This afternoon at 3:00 is a Community Crime Walk in Lake Worth Beach.

Make plans to attend this event today:

You are hereby notified. . .

What follows is an excerpt from a public notice published in this week’s Lake Worth Herald:


ATTENTION OWNERS, AGENTS, CUSTODIANS, LESSEES AND OCCUPANTS OF REAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY OF LAKE WORTH BEACH

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City Commission of the City of Lake Worth Beach, Florida, in accordance with provisions found in Ordinances 2016-08, 2016-09 and 2016-10, is hereby giving notice to property owners that:

You are hereby notified that you are required by law to cut and prevent the accumulation of weeds, grasses or other vegetation over ten (10) inches in height or that otherwise are conducive to harboring vermin, reptiles, or other wild animal life upon your property; and to remove any trash, waste, rubble, debris, refuse, garbage, or other nocuous matter or condition located on any property owned, controlled or occupied by you in the City of Lake Worth Beach; and that upon your failure to do so, the City of Lake Worth Beach will institute nuisance abatement proceedings against your property and cause such nuisance to be abated. The cost of such abatement will constitute a special assessment lien against the property on which the nuisance is located. Such special assessment lien shall be coequal with the lien of all state, county, district, and municipal taxes and superior in dignity to mortgages and all other liens, irrespective of the date of the recording of the special assessment lien, if recorded, or the date of the recording of any mortgage or any other lien on real property. A failure to pay said lien, even such lien upon homesteaded property, may result in a loss of title to your property.

AND

You are hereby notified that you are required by law to maintain vacant or unoccupied structures so that no doors, windows or other openings are broken or missing so as to allow access to the interior and to have a valid boarding certificate when boarding the structure is necessary. Upon your failure to do so, the City of Lake Worth Beach . . .

End of excerpt.

The entire public notice in the Herald this week is three long paragraphs and appears on p. 5 below the fold.

To pick up this week’s print edition visit the City’s newsstand located at 205 N. Federal Hwy. And guess what. The Herald costs just ¢50.

To look over this week’s front page headlines click on this link.

Support your LOCAL newspaper
and support LOCAL small town journalism.

Also worth noting in this week’s paper is a front page feature story headlined, “Lake Worth Beach Opportunity Zone Master Plan Adopted”; this is a major development in this City’s redevelopment efforts.

Lake Worth Beach Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso wants to have a conversation with you.

Event is this evening, 6:30,
at the beach in Lake Worth Beach.

Click on image to enlarge:

Not sure if you can attend this event and have a question or comment for the vice mayor? Call Andy Amoroso at 561-586-1733 or send an email to: aamoroso@lakeworthbeachfl.gov

“The Bohemian”: A CRA redevelopment proposal for the downtown in Lake Worth Beach.

The following information comes from the January 14th meeting of the LWB Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Memorandum

TO: Chair, Vice-Chair and Members of the Board

FROM: Joan C. Oliva, Executive Director

DATE: January 14th, 2020

SUBJECT: Financing Agreement between 1017 Lake Ave. LLC and the LWB CRA

EXPLANATION:

The development of the City’s western downtown area continues to be a priority for the CRA. The two main thoroughfares, Lake and Lucerne, saw little development before the CRA infused grant dollars and assisted developers. Over the past several years, CRA assisted developments in the area include the Urban Arts Lofts, The Hatch, West Village, 1013 Lucerne, the Downtown Shops and others.

In 2018 the CRA helped attract the MID development to Dixie Highway. This project, by Affiliated Development will bring 230 new, one and two-bedroom units and 9000 square feet of retail to the Dixie Highway corridor. The founding partners of Affiliated, Jeff Burns and Nick Rojo, approached CRA Staff in fall of last year with a new mixed-use development concept.

Affiliated has a contract to purchase a 2+ acre site bounded by the FEC railroad on the west, East Coast Street on the east and Lake Avenue to the north and the remaining Padron site (201 East Coast Street) to the south (Exhibit “A”). The proposed plan would include 186 residential units, ground floor retail, parking and room for a future train station platform (Exhibit “B”).

Click on Exhibit A to enlarge:

Note the area hash marked from Lake Ave. south to 2nd Ave. South; this is the site for the proposed Affiliated Development project called “The Bohemian”.

The following two images are Exhibit B:

The CRA memorandum continues. . .

One of the CRA’s goals in the Redevelopment Plan is to encourage market rate housing opportunities in the redevelopment area. Affiliated’s new project, The Bohemian, will provide new, modern housing opportunities in the district that will attract professionals and couples who will support not only the commercial component of the project, but also businesses in the downtown, as well as the artisanal area. The Bohemian also provides an opportunity for the attraction of additional restaurants, retailers and much needed new housing to the area, making Lake Worth Beach’s downtown a destination for art, entertainment and shopping, while also providing choices for urban living enthusiasts.

