City OKs changes in future land use

LAKE WORTH — In an attempt to make Lake Worth the best version of itself, city commissioners at last Tuesday’s meeting passed a controversial future land-use map change that won’t introduce high rises into the city or turn Lake Worth into Delray Beach or West Palm Beach.

“We’re at a critical point where it’s time to build or set the foundation for the future of our city,” said William Waters, the city’s community sustainability director. “Or we will not be the city we ultimately want to be. The future land-use map is just a guide.”

Commissioners passed the measure 4-1, with Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso objecting.

There’s a change from medium to high density on the east side of Bryant Park Neighborhood, a change from public open space to single family along the highway in Sunset Ridge and to medium residential at the north end of the ball fields.

Commissioners voted that ball fields north of 22nd Avenue and the two blocks in Bryant Park not be changed.

Local governments are required to evaluate their local comprehensive plan every seven years to determine if plan amendments are necessary since the last update of the comprehensive plan, and to notify the state land planning agency as to its determination.

Waters said the city is trying to make Lake Worth economically, socially, