UPDATE, Blueway Trail: News blackout at The Palm Beach Post continues, but not for much longer.

The big news is the Post comes real close to breaking this news blackout (see below).

Most of you are aware by now of the news blackout at the Post, not reporting anything at all about the Blueway Trail project between the cities of Lake Worth and West Palm Beach. In fact, the Post beat reporter covering the City of Lake Worth has not once used the words, “Blueway Trail” one single time.

But this sort of thing is not new.

Remember, there was a news blackout last December about former-Commissioner Ryan Maier dropping out of his race for re-election, going unreported in the Post for five (5) weeks!

And, of course, there’s the news as well about the Ocean Energy Collaborative between FAU’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) and the City of Lake Worth. Remember the roundtable discussion for the purpose of establishing the City of Lake as “ground zero” for all advanced ocean energy development in the United States? 

Anyhow, this latest news from Post reporter Tony Doris doesn’t mention the Blueway Trail specifically, but does come very close.

Here are two excerpts from Doris’ article datelined yesterday (June 15th) titled, “Town homes, bike paths could be next for West Palm Golf Course”:

WEST PALM BEACH — Time for another round of figuring out the future of West Palm Beach’s beloved golf course, a 70-year-old feature of the south end [sic] with potential to live up to its heyday while adding such suggested features as town homes, bike paths and a kayak launch area. [emphasis added]
     The city’s Golf Commission has a July 18 meeting at City Hall to hear three 30-minute presentations from firms that propose to lease and develop the 196 acres off South Dixie Highway, bordering the Lake Worth Canal.

and. . .

     It [city of West Palm Beach] also noted that the city owns an adjacent seven-acre shopping center property at 8111 S. Dixie Highway,* which it also hopes to redevelop.
     RMA’s [Redevelopment Management Associates] director of urban design and planning, Natasha Alonso, said residents made clear in a 2015 meeting [see link below] that they wanted the course to look better, to make more of a connection with surrounding communities and to have a new clubhouse that would “make it more than a golf course — a true gathering place.”

“[R]esidents made clear in a 2015 meeting. . .”

Use this link to read more about that meeting in 2015 as reported by Mr. Tony Doris; an excerpt:

     Still others said it was clear that all the city’s revitalization money has been going to the North End and downtown and that the South End has been neglected for too long. And there were calls for better street lighting and sidewalk treatments, for supporting local businesses rather than chain stores, for providing families with a place to go and for coordinating efforts with neighboring Lake Worth.

“. . . and for coordinating efforts with neighboring Lake Worth.”

*For reporters in the local press and news media, this would be the plaza on Dixie Hwy. where Winn-Dixie is located, ¼ mile north of the C-51 Canal that separates the cities of Lake Worth and West Palm Beach.

PLEASE NOTE. The Daily Progress Report, “Gulfstream Hotel, Lake Worth, Florida” will now become weekly, every Monday.

The point has been made.

The last Daily Progress Report for Thursday, July 13th, is below.

These reports will now become weekly, however, if a news report suddenly appears about the Gulfstream Hotel with news about “vibrancy” or the historic hotel once again is “undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift”, check back to this blog with a reminder, we’ve all heard this stuff many times before.

Instead of hearing over and over again “what we’re going to do” we need to hear from Hudson Holdings, “what we did”.

For example, the claim by Hudson Holdings they paid to demolish the dilapidated structures on the west of the Gulfstream Hotel property last April is FALSE — the CRA paid for that work ($30,000) — not Hudson Holdings.

Please check back on Monday for the Weekly Progress Report and, as always, Thank You for visiting today.

Daily Progress Report: Thursday, July 13th, 2017.

Below are the Daily Progress Reports for Wednesday, June 28th–Wednesday, July 12th.

A press release from Hudson Holdings’ website datelined April 4th, 3+ months ago:

Hudson Holdings, National Historic Real Estate Property Developer, Commences Historic Gulfstream Hotel Project

Lake Worth, FL — Having obtained approvals from the City of Lake Worth for the preservation and restoration of the iconic Gulfstream Hotel, Hudson Holdings, a national historic preservation real estate development company clears nearby lots to make way for the $70 million. . .

Did Hudson Holdings* clear the “nearby lots” west of the Gulfstream Hotel? No. The Lake Worth CRA paid $30,000 to have that work done.

Below are some renderings provided by Hudson Holdings in February 2016.

Please Note: Although at that time, due to a lawsuit, Hudson Holdings was prevented from constructing a new hotel west of the Gulfstream, there was nothing stopping this “National Historic Real Estate Property Developer” from proceeding with the renovation of the Gulfstream Hotel:

Remember these renderings provided by Hudson Holdings?

View looking southwest from Lake Avenue.

View looking southeast from Lake Avenue, new building in foreground.

Looking southeast down South Lakeside Drive. The parking garage is on the extreme right in the image.

Looking east from the new building’s courtyard with historic Gulfstream Hotel in background to the left.

Looking west from second floor pool deck area to the south from the historic hotel.

