during the Resolution discussion were regarding use of the City Hall parking lot to patronage restaurants and shops or people cutting through the Cultural Plaza instead of using sidewalks between sunset and sunrise.
Folks, everyone knows it's all about the Homeless. Why can't these people tell the truth?
City staff’s proposed solution to address these concerns is to establish the opening and closing hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. when most restaurants and businesses in the downtown area are closed. Staff is also working on revisions to the 2008 resolution that governs City recreational facilities including the hours of operation for City parks. It is anticipated that when the revisions to the 2008 resolution are completed by staff, staff will present the Commission with a combined resolution for both parks and public property hours of operations.
Trump's Unfavorability Rating
Comment Up
Trump is the least favorable candidate since 1992. This is a mystery as he is doing well in Republican circles and in the polls although he came in second last night in Iowa.
Read about it... at the Washington Post.
Trump is the least favorable candidate since 1992. This is a mystery as he is doing well in Republican circles and in the polls although he came in second last night in Iowa.
Read about it... at the Washington Post.
The AAF wants interest in our License Agreements
We couldn't stop it although it wasn't from a lack of trying.
This is just another thing that I feel should NOT be on the Consent Agenda coming before the commission tonight as I would have liked to have heard some discussion on this.
The FEC tracks used to be about passenger trains like Tri-Rail. Now it will be about High Speed Rail and Freight. But worse than that, all Aboard Florida has held us up to hostage--we had no choice in this matter that All Aboard is coming through our city and we can't afford the necessary and mandatory crossing guard safety replacements estimated to be around $5.6 million so they want us to give them something of value--an interest in our FEC License Agreements and they will pay for the crossing guard replacements.
It really "sucks" to be a poor city and in this instance, the crossing guards, etc. must be replaced at a tremendous cost to the city. We got stuck with All Aboard Florida whether we wanted it or not. Just the simple fact that 32 additional trains will come barreling through our city on the FEC tracks is bad enough and then factor in the return trips. AAF will cause longer commutes to work and could affect emergency response times. The projected number of trains is up to 50 freight and passenger trains per day! Have you ever seen 6th Avenue South at rush hour now?
AAF has agreed to fund 100% of these improvements (identified as “initial development costs” in the agreement) for the City, in return for being named as a third-party beneficiary to the existing license agreements between the City and FEC. AAF railway line is expected to increase the ongoing maintenance costs for each crossing by approximately 10% according to FEC. officials. We get to maintain it all.
Our City Attorney requested that FEC consider updating the license agreements since some of the agreements are quite old and in need of revisions. FEC has refused to make any changes to the existing license agreements.
In order for the City to have AAF fund 100% of the “initial development costs,” the City must agree to name AAF as a third party beneficiary to the existing licenses without any changes. Once again, we are being asked to "give in" and "give it away" in order for a train company that we didn't want in the first place, other than the Trio commission, can roar through our city and totally cause havoc with our quality of life.
Fatal shooting in Lake Worth
Comment Up
As the city commission expends its energy giving additional height to the owner of the Gulfstream Hotel, ignoring the vote of the people, and votes on giving $15 million to the Park of Commerce to attract developers, our slum, blight and crime escalates.
Read about the murder in Lake Worth.
As the city commission expends its energy giving additional height to the owner of the Gulfstream Hotel, ignoring the vote of the people, and votes on giving $15 million to the Park of Commerce to attract developers, our slum, blight and crime escalates.
Read about the murder in Lake Worth.
Andy Amoroso - Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Comment Up
Essentially I have left commissioner Andy Amoroso alone when it comes to pointing out his bad decisions for Lake Worth. I have just included him as part of the Trio overall as he has voted in partnership with Scott Maxwell and Pam Triolo on each and every occasion that I can recall. The difference between him and them is that he wasn't a bully on the dais although he did rush through discussion at times when he said "call the vote." There were many times that he had no patience in listening to the other side of the argument.
However, when a candidate decides to be a "hitman" and produces a campaign hit piece, even if it only consisted of one sentence that was a deliberate falsehood to deceive and a hitpiece that is given to the voters in our city, then I have to call it out. His flyer could not have been just a mistake. It was a fabrication of major proportions and an attack on his opponent, Frank McAlonan, that was sheer fantasy.
There were several embellished achievements but one major prevarication (LIE) on his flyer: The safety of our residents should also be a top priority. [We all agree with that] I supported keeping the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Palm Beach County Fire rescue. My opponent in this race opposed all of these initiatives.
___________________________________________________________
Frank McAlonan did not live here when any talk of "keeping the PBSO" ever came before the commission. I don't recall any discussion or even a serious suggestion regarding the termination with the PBSO. It didn't happen. At the Bryant Park NA Forum, Candidate Frank McAlonan rated the PBSO on a scale of 1 to 10 as a 9.5. And to make the lie on Amoroso' campaign flyer even more loathsome, Frank's brother is a fireman.
___________________________________________________________
There is never a reason to lie to the voters unless you want to fool them and can't win on your own merits or win on the truth. Does anyone admire someone winning an election by cunning deception?
Perhaps it is the low-information voter he is trying to attract. According to Mark Perkel, "people want to hear what they want to hear. When two candidates are running and one of them tells the truth and the other says what the public wants to hear, the one who says what the public wants to hear wins the election. Thus, and there are exceptions to this, if you want to win an election, you better start lying, because the guy who's telling you the truth doesn't have a chance."
We have seen the lies and the dirty tricks in this city on way too many occasions and frankly, we are all sick of it. If you have to lie to win, then give it up. And Frank is right--Andy Amoroso should apologize.
Essentially I have left commissioner Andy Amoroso alone when it comes to pointing out his bad decisions for Lake Worth. I have just included him as part of the Trio overall as he has voted in partnership with Scott Maxwell and Pam Triolo on each and every occasion that I can recall. The difference between him and them is that he wasn't a bully on the dais although he did rush through discussion at times when he said "call the vote." There were many times that he had no patience in listening to the other side of the argument.
However, when a candidate decides to be a "hitman" and produces a campaign hit piece, even if it only consisted of one sentence that was a deliberate falsehood to deceive and a hitpiece that is given to the voters in our city, then I have to call it out. His flyer could not have been just a mistake. It was a fabrication of major proportions and an attack on his opponent, Frank McAlonan, that was sheer fantasy.
There were several embellished achievements but one major prevarication (LIE) on his flyer: The safety of our residents should also be a top priority. [We all agree with that] I supported keeping the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Palm Beach County Fire rescue. My opponent in this race opposed all of these initiatives.
___________________________________________________________
Frank McAlonan did not live here when any talk of "keeping the PBSO" ever came before the commission. I don't recall any discussion or even a serious suggestion regarding the termination with the PBSO. It didn't happen. At the Bryant Park NA Forum, Candidate Frank McAlonan rated the PBSO on a scale of 1 to 10 as a 9.5. And to make the lie on Amoroso' campaign flyer even more loathsome, Frank's brother is a fireman.
___________________________________________________________
There is never a reason to lie to the voters unless you want to fool them and can't win on your own merits or win on the truth. Does anyone admire someone winning an election by cunning deception?
Perhaps it is the low-information voter he is trying to attract. According to Mark Perkel, "people want to hear what they want to hear. When two candidates are running and one of them tells the truth and the other says what the public wants to hear, the one who says what the public wants to hear wins the election. Thus, and there are exceptions to this, if you want to win an election, you better start lying, because the guy who's telling you the truth doesn't have a chance."
We have seen the lies and the dirty tricks in this city on way too many occasions and frankly, we are all sick of it. If you have to lie to win, then give it up. And Frank is right--Andy Amoroso should apologize.
Sean Dorsey, his struggle to live
Comment Up
Not expected to survive, Sean Dorsey, a student at the University
of Florida, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. "He underwent surgeries
to remove as much infection as possible and reduce the brain swelling,
but doctors were forced to remove his right frontal lobe. Dorsey also
suffered a stroke while in the emergency room, leaving him paralyzed on
the left side of his body."
