The Gulfstream Hotel [and how ordinary functions of government get hijacked by just a few people]

First, here is the news from Kevin Thompson at the Post, an excerpt follows:

     William Waters, director for community sustainability, said the plans will be reviewed by the Historic Resources Preservation Board in October. There will also be a public meeting, with notices being sent to residents who live within 400 feet of the hotel, Waters said.
     First reading of the plans should go before the commission in November.
     Hudson Holdings and CDS International Holdings of Boca Raton bought the Gulfstream in May 2014. Some residents have grumbled it’s taken Hudson Holdings too long to start the project. The company also wants to develop the Lake Worth Casino.
     But Michael said dealing with code issues, and the site’s historic status, takes time.

The line highlighted above is very misleading. I would suggest this is more accurate:

The company is also considering ways to fix the failing Casino complex.

Now to one of the most viewed posts on my blog in recent years:

Grassroots movements do not organically spring up to support a project, but opposition groups driven by fear, self-interest and cynicism can take off like wildfire. The proliferation of digital tools like Facebook and Twitter give average people the ability to find like-minded project opponents and to build effective grassroots opposition movements. While project supporters certainly have access to these same tools, they are far less motivated to use them. The process is overwhelmingly dominated by opponents.

The sobering words above were written by Patrick Fox in an op/ed titled, "Broken Planning: How Opponents Hijacked the Planning Process".

The point is this: there are a some residents in Lake Worth that are opposed to the Gulfstream Hotel re-opening and they will get very loud. They will attract the news media like moths to a flame. One of these people probably made this graphic:

Below is the official social media graphic for the City of Lake Worth:

Sitting idly by while a small group of malcontents try to scuttle this project isn't going to fly any more. If you support our magnificent hotel re-opening once again SHOW UP AT MEETINGS! Contact the elected and staff and tell them what you think.

Don't let the naysayers and malcontents speak for you.