Little Lantana braces for Chinese president
The tiny town of Lantana is preparing for what is likely its biggest happening in its nearly 100-year history.
In an historic event itself, President Donald Trump will meet this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to stay at the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa in Manalapan on Thursday and Friday. The hotel is just on the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway from Lantana, adjacent to the town's beach and public parking.
Security is expected to be so tight that it will shut down almost an entire portion of the town — nearly all of public beach parking. Police predict a “traffic nightmare” for residents and any brave visitors. All roads will be open, but traffic is expected to be “bumper to bumper.”
“In a nutshell I would pack up and go home now, go north as far as you can,” Lantana Police Chief Sean Scheller told residents and the Town Council on Monday.
David Stewart, Lantana's mayor of 17 years, said previous presidential visits didn't cause this much commotion.
“I remember when the president of Finland was here and when our President George Bush was here and when our President Gerald Ford was here, it was never any of those types of problems,” he said. “It's amazing, that, I mean, they weren't taking over anything.”
The meetings between Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to take place at Mar-aLago, which is in Palm Beach, about seven miles north of the Eau.
But with the Chinese president's presence comes a tremendous amount of additional security, separate even from what Trump brings to the area on his frequent visits. Those in Trump's arrival and departure path know what to expect: closed roads and airways, and snarled traffic.
Authorities are expecting 40 Greyhound buses to drop people off near Lantana's beach with about 80 percent of the parking slotted by the Secret Service.
If there's too many protesters, the Secret Service might close the Lantana bridge. And some type of barrier will be set up Tuesday along a portion of Ocean Avenue and on Ocean Boulevard that will make that area look like an “impound.”