How the historic Gulfstream Hotel looks today:

Title of Hudson Holdings’ press release cited above from last April: “National Historic Real Estate Property Developer, Commences Historic Gulfstream Hotel Project”.

Progress Reports:

• Wednesday, July 12th: “[T]he Gulfstream Hotel is a glimpse into the past . . . undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift.”
• Tuesday, July 11th: Recall the popular 4-part series in the Coastal/Greenacres Observer (Oct., 2015), “Dog Days and Glory Days”? Six hundred and sixty-four (642) days later not much has changed at the Gulfstream Hotel.
• Monday, July 10th: This “Daily Progress Report” has information from Senior Reporter Brian Bandell at the South Florida Business Journal.
• Sunday, July 9th: “Will next year be another Street Painting Festival, one more festival or big event in our City’s Downtown, with the Gulfstream Hotel closed and shuttered?”
• Saturday, July 8th: “Maybe it’s our Gulfstream Hotel, still an eyesore in our Downtown following all that excitement in January 2016, that stands a constant reminder what historic preservation cannot do. What needs to happen is not happening.”
• Friday, July 7th: Email from Hudson Holdings dated March 31st, 2017, “More good news from Hudson Holdings. The Gulfstream Hotel is a GO!”, following District Court of Appeals ruling.
• Thursday, July 6th: “This sidewalk is nearly impassable due to all the unkempt vegetation and weeds.”
• Wednesday, July 5th: “I do not believe anything Hudson Holdings says,” one resident posted on the Facebook page Lake Worth Local. “Look at how they let the property deteriorate.”
• Tuesday, July 4th: “Once referred to as the ‘Jewell of Lake Worth’ . . . this elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift.”
• Monday, July 3rd: “A tree growing out of the structure cannot be good for this ‘elegant’ structure. Simple pruning shears would help this ‘multi-million dollar facelift.’ ”
• Sunday, July 2nd: Special treat, “Preserving Tomorrow”. Watch this video, Hudson Holdings “is a national historic property developer”.
• Saturday, July 1st: “[T]his elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift”, according to Hudson Holdings’ website.
• Friday, June 30th: “5 Star Luxury - Coming Winter 2015”.
• Thursday, June 29th: “Grand Reopening of Lake Worth’s Historic Landmark”.
• Wednesday, June 28th (windows left open all the time and plywood for security of the structure).

*To contact Hudson Holdings, a company specializing in “adaptive reuse of premier historic structures”, use this link or call 561-768-7621. For the Gulfstream Hotel’s Facebook page use this link. Email: info@hudsonholdings.com

A little down? Did you think change was going to happen a lot faster in our little City of Lake Worth?

Don’t be down. Be patient.

Our City is a much different place after the elections last March and the change you were hoping for is coming.

A photo taken last December of “The Grinch” with then-citizens Messrs. Herman C. Robinson and Omari Jamal-Hatchett Hardy:

Stay Positive! In government, even local city governments, there is always a resistance to change. Be patient. Next March 13th, Election Day, will be the day to have your voice heard.  

If you’re interested, there is a theory long-talked about, why Mr. Omari Hardy defeated the 3-term commissioner in District 2 (labelled “seismic” by the Post soon afterwards), and why Mr. Herman Robinson, thought destined for a run-off, won handily in District 4:

If the theory proves right, there has been a major shift of power here in this little City of Lake Worth. You can call it, “the rise of the middle”. A local politico has bandied about this theory for many years and it does help to explain a lot of things. Our City has, or had, three major factions vying for political control. Two of them were dominant for many decades, forming an alliance; but that dominance is now over following the elections last March.

Some time soon contact Commissioner Robinson and Commissioner Hardy and tell them you support them and ask how you can help.

Don’t do what everybody else does and contact elected officials just to complain and moan about everything. 

There’s too much work to be done.


“How do I contact commissioners Robinson and Hardy?” It’s easy: use this link.

The Cottages of Lake Worth photographer embarks for life on a “schoolie”.

[FYI: Stay Tuned. There will be several exciting items about “The Cottages of Lake Worth” to report very soon.]

Taylor Jones, whose photographs make up most of The Cottages of Lake Worth book, “Living Large in Small Spaces”, is taking an adventure on a “schoolie”.

The name “Taylor Jones” graces the front cover of The Cottages book.

A group of those involved with the production of the book met at Lilo’s last Tuesday for a going away lunch to say “goodbye” to Taylor. Taylor and her husband are taking on what is called the “schoolie” lifestyle. They are about to sell their home in Palm Beach County and will eventually live in a converted school bus — yes, this is a thing — check out the link above which gives some detail about the company that does conversions of surplus school buses.

Once converted they plan to travel around the country in the bus which will be driven by Taylor’s husband. Taylor will follow in their everyday vehicle. They will set up the former bus as a home base and use the car for errands and short trips. Taylor plans to finish out the inside of the bus in “cottage-style” with wainscoting.

Good luck Taylor and company on your new adventure!

A display of appreciation after signing the second edition of the Cottages Book to present to Taylor. Two thousand additional copies have been published and soon to be en route from the printer.

