Commissioners vote to keep building heights as is in downtown... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

A reasonably accurate portrayal of what went on last night. Click title for link. This is what I said under public comment. I'll have more videos up later today.

Wes Blackman, 241 Columbia Drive. I consider myself a veteran and a refugee of the master planning process that has gone on here for eight years. Around 1.5 million dollars have been spent in getting us to a point tonight when we can finally adopt a set of land development regulations that make sense and are implementing the city's comprehensive plan. Between these two documents, this is how land use is regulated in the state of Florida.
Is everybody happy? The answer is “no” everybody isn't happy. There are those people tonight who will complain that the city is not properly recognizing the results of the referendum held in March. That somehow the will of the people will not be recognized and incorporated in to this document. The city has a good reason that it is not including that language in that HB 537 made the election “null and void” since the charter change would ultimately result in a change to the comprehensive plan and the land development regulations – since that is how land use is regulated.
I would also like to point out that there was another petition drive, headed up by citizen Christopher McVoy which sought to repeal four ordinances related to the Beach and Casino land use and zoning designation. The petition drive got the required number of signatures, the city refused to put it on the ballot and the city ended up suing the people associated with the PAC. I'd like to point out that the Beach and Casino zoning district that is included in this set of LDRs tonight is the same one that was the subject of that referendum. No one is asking that be changed or repealed tonight.
My message is to understand the trajectory of the city, that not everything in this city has to result in a lawsuit and that we should agree to disagree sometimes so that the city can become the prosperous place it was designed to be. The prospect of maybe having two additional floors in a very limited area of the city – which already has tall buildings there – is not worth more delay and confusion about what you can do in Lake Worth. A question that has been asked, without an answer, for the past eight years.