Sean is the grandson of Dennis and Doris Dorsey who stood by him every inch of the way with a lot of love. There were many prayers going on every day over the last few years and Sean believes that the power of prayer is what pulled him through. He is now on his road to recovery, will be going back to the University of Florida and plans on writing a book about his experience.
Read about Sean, this brave young man, in the Palm Beach Daily News (Shiny Sheet).
Dennis Dorsey with his grandson Sean
Sean is the grandson of Dennis and Doris Dorsey who stood by him every inch of the way with a lot of love. There were many prayers going on every day over the last few years and Sean believes that the power of prayer is what pulled him through. He is now on his road to recovery, will be going back to the University of Florida and plans on writing a book about his experience.
Read about Sean, this brave young man, in the Palm Beach Daily News (Shiny Sheet).
Monday, February 1, 2016
Bernie's and Hillary's Hypocrisy
Can't leave Hillary out of this--she wants to go after billionaires too. Ya just can't trust Democrats.
Only three candidates prepared to deal with ISIS
A best-selling Christian author known for his high-level government contacts inside Israel says most of the candidates running for president, including the front-runners of both major parties, are ill-prepared to deal with the threat of what he calls “apocalyptic Islam.”
He says that there are only three candidates running for the Presidency who can deal with ISIS...Find out who they are by Reading about it here...
He says that there are only three candidates running for the Presidency who can deal with ISIS...Find out who they are by Reading about it here...
Letters to the Editor - Homeless in Lake Worth
Comment Up
Letters to the Editor
Palm Beach Post
February 1. 2016
Moving homeless is not a solution
The recent ordinance passed by the Lake Worth City Commission declaring all public places to be “parks” feels like they are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The commission says this is to stop crime, but I think the real reason for this draconian ordinance is because the merchants think that scruffy-looking homeless people, congregating in the middle of downtown, is bad for business. And who can blame them?
I had occasion to chat with several homeless persons in the Cultural Plaza one day and learned a lot about how and why they came to this. Some were there admittedly by choice, others by tragic circumstances. One young man moved to Florida with his mother for her job, but she died and he had no resources. A young woman said she had completed her rehab and had nowhere to go.
I don’t know if their stories were true or not. I just know one remark has stayed with me ever since. A young man in his 20s said, “Where do you go when nobody wants you?” Exactly. Where do you go when nobody wants to look at you? The Lake Worth solution is “out of sight, out of mind.”
If we want to fight crime, let’s use real crime-stopping methods like cameras and police patrols. Moving drug dealers out of public places doesn’t stop drug dealers. It only moves the drug sales to our back alleys and elsewhere.
If we want to move the homeless away from our business district, let’s do some creative thinking. Whatever we do, we need to be authentic about our motives.
Lisa Stewart
Lake Worth
Letters to the EditorPalm Beach Post
February 1. 2016
Moving homeless is not a solution
The recent ordinance passed by the Lake Worth City Commission declaring all public places to be “parks” feels like they are throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The commission says this is to stop crime, but I think the real reason for this draconian ordinance is because the merchants think that scruffy-looking homeless people, congregating in the middle of downtown, is bad for business. And who can blame them?
I had occasion to chat with several homeless persons in the Cultural Plaza one day and learned a lot about how and why they came to this. Some were there admittedly by choice, others by tragic circumstances. One young man moved to Florida with his mother for her job, but she died and he had no resources. A young woman said she had completed her rehab and had nowhere to go.
I don’t know if their stories were true or not. I just know one remark has stayed with me ever since. A young man in his 20s said, “Where do you go when nobody wants you?” Exactly. Where do you go when nobody wants to look at you? The Lake Worth solution is “out of sight, out of mind.”
If we want to fight crime, let’s use real crime-stopping methods like cameras and police patrols. Moving drug dealers out of public places doesn’t stop drug dealers. It only moves the drug sales to our back alleys and elsewhere.