Commissioner Herman C. Robinson, Janice Snearer (the Cottages coordinator and motivator extraordinaire), Taylor, and Helene Jarvis (on right), one of the many champions and advocates for “The Cottages of Lake Worth”.

About housing in City of Lake Worth: Relevant, newsworthy news not reported in The Palm Beach Post.

At “First Reading”, an item on the City Commission agenda next Tuesday, July 18th:

Item 12C. Ordinance No. 2017-16 - First Reading - A request for a Rezoning from Single Family Residential (SFR) to a Residential Planned Development District (RPDD) for the property located at 1728, 1730, 1732 and 1734 19th Avenue North and schedule the second reading and public hearing for August 1, 2017.

Leadership on our City Commission — and no mixed messages — will be a high priority. Considering the financial state of this City this is no time to hear that old, tired tune,

“I’m not opposed to all development. Just this development.”

Read more about that below. Please take note: a very important part of this equation are the Millennials. For what to expect in just 8 years, read a recent article titled, “Millennials on the rise in snowbird [Palm Beach] county”.

Following a self-imposed delay of a month last May, Meritage Homes went before the Planning and Zoning Board on June 6th with their request for a “Residential Planned Development District” recommendation and the site plan approval. This was for a 59-unit, single-family detached subdivision.

[As an aside, one of the surprise revelations from that meetings is this: There are some homes in the City of Lake Worth still on septic tanks east of I-95! This surprised a lot of people but will be remedied when sewer and road projects begin in that area of the City. Those properties will be hooked up to City sewer.]  

The delay allowed the developer to address some important aspects of the project in relation to the neighbors and the City. The site consists of ±12.85 acres and is located north of 19th Ave. North, south of the Vernon Heights subdivision and east of I-95. It is roughly shaped in a triangle as shown below on the site plan.

Although The Palm Beach Post has yet to report this news, hopefully this will spur the editor to praise a developer’s work creating more housing and not contributing to Urban Sprawl in our County.

The project is notable in that it is one of the few “raw land” development opportunities — particularly for residential units — east of I-95 that are detached units and not in a townhouse configuration. If you do the math, the density is still under the maximum of 7 units/acre for the City’s single family zoning at just under 4.6 units/acre.

However, due to the odd shape of the site and responding to current market trends, certain concessions on lot size and width were needed. Those are shown below and are allowed through the Planned Development District.

The biggest issue surrounding the project was access and traffic. It was apparent from neighbors in Vernon Heights that attended the meeting last month efforts were made on the part of the developer to address their concerns. It was also clear nearby residents wanted to be at the table going forward when traffic calming is addressed in a holistic way. An overall study is being done now and some ideas are speed bumps or traffic tables to mitigate speed and flow of traffic.

A key component of the plan was the addition of an access point from 19th Ave. North. According to the traffic engineer approximately 70% of the traffic will come through that access and not through the Vernon Heights neighborhood.

The access points are highlighted on this graphic from the PowerPoint presentation.

It should be noted the existing Vernon Heights subdivision has excessively wide roads that were part of its original plan when developed. Wide roads encourage higher traffic speeds.

The wide roads in the Vernon Heights neighborhood have encouraged speeding that narrower roads would have helped to prevent. For some perspective:

Paved areas in Vernon Heights are about equal to the four lane pavement area found on Dixie Hwy. and parts of I-95.

In addition, construction traffic will be almost 100% through the 19th Ave. access point during the two–three year anticipated build-out of the project.

The crowd was larger than usual for a Planning and Zoning meeting as you can see below:

I arrived late for this meeting last month. The parking lot was full. A rare sight for a P&Z meeting.

The Planning and Zoning Board approved the site plan unanimously and recommended the rezoning request be approved by the City Commission. These approvals were made with conditions which addressed many of the issues which had been discussed between the developer, the City and the neighborhood beforehand.

There were some items related to specific locations and the amount of traffic calming. That will be worked on between now and the Commission meeting with all the parties involved.

From my point of view:

It was good to see a unanimous decision on the P&Z for both requests that will increase and improve the residential choices one has east of I-95 in Palm Beach County. Market prices are expected to be in the mid-$300K range.

This project will have many benefits for the City of Lake Worth and for places like Dixie Hwy. as well: both north and south of the C-51 Canal. Hopefully our City leaders will not succumb to the trouble-making that is certain to come, or already begun.

Leadership is in order at the City Commission.

Anything less than a unanimous vote next Tuesday — and at “Second Reading” two weeks afterwards on August 1st — will be a huge disappointment and send the wrong message going forward.

In this week’s Lake Worth Herald: “Notice of Public Hearing for Placement of Special Assessment on Tax Roll”.

Get Ready. If you thought the public reaction was a sight to behold when this news broke:

“[V]ehicles in Lake Worth that have more than three unpaid parking violations this ordinance gives the authority to ‘boot’ a vehicle if it is improperly parked and an enforcement officer is writing a fourth or greater ticket.”

And there will be others who will say, “It’s about time!” on hearing this news below:

[Note: the notice below was re-formatted with highlights and links added.]

As required by section 197.3632, Florida Statutes, the City of Lake Worth City Commission hereby publishes notice. . .

