Westward Ho!, striking a chord, and Timothy Hullihan's "Avenir 3.0"

Timothy Hullihan doesn't pull any punches; but more on that a little later. Last Thursday (4/30) this map appeared in The Palm Beach Post (in the Real Estate section):

There are 9 new communities west of the Turnpike and 25 total west of I-95. Looking east of I-95 south of Northlake Blvd all the way to Boca Raton there are only two—and that got me to thinking.

Prior to the recent municipal elections (March 10th) in the City of Lake Worth one of the candidates, Commissioner John Szerdi, received a candidate questionnaire from Drew Martin of the Loxahatchee Sierra Club. At some point in the future will publish the entire questionnaire, all the questions and answers, but one stands out, Number 9:

Above is Drew Martin's question on the candidate questionnaire.

Above is John Szerdi's answer.

I have no idea how the other candidates, Commissioner Chris McVoy and Ryan Maier, answered this question but we can safely conclude the answer was "Yes" or something very close. What exactly would a "moratorium on further development" in the City of Lake Worth achieve other than forcing more housing to be built west? John Szerdi's answer absolutely nails it.

While areas along I-95 and east towards the ocean are showing some signs of development it's still comparatively scarce in light of the amount of new housing needed in south Florida, so the need gets filled by Minto and Avenir to name just two. As much as you may dislike these new western developments and western sprawl they're filling a need. Look no further than the new census numbers. 

Now to Tim Hullihan. He is not happy at all about what is happening in Palm Beach Gardens vis-à-vis "Avenir 3.0". You can read his entire blog post here and encourage everyone to read it. To me though these three paragraphs stand out:

     Palm Beach County is still in the honeymoon period with growth. Cheap land and steady tourism have perpetuated this romance too long. Hopefully the relationship will mature soon enough to save us from becoming Dade and Broward look-alikes, but Minto West, and other recent windfalls for developers, make it seem as if the puppy-love will last forever.
     Mature urban areas, like the New York City example, enjoy the benefits of an adult relationship between community and growth. Within this deeper, less ephemeral commitment to community, mature cities get to discuss how they can improve from within rather than how too accommodate a growing burden of external distractions. New York City has some of the world’s finest hotels, restaurants, museums, and venues for the preforming arts, because it matured a long time ago and has continual improved the quality of its heart rather than the size of its being.
     Palm Beach Gardens is just north of 50,000 residents, and I have no idea how big they want to get, but I feel certain they would be better served by a mature and sustainable approach to growth and future development. Refreshing its eastern neighborhoods; exploring options for creating walkable communities; and adding density and quality-of-life amenities to the existing urban core are among some of the trends that are energizing cities around that country that have far less heart than Palm Beach Gardens. [emphasis added]

Does anyone disagree with Timothy Hullihan?