Consistently inconsistent: JoAnn Golden's Gates and Fabulous Fences in Lake Worth

While we anxiously wait for the video to be processed, I thought it would be good to add some perspective on the discussion regarding gates and fences in residential projects. We heard complaints from Commissioner McVoy and former Commissioner JoAnn Golden about the installation of gates and fences at the Bella Terra project, just north of the downtown Publix. This issue came up during first reading and rose to a level where Kevin D. Thompson wrote an article about "gated communities" in Lake Worth.

I think we established that the project in question was not a gated community, in the traditional sense like those out in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach or western Delray. This is compact urban development that shares its western boundary with the sidewalk along Dixie Hwy. The developer of the project gave an eloquent overview of the concept of defensible space and how his project is consistent with this theory of urban planning.

Former Commissioner Golden spoke, following Commissioner McVoy's lead, about how gates are not appropriate for this location and it is about the "uplifting" of neighborhoods. This is a slightly altered version of her famous "get used to living in a ghetto" comment while she was commissioner.

The picture above is from Google Maps, Street View of Ms. Golden's property nestled between North Palmway and North Lakeside Drive. It seems to be that she is a big fan of fences and gates when it comes to her home property, blocks away from the unseemly influences present on Dixie Hwy. She just thinks differently when it comes to others. An example of being consistently inconsistent.

Also, the notion of a "community garden" was briefly mentioned. Commissioner McVoy has one of the more publicized and well-known community gardens (most everyone knows where it is) in his very own district and this is how it looks now:

The "community garden" has become a community "eyesore".

Question: How fair is it for Commissioner McVoy to hold a developer to a standard he can't demonstrate in his very own district?