. . . that all real property located within the boundaries of the City of Lake Worth that receive nuisance abatement services (lot clearings, board and secures, and demolitions) and remain encumbered by an unpaid special assessment for such services will be subject to the collection of these unpaid assessments using the tax bill uniform collection method.
     These assessments will be collected by the Palm Beach County Tax Collector, and a failure to pay such assessment will cause a tax certificate to be issued against the assessed property which may result in the loss of title to such property. Each nuisance abatement service assessment is based upon the actual costs incurred by the City in the abatement of the particular nuisance on each property affected.
     The City Commission will hold a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. on August 1, 2017, in the City Commission Chambers located at 7 North Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Florida, to receive comments on the proposed nuisance abatement services tax roll.
     All affected property owners have the right to appear at the hearing and the right to file written objections with the City Commission . . . Please include your name, parcel number, and the reason you object to the assessment on all written objections and address the same as follows:

• City Manager.
• “Objections to Non-Ad Valorem Assessments”.
• 7 North Dixie Highway, Lake Worth, FL 33460.

If you decide to appeal any decision made by the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at the hearing, you will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made.

“Copies of the preliminary assessment roll are available for inspection at the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall.”

How much do you know about our native, treasured, endangered bird called the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow?

UPDATE! Today (July 14th, 2017).

Drew Martin got published in The Palm Beach Post AGAIN! He writes about the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow.

His legendary streak of published Letters to the Editor and the nearly monthly “Point of View” in the editorial section by Mr. Martin are unparalleled in modern newspaper publishing.

All of you know who Mr. Drew Martin is. He’s a living legend.

However, have you ever had the chance to meet Mr. Martin in person? Maybe take a selfie with him and get an autograph as well? You’ll have your chance next Friday at the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC).

The TCRPC is located at:

• Wolf High Technology Center.
• Address: Indian River State College (Chastain Campus), 2400 SE Salerno Road, Stuart.
• Meeting starts at 9:30.
• For more information call 772-221-4060.

In one of the cruelest news items about the environmental community, Mr. Martin DID NOT make the Broward/Palm Beach New Times’ list of the “19 Best Environmentalists in South Florida”. How is that even possible?

To learn more about the Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow please continue reading and, as always, Thank You for visiting today.

Take Note: The blog post below is from when the cry “Send The Water South!” was at its peak back in 2015. Despite the public and media pressure the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) stayed firm and saved Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrows and possibly other migratory birds from severe environmental impacts.
 

“Because of the Migratory Bird Act and the Endangered Species Act, we don’t have the ability just to say, ‘Oh, they’re [endangered birds] in the way, but we need to put water quality first. . .’ ”.
—Quote. Jeff Kivett, Chief Engineer, South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) in March of 2015.

Cape Sabal Seaside Sparrow, Source U.S. FWS.

This information comes from George Bennett at The Palm Beach Post in an article titled, “Death mermaid, eco-theater fail to sway board on U.S. Sugar land”.

The disturbing thing about Mr. Bennett’s piece is Drew Martin wasn’t quoted, we all hope he’s OK.

Anyhow, the environmentalists fought hard for the sugar land buy to “fix” the Lake Okeechobee problem, vis-à-vis the water level in the lake. The SFWMD wasn’t influenced by the “eco-theater” but that doesn’t mean they weren’t impressed by the show. By the sound of it was quite the scene. If you haven’t seen the picture of the "Death mermaid” it is quite impressive.

From the article by George Bennett on why the water in Lake Okeechobee cannot be moved South, at least any time in the foreseeable future:

Kivett [SFWMD’s chief engineer, Jeff Kivett], offering more detail on a presentation he had made earlier, said those constraints include pumps, canals and other structures that aren’t equipped to move large volumes of water from the lake to the Everglades. He also said storing more water south of the lake could threaten the Cape Sabal seaside sparrow and other migratory birds protected by federal law. [emphasis added]
     “Because of the Migratory Bird Act and the Endangered Species Act, we don’t have the ability just to say, ‘Oh, they’re in the way, but we need to put water quality first,’ … I can’t legally move water out of the lake and drown those nests. Fish and Wildlife would not accept that. It would send someone, really, to jail if we did that,” Kivett said.

“Historic Structure Marker Program” in the City of Lake Worth.

At the First Inaugural Lake Worth Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony the City’s historic preservation staff introduced its Historic Structure Marker Program. You can see what one looks like:

To learn more about the ceremony last March and watch the video as well, use this link.

There is a simple form to fill out which will act as the order form (information below). The staff will confirm the approximate date of construction of the structure. You need to include your contact information, address of the structure, phone number, etc. The plaque costs $111 and checks are made payable to: Franklin Bronze Plaques. Submit the check with the filled out form.

Once the city has received a minimum of 2 plaque requests the order will be placed (free shipping is available with 2 or more orders). They will be shipped to the City’s office (at 1900 2nd Ave. North) and you will be contacted when your plaque arrives for pick-up.

