Council, residents nix 94-home development
Proposal for 47-acre plot rejected on grounds of conflict with rural rules.
be out of character with the rural nature of the surrounding community. It could bring more traffic and crime, they said.
It also potentially could bring more than 200 new residents, some of whom would be voters.
“Those are residents who don’t LOXAHATCHEE GROVES — A develshare the same rural values as the oper’s plan for a 94-home neighrest of our community,” said Loxaborhood on 47 acres in Loxahatchee hatchee Groves resident Neil O’Neal Groves was rejected by the town resIII, who is running for Seat 1 on the idents and council during a prelim- Town Council. inary presentation Tuesday night. Phillis Maniglia — also running
The project known as Loxahatchee for Seat 1 — said that as a Realtor Farms West would be at the southeast in the area, she suggested the land corner of C and Collecting Canal roads could be used for equestrian faciliand would have required changes to ties. “We don’t need this,” she said. the town’s development master plan. “We’ll change our voting structure.”
Feedback from residents and the Lelonek addressed some of the council was blunt: We don’t want concerns: this here. ■ Traffic. The benefit, he said,
The Loxahatchee Groves comprewould be that C Road does not conhensive plan requires that for resi- nect north over the canal to Collectdential land uses, there can only be ing Canal. “A big benefit of this develone home per 5 acres of land, with opment in this location ... is that our some homes on smaller lots granddevelopment is going to funnel traffathered in when the town incorpo- fic straight down C Road to Southrated in 2006. ern Boulevard,” he said.
To make the project a reality, the ■ More urban-minded people. town would have a new residential “You are going to have different peoland use and zoning to allow a higher ple moving into the town, whether density, said Joe Lelonek of Atlantic this development moves forward or Land Development, representing not,” Lelonek said. the landowners of the four parcels Residents also expressed concern that make up the 47-acre property. that approving the plans would set the
Lelonek argued the town history stage for another developer to make included in the comprehensive plan a similar request for a higher-density outlines historic differences in how neighborhood. While Lelonek said the land south of Collecting Canal that could happen whether or not Road is used. the project is approved, the council
“You find a whole patchwork of seemed reluctant to take that chance. smaller lots that have been exist“It doesn’t comply with our charing since the town incorporated,” ter,” Councilman Ron Jarriel said. Lelonek said, pointing to the mix of Lelonek thanked the council and commercial, residential and agricul- residents for their civility. “I have tural uses on the south end of Loxa- taken your points head-on and we’ll hatchee Groves between Collecting deal with them accordingly,” he said. Canal and Southern Boulevard.
But residents said the project would