If we want to move the homeless away from our business district, let’s do some creative thinking. Whatever we do, we need to be authentic about our motives.
Lisa Stewart
Lake Worth
Lake Worth commissioners are compatible for developers--not the voters
Comment Up
Reporters never seem to write the entire story. All they do is give the company line and totally ignore the Height Charter Amendment. A vote by the people? Oh hell no--not important. They believe everything that the city tells them and only listen to the developers. Even Steven Michael, partner at Hudson Holdings and owner of The Gulfstream, believes the vote is no big deal as he has submitted plans for 5 stories, not 4, in his development plans on the hotel parcels which is arbitrary to the Heights Charter Amendment of 45 feet.
According to the Real Deal, "Lake Worth has been criticized for being inconsistent in its development, because of staunch political opposition to building plans. Even the city commission’s approval of rezoning for the Gulfstream project came only in a 3-to-2 vote. The opponents, commissioners Christopher McVoy and Ryan Maier, were unavailable to speak with TRD, but they have publicly expressed concern about the height of the project, specifically the 65-foot maximum for the annex building."
I suppose we can't blame Steven Michael for his arrogance as this city has told him "no problem." You can build higher because we made this a Hotel District and this commission trio has voted in additional height for you and changed the zoning for you to achieve your goals--and we ignored the voters on your behalf because we know better than what residents want in this downtown. "Screw democracy," they said. I am not sure who is more arrogant--Michael or this Trio of Scott Maxwell, Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso, all up for re-election. And it was revealed that the city knew about Hudson's intentions at our beach a year before the ITN.
Michael, of Hudson Holdings, scoffs at the criticism. “The height of the annex is lower than all the surrounding buildings,” he said. “There’s no reason to be concerned about 65 feet when the ones next to them are 75 feet and 100 feet. This is just a way for a group of people who don’t want Lake Worth to move forward to try to get their way.” The opponents’ don’t have the city’s best interests as their priority, he said.
The reason why the Referendum on heights went to the people to vote on is because we DO have the best interests of the city in mind--low rise. In the meantime, Steve Michael does little to clean up this property and this hotel further decays and vagrants occupy it.
Reporters never seem to write the entire story. All they do is give the company line and totally ignore the Height Charter Amendment. A vote by the people? Oh hell no--not important. They believe everything that the city tells them and only listen to the developers. Even Steven Michael, partner at Hudson Holdings and owner of The Gulfstream, believes the vote is no big deal as he has submitted plans for 5 stories, not 4, in his development plans on the hotel parcels which is arbitrary to the Heights Charter Amendment of 45 feet.
According to the Real Deal, "Lake Worth has been criticized for being inconsistent in its development, because of staunch political opposition to building plans. Even the city commission’s approval of rezoning for the Gulfstream project came only in a 3-to-2 vote. The opponents, commissioners Christopher McVoy and Ryan Maier, were unavailable to speak with TRD, but they have publicly expressed concern about the height of the project, specifically the 65-foot maximum for the annex building."
I suppose we can't blame Steven Michael for his arrogance as this city has told him "no problem." You can build higher because we made this a Hotel District and this commission trio has voted in additional height for you and changed the zoning for you to achieve your goals--and we ignored the voters on your behalf because we know better than what residents want in this downtown. "Screw democracy," they said. I am not sure who is more arrogant--Michael or this Trio of Scott Maxwell, Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso, all up for re-election. And it was revealed that the city knew about Hudson's intentions at our beach a year before the ITN.
Michael, of Hudson Holdings, scoffs at the criticism. “The height of the annex is lower than all the surrounding buildings,” he said. “There’s no reason to be concerned about 65 feet when the ones next to them are 75 feet and 100 feet. This is just a way for a group of people who don’t want Lake Worth to move forward to try to get their way.” The opponents’ don’t have the city’s best interests as their priority, he said.
The reason why the Referendum on heights went to the people to vote on is because we DO have the best interests of the city in mind--low rise. In the meantime, Steve Michael does little to clean up this property and this hotel further decays and vagrants occupy it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)