To contact the City’s Historic Preservation Dept. for the form call 561-586-1687 and ask for the planner on call (Monday–Friday, 10:00–3:00), or email the Preservation Planning Coordinator, Aimee Sunny: asunny@lakeworth.org

How much do you know about the Lake Worth Electric Utility?

You may be surprised when you read the “audacious” quote (see below) from Lisa Maxwell. 

Use this link to watch the video of the Joint Work Session with the Electric Utility Advisory Board and the Lake Worth City Commission held on June 13th. The meeting is 1½ hours and full of important and very timely information.

To learn more about the City of Lake Worth’s Electric Utility use this link.

So. What is the Mission and Vision for our City’s Electric Utility?

“The goal is to have a model City which has sustainable sources of energy that are diverse and that are in keeping with concerns about climate change and are Green.
     We’ve already gone light years ahead of other cities with our Solar Farm, the possibility of having our [ocean] waves used,* the research scientists are involved with that, all renewable sources of energy, so we believe we can be a laboratory, really globally, for what it looks like in this day and age to generate power for communities.
    We’ve really taken on a rather audacious† goal and we think the City can, in fact, reflect those kinds of goals. We already have.”

—Quote by Lisa Maxwell, Chair of the Electric Utility Advisory Board at the Joint Work Session with the Lake Worth City Commission, July 13th, 2017.

*News from February 16th, still unreported in The Palm Beach Post, about the prospect of City of Lake Worth becoming research and development “epicenter” of Ocean Wave Energy Generation worldwide. 
†Audacious, adjective: “extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive”.
     Used in a sentence: “An audacious vision and mission for the New City of Lake Worth and the City’s bright future ahead.”

Priceless. Satire done right in The Palm Beach Post today, “Here’s a marketing idea: host the G-20”.

A wonderfully satirical take on tourism here in Palm Beach County is below, a Letter to the Editor (LTE) by Donald Podolsky of Jupiter.

First, have you ever considered writing a LTE? Find out how, instructions are below.

Effective satire is hard work. It’s doubly hard when one takes head on very serious issues such as the Brightline train service and all those LTE’s last year with, “exaggerated speculation countered by point-of-fact responses to earnest opposition laced with not too subtle fear-mongering.”

Mr. Dennis Myers of Tequesta took on all that hysterical nonsense in the Post and responded with his own LTE about Brightline and traffic congestion:

First option is to mitigate and adapt. . . . Second option is to move and adjust. Relocate to the west where we can trade the train horns and traffic waits at crossings for the car horns and traffic congestion at stoplights that plague the quality of life there.

Now the latest satirical gem from Mr. Podolsky:

Since much of Florida is in a tizzy about cuts to funding for tourism marketing, I think a solution that would attract tens of thousands of those national and international tourists would be to have West Palm Beach host the next G-20 meeting. [emphasis added] No advertising is necessary, and the resulting hordes of people would bring an immediate infusion of those much-needed dollars to our local economy.

and. . .

Food trucks could line all the marching routes for days, and maybe even a patron spillover could revitalize those failing businesses along Clematis Street and in CityPlace.

in conclusion. . .

It’s an idea whose time has come, it’s a win-win for all.

Excellent work, Mr. Podolsky.

Anyhow, since we’re once again awaiting the hysterical nonsense to ramp up again about the Blueway Trail, try writing a LTE now for the sake of experience. It may not get published, or maybe it will!

Here’s how it’s done:

It only takes 5–10 minutes to write a LTE. You will want to address something very current, e.g., something in today’s paper so it’s still fresh in people’s minds in a day or two.

• Keep your LTE to 150–200 words in length (the “shorter the better” is a good rule).
• An LTE submitted by email is the best method: letters@pbpost.com (include your phone number and complete address)
• Listing your credentials is very helpful.
• Then always follow-up!
• Follow up your LTE with an email or fax (561-820-4728) the next day.
• Then later, call the editorial department (561-820-4441); explain why your letter is important.
• Don’t be timid. Stay pleasant and respectful.
• Then just ask outright: “Are you planning to publish my letter?”.

On the subject of tourism in Palm Beach County, Mr. Jorge Pesquera of Discover The Palm Beaches has a video about the little City of Lake Worth.

By the way, October is only 2½ months away. Meet Mr. Pesquera:

Hey Kids in Lake Worth! Hola niño! Ey Niños!

At Barton, Highland, North Grade, and South Grade elementary schools and Lake Worth High School too!

Es divertido leer mientras te alimentas.

Desayuno y Almuerzo Gratis en estas escuelas de Lake Worth todo el Verano!
Desayuno de 7:30–8:00
Almuerzo de 1100–11:30

Fe lekti pandam w′ ap manje se bel plezi.

Manje maten ak Manje midi Gratis nan lekol sa yo ki nan Lake Worth pandan tout ete a!
Manje maten 7:30–8:00
Manje midi 1100–11:30

It’s fun to read while you feed.

Free Breakfast and Lunch at these Lake Worth Schools all Summer!
Breakfast from 7:30–8:00
Lunch from 1100–11:30

And don’t forget our Lake Worth Little Free Libraries!

