Some other thoughts about the sanctity of single family neighborhoods...

You know, at the retreat on Saturday, Commissioner Jennings pointed out that the city will need to come up with money to reimburse the value of the property rights taken from the owner of the Sunset property and the Champion Tree property.

When I was on the Planning and Zoning Board, all of us knew -  I think - that our decisions carried multi-million dollar consequences if they were overturned or if it could be shown that the city did not follow the correct procedure.  It's convenient for politicians and would-be politicians to over-simplify an issue, vilify potential political targets and spin mythologies to pander to the voters for an election cycle or two.  But, eventually, time catches up with reality and we realize that the original decisions may have had more merit than what was told in the stories recited at thousands of doors throughout the city of Lake Worth.

When we have one of the cheerleaders of the effort to "preserve single family neighborhoods" flaunting her property as something other than a single family house, then it is time to raise questions about the sincerity of her intentions.

Does whether or not someone "charges" per night for a stay change the impact to the neighboring properties?  I say the impact is the same.  There are many in the city that are under the threat of foreclosure - does this option, as modeled by a sitting City Commissioner, tempt others to rent out rooms to more than what the code allows?

There is currently an application before the Planning and Zoning Board for a group home at 1718 North Federal Hwy.  The code requires a group home to be 1250 feet away from another group home and 500 feet from single family residential property.  They are asking for a waiver from the distance requirements. There are two group homes in the nearby area.  A special use permit is required - and variances are being requested.  There are many neighbors who are concerned about this use going in at this location.  How is overcrowding your home or having a boarding house (or quasi-boarding house) in your single family neighborhood different from a group home?  Is the city's defense of its Zoning Code strengthened or weakened by this Commissioner's example?  Cara Jennings Cara Jennings Cara Jennings.