This project addresses other goals and objectives in the CRA’s Redevelopment Plan including:

• Create programs for land development and property rehabilitation, using financial or other incentives, to facilitate new investment in the district
• Work creatively to provide incentives for private sector participation in redevelopment projects and programs
• Elimination of conditions that decrease property values
• Facilitation of new investment in the redevelopment district
• Establishment of a safe, functional and aesthetically pleasing community environment
• Identify and market areas where private interests can develop housing and necessary support facilities in the Redevelopment Area
• Encourage efforts toward building housing in the Redevelopment Area
• Initiate infill housing development

Staff recommends the CRA Board consider giving assistance to the project in three ways. First, the CRA would provide immediate funding from our already budgeted program/economic development and commercial grant lines to assist with pre-development and infrastructure costs. Staff recommends providing the TIF subsidy over a three year period. The CRA could grant a total of $800K this fiscal year. To provide the subsidy needed, the CRA is also being asked to provide an additional $400K for the next two fiscal years, bringing the direct appropriation total to $1.6M. Affiliated is also requesting $200K in Neighborhood Stabilization Funding. These funds can be used in the future for demolition and/or to help subsidize the portion of workforce units that may be provided.

Lastly, Staff recommends awarding 1017 Lake Ave. LLC with a tax-increment rebate. The CRA only receives increment from two of the nine taxing entities in the County, the City of Lake Worth Beach and Palm Beach County. For purpose of this award, the current increment distributed to the CRA would be frozen. Property taxes, over the next eleven years, would be paid by Affiliated to the tax collector. The CRA portion (the additional increment created after the project reaches stabilization) once received, would then be reimbursed to the developer. The project is estimated to produce over $6M in taxes by 2030. Of that the CRA would receive $1.9M. The eleven year term under consideration is directly related to the life span of the CRA. Because the CRA amended their boundaries in 2001 the sunset date for the Agency is 2031. A spreadsheet showing the annual increment and payments is attached for your review as Exhibit “C.”


[To look over exhibits C and D click on this link.]


A financing commitment is needed at this time for the project to move to the next step. A copy of the commitment is included for the Board’s review as Exhibit “D.” The letter details the CRA commitment to the project while also granting authority for the Chair, Vice Chair and/or CRA Director to sign a future development agreement with 1017 Lake Ave. LLC provided no material changes are made.

REQUEST:

Staff requests the Board approve the funding agreement with 1017 Lake Ave. LLC and give authorization to two of the three signers, the Chair, Vice Chair and/or the Executive Director to approve the future development agreement, once complete.


End of memorandum.


Note that The Bohemian redevelopment project was passed at the CRA meeting on January 14th and the next step will be the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board. At this point it is still to be determined whether or not this will be an item up for discussion at the City Commission. The P&Z may give the final go-ahead approval to proceed with The Bohemian.

Stay tuned.

“What’s happening in Lake Worth Beach”: To find out go to the source.

Below is the latest press release from the City.

To look over all recent press releases and to join the Lake Worth Beach mailing list click on this link.

To follow the City on Twitter use this link and the City also has an official page on Facebook.

Without further ado, the latest press release:

FOR RELEASE UPON RECEIPT

City of Lake Worth Beach
7 North Dixie Highway
Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460
www.lakeworthbeachfl.gov

January 21, 2020

Contact: Ben Kerr
Phone: 561-586-1631
Email: bkerr@lakeworthbeachfl.gov


Lake Worth Beach — In preparation for heavy swells and strong winds the City of Lake Worth Beach will be closing the pier [closed as of Tues., Jan. 21st]. Once the inclement weather has subsided staff will assess for damage and reopen the pier when it is safe to do so. At this time staff anticipate the pier re-opening Friday the 24th.

Please contact Ben Kerr, the City of Lake Worth Beach Public Information Officer with any questions or comments.


Located in Central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth Beach is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the City by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

News in The Coastal Star: Lake Worth Beach and Lantana take leadership role in Central Palm Beach County.

Being municipal neighbors and coastal communities how vulnerable are the Town of Lantana and the City of Lake Worth Beach to weather events and any potential shifts in the climate?

What are the vulnerabilities of the beaches in Lake Worth Beach and Lantana? On a policy matter, for example, should LWB construct a new swimming pool at the beach or instead focus on fortifying the beach property and seawall protecting the Casino and Beach Complex?

On these questions and more what follows are two excerpts from a piece by journalist Mary Hladky datelined Dec. 31, 2019, published in The Coastal Star:


Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana [emphasis added], Ocean Ridge and the county have approved an agreement to conduct a climate change vulnerability assessment. The County Commission was the last to sign on, voting Dec. 17.

Once the municipalities and county have data on the threats they face, they will take up the task of making the region more resilient.

and. . .

The municipalities and county set a Jan. 15 deadline for consultants to submit proposals on how they would conduct the vulnerability assessment, and will select one in February to do the work.

The consultant’s tasks will be completed in two phases, with two tasks to be completed by June 30. The remaining tasks will be finished and a final report issued by March 31, 2021.

The consultant also will create a geographic information system-based interactive mapping tool that can be updated with new data and will allow users to zoom in on a specific neighborhood to see climate change impacts or zoom out to see regional impacts.

The assessment will evaluate the vulnerability of people, property, water and transportation infrastructures, critical facilities, the economy and natural resources.

The governments have budgeted $366,797 to do the work and will share its cost, supplemented by a $75,000 Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant to Boynton Beach.


To read the entire piece published in The Coastal Star by Mary Hladky click on this link.

As noted in the first excerpt above the consultant’s final report will be issued at the end of March, in just about eleven weeks.

MLK Day schedule of events in Lake Worth Beach.

Information from the City on Twitter.

Pause momentarily for Tweet to load:

Please join us in Lake Worth Beach on Monday, January 20th as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pic.twitter.com/zAvQtGYLmj

— Lake Worth Beach (@LakeWorthBchPBC) January 17, 2020