Have a book or books to donate? Children’s books are always in need. Call 561-585-6035 or email: LakeWorthLFL@gmail.com

Daily Progress Report.* Gulfstream Hotel, Lake Worth, Florida.

Wednesday, July 12th, 2017.

Below are the Daily Progress Reports for Wednesday, June 28th–Tuesday July 11th.

From Hudson Holdings’ website:

“[T]he Gulfstream Hotel is a glimpse into the past . . . undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift.”

Click on images to enlarge:

A tree growing out of the structure cannot be good for this “elegant” structure. Not much of a “facelift” is it?

More plywood but still plenty of access for small animals, rodents, and birds.

Main north patio. When one strolls the block there is overgrowth of weeds and invasive trees impeding the public sidewalks along S. Lakeside Drive and 1st Ave. South.

Progress Reports:

• Tuesday, July 11th: Recall the popular 4-part series in the Coastal/Greenacres Observer (Oct., 2015), “Dog Days and Glory Days”? Six hundred and sixty-four (642) days later not much has changed at the Gulfstream Hotel.
• Monday, July 10th: This “Daily Progress Report” has information from Senior Reporter Brian Bandell at the South Florida Business Journal.
• Sunday, July 9th: “Will next year be another Street Painting Festival, one more festival or big event in our City’s Downtown, with the Gulfstream Hotel closed and shuttered?”
• Saturday, July 8th: “Maybe it’s our Gulfstream Hotel, still an eyesore in our Downtown following all that excitement in January 2016, that stands a constant reminder what historic preservation cannot do. What needs to happen is not happening.”
• Friday, July 7th: Email from Hudson Holdings dated March 31st, 2017, “More good news from Hudson Holdings. The Gulfstream Hotel is a GO!”, following District Court of Appeals ruling.
• Thursday, July 6th: “This sidewalk is nearly impassable due to all the unkempt vegetation and weeds.”
• Wednesday, July 5th: “I do not believe anything Hudson Holdings says,” one resident posted on the Facebook page Lake Worth Local. “Look at how they let the property deteriorate.”
• Tuesday, July 4th: “Once referred to as the ‘Jewell of Lake Worth’ . . . this elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift.”
• Monday, July 3rd: “A tree growing out of the structure cannot be good for this ‘elegant’ structure. Simple pruning shears would help this ‘multi-million dollar facelift.’ ”
• Sunday, July 2nd: Special treat, “Preserving Tomorrow”. Watch this video, Hudson Holdings “is a national historic property developer”.
• Saturday, July 1st: “[T]his elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift”, according to Hudson Holdings’ website.
• Friday, June 30th: “5 Star Luxury - Coming Winter 2015”.
• Thursday, June 29th: “Grand Reopening of Lake Worth’s Historic Landmark”.
• Wednesday, June 28th (windows left open all the time and plywood for security of the structure).

*To contact Hudson Holdings, a company specializing in “adaptive reuse of premier historic structures”, use this link or call 561-768-7621. For the Gulfstream Hotel’s Facebook page use this link. Email: info@hudsonholdings.com

From CBS12/WPEC reporter Michael Buczyner: “Derelict boats still a big issue in South Florida”.

Use this link to read the entire article; here’s an excerpt:

Derelict and abandoned boats are a big problem in our waters.
     Palm Beach County recently set aside nearly $80,000 to remove some of the vessels.
     Data from FWC [Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission] shows just how big the problem really is with nearly 400 derelict vessels in our waterways across the state.

Some pictures taken the other day from Bryant Park in the City of Lake Worth:

A sunken vessel (to the left of the sign) in the Intracoastal:

The owners of this vessel may have “parked” it temporarily and not know of its present condition. It’s a large boat; was told just the top of two decks is above water.

Theory is bilge pumps were not working (or malfunctioned) and the vessel filled up with water in the heavy storms last month.

The vessel, I’m told, was in very good shape and well-maintained. The operative word is “was”. If anyone has more information about this vessel leave a comment below.

And as far as the recent work going on in Bryant Park:

“Bryant Park Seawall Restoration Project”

Let’s talk about a “national embarrassment”.

The 21st Century in the State of Florida and septic tanks are still fowling the treasured Indian River Lagoon (IRL):

“It [IRL] has also been fouled by wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the lagoon, sewage spills from the plants during heavy rains, and leaky septic tanks.” [emphasis added]
—Quote from Associated Press article by reporters Jason Dearen and Mike Schneider, datelined May 4th.

Datelined July 10th: “NPR’s Greg Allen has this report from Rockledge, Fla.”

Use this link to “Play Audio” and read the entire transcript from the radio segment; an excerpt:

“ALLEN [NPR reporter Greg Allen]: In Florida, alarmed by what’s happening in the lagoon, many communities are beginning to take action. In the town of Rockledge just across the lagoon from Cape Canaveral, work crews are taking nearly 140 homes in an aging subdivision off of their septic systems and connecting them to the town’s sewage treatment plant.”

About Greg Allen:

As NPR’s Miami correspondent, Greg Allen reports on the diverse issues and developments tied to the Southeast. He covers everything from breaking news to economic and political stories to arts and human interest features. He moved into this role in 2006, after four years as NPR’s Midwest correspondent.

“Welcome Finance Director, Marie Elianor”.

FYI: The blog post following this one has news and notes from the City Commission Budget Workshop last night.

Now that we’re fully into another budget season here in the City. . .

Let’s re-introduce Marie Elianor, the City of Lake Worth’s Finance Director.

An article on the City’s website from March 8th, 2016.

The City of Lake Worth is pleased to announce the appointment of Finance Director, Marie Elianor. Marie is an experienced Florida leader who has worked her entire career at various local and county governments and she’s excited to continue her work in Lake Worth. For Marie, the new position brings new challenges and new opportunities.

“This is my first experience working with electric utilities,” she said. “That’s something I find very interesting and I’m eager to work with the electric department.”

Marie previously worked for the City of Lauderdale Lakes in Broward County. Lauderdale Lakes was in a financial crisis when Marie took over the Financial Services Department. Through proper budgeting and timely financial reporting the City was able to reverse their deficit trends during Marie’s tenure.
     Marie joins Lake Worth at a critical time of year for a finance department – the beginning of the budget development process. Skills that Marie has honed over the years will be put to good use:

• Streamlining processes.
• Increasing accountability.
• Adding transparency.

These will help the City maintain fiscal sustainability and ensure that the City is providing the best value for the services it provides.

Early thoughts, notes, and news from the City Commission Budget Workshop session last night.

“Deferred maintenance is expensive.”
—Quote by Commissioner Herman C. Robinson at last night’s meeting on the Beach/Casino complex discussion.


According to Marie Elianor, the City’s Finance Director, in two weeks a “Budget-in-Brief Presentation” of Stantec’s budget numbers will be created to put all the City fund numbers in perspective. The City Commission at times expressed frustration during the presentation last night with so many numbers and projections going out to 2027. Watching portions of the meeting it was hard to follow at times.

There were two bombshells last night:

“Don’t want to alarm the public. . .”

Read about those below concerning the City Pier and what’s going to happen to your sewage rates. Again.

Also, a former commissioner showed up last night.
Guess who?

Find out at the end of this blog post.

There was very bad news about the County East Central Regional (ECR) sewage treatment plant in West Palm Beach. Expect this bill to go up significantly. The plant was expected to last 50 years but some vital functions have basically failed after 40 years. Reclaimed water from the ECR is used by FP&L as cooling water for their West County Energy Plant. They are threatening to sue because the water is of such low quality at times. ECR is also under a “DEP Consent Order”; the plant has to be completely fixed within two years.

To fund these substantial “pass-through costs”, as explained by Water Utilities Dir. Brian Shields, the City of Lake Worth will have to contribute much more money. Shields sits on the ECR Board and he represents the City of Lake Worth and a large area of Palm Beach County as well, including cities west of us (Palm Springs, for example), and a large unincorporated area (e.g., Palm Beach State College) and the Lake Worth Corridor. All of these entities will share the cost increases with the City of Lake Worth.

There was more bad news about the Beach last night.

Asst. City Manager Juan Ruiz said there is an issue with “spalling concrete” (also called scaling) at the City Pier. An engineering report will be delivered in about 2 weeks. Ruiz said, “don’t want to alarm the public” and then explained the Pier may need major concrete replacement.

Don’t get depressed! There was a lot of good news last night too. For example:

On electric rates Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell asked what our City electric rates were compared to FP&L (1,000 kilowatt hour, residential):

Now: Lake Worth  =  $111.25; FP&L  =  $109.25.
Five years ago (numbers approximated): Lake Worth  =  $123; FP&L  =  $91.

Now back to the Beach/Casino complex. Expect to hear a lot more about this in the coming weeks and months: the Beach Fund will be depleted next year.

Commissioner Omari Hardy called it “repugnant” the prospect of taking money from the General Fund to prop up the Beach Fund. Commissioner Robinson wants to consider raising parking rates but the rest of the Commission seems unwilling to go along with that. Maxwell said we’ll have to defer paying the loan back next year ($500,000+) from the Beach Fund to the Water Fund. He called it a “pencil-whipping exercise”.

Hardy said, “parking [income] is the only thing we have going on at the Beach”, but advised raising parking rates will not fix the problem and may make the situation worse. Many people just may decide to stop coming to the Beach any more.

So. Who was the former commissioner who showed up last night?

It was none other than Chris McVoy, PhD.

Remember, it was McVoy who claimed during his recent re-election loss to then-Mr. Omari Hardy he had nothing at all to do with all the problems at the Beach (the editor at the Post, by the way, called McVoy a “gadfly”).

McVoy WAS on the Commission in 2010 when so many of these terrible decisions were made.

“It wasn’t me. I was doing a soil survey in Mongolia and my phone was turned off.”

And. . . “Gee wiz, JoAnn, did we really forget to fix the pool?”

From Erica Whitfield: “Such a big day!”

UPDATE: Use this link for Erica Whitfield’s re-election website. “Erica Whitfield is a candidate for Palm Beach County School Board, District 4.” For more “About Erica” use this link.

“Filed to run for re-election! Looking forward to continuing this important work serving Palm Beach County on your School Board.”

 “More information to come on the campaign kick-off. Just wanted to share!”

Erica  Whitfield at her victory party in 2014:

Back in 2014 the Post editorial board endorsed Tom Sutterfield. He got clobbered. When running for a seat on the School Board a Post endorsement “can be the kiss of death.”

Paid Advertisement by Erica Whitfield for School Board, District 4.

Tomorrow. City of Lake Worth’s Tree Board meeting (see agenda below).

Now that we’re in Hurricane Season how much do you know about the “Australian Pine: The risks and dangers” of that invasive tree, including the harm it does to our native animals (birds and reptiles) and plants as well?

To find out more try attending this Tree Board meeting tomorrow.

City Tree Board meetings are held at City Hall, the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:30.* There are no vacancies on the Tree Board right now, but if you would like to learn about other boards that need a volunteer, here is the contact person at the City:

• Silvina Donaldson, City’s Volunteer Coordinator
• 561-586-1730
• Email: sdonaldson@lakeworth.org

The staff liaison for the Tree Board is Mr. Dave McGrew from the Parks Department and you can contact him for additional information at 561-586-1677 or by email: dmcgrew@lakeworth.org

Tree Board, “establishes policy and provides standards within the City Landscape Ordinance for tree preservation. Policy includes educational materials (proper planting, pruning, and insect and disease control), permit guidelines, and City tree sale program.” Members serve 3 year terms.

Here is the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting:

City Hall Conference Room at 5:30.

• Call to order.
• Members present.
• Pledge of Allegiance.
• Agenda: Additions, deletions, reordering.
• Approval of minutes.
• Public participation on non-agenda items.
• New business: Advisors report (5 min.).
• Old business: Native Tree Alternative (10 min.); Hometown Habitats screening at Lake Worth Library (10 min.); Gumbo Limbo Planter native plant butterfly garden (10 min.); Landscape Ordinance review and recommendations (1 hr. 40 min.).

*One of more members of any board, authority, or City Commission member may attend and speak at any publicly noticed meeting of another board, authority or commission.

Daily Progress Report. Gulfstream Hotel, Lake Worth, Florida.

Tuesday, July 11th, 2017.

Have questions, comments, or concerns?

Contact Hudson Holdings, a company specializing in “adaptive reuse of premier historic structures”, using this link for their Company Spokesperson or call one of these phone numbers: 954-801-8263 or 561-768-7621. For the Gulfstream Hotel’s Facebook page use this link. Email: info@hudsonholdings.com

So. How far have we come since October 8th, 2015?

Remember the very popular 4-part series in the Coastal/Greenacres Oberver?

Click on images to enlarge:

“From Then Until Now. . .”

“Dog Days and Glory Days”

Use this link to read about when it was a “time to get excited about the redevelopment of our iconic, historic hotel.”

Fast-forward to today, July 11th, 2017, 642 days later:

Nothing much has changed since October 2015. The “Glory Days” we were hoping for have still to arrive.

See the list of “Daily Progress Reports” below. All of which show very little progress.

Still empty. Still shuttered. Still no hotel rooms available in our Downtown in the little City of Lake Worth.

Progress Reports, June 28th–July 9th:

• Monday, July 10th: This “Daily Progress Report” has information from Senior Reporter Brian Bandell at the South Florida Business Journal.
• Sunday, July 9th: “Will next year be another Street Painting Festival, one more festival or big event in our City’s Downtown, with the Gulfstream Hotel closed and shuttered?”
• Saturday, July 8th: “Maybe it’s our Gulfstream Hotel, still an eyesore in our Downtown following all that excitement in January 2016, that stands a constant reminder what historic preservation cannot do. What needs to happen is not happening.”
• Friday, July 7th: Email from Hudson Holdings dated March 31st, 2017, “More good news from Hudson Holdings. The Gulfstream Hotel is a GO!”, following District Court of Appeals ruling.
• Thursday, July 6th: “This sidewalk is nearly impassable due to all the unkempt vegetation and weeds.”
• Wednesday, July 5th: “I do not believe anything Hudson Holdings says,” one resident posted on the Facebook page Lake Worth Local. “Look at how they let the property deteriorate.”
• Tuesday, July 4th: “Once referred to as the ‘Jewell of Lake Worth’ . . . this elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift.”
• Monday, July 3rd: “A tree growing out of the structure cannot be good for this ‘elegant’ structure. Simple pruning shears would help this ‘multi-million dollar facelift.’ ”
• Sunday, July 2nd: Special treat, “Preserving Tomorrow”. Watch this video, Hudson Holdings “is a national historic property developer”.
• Saturday, July 1st: “[T]his elegant property is undergoing a multi-million dollar face lift”, according to Hudson Holdings’ website.
• Friday, June 30th: “5 Star Luxury - Coming Winter 2015”.
• Thursday, June 29th: “Grand Reopening of Lake Worth’s Historic Landmark”.
• Wednesday, June 28th (windows left open all the time and plywood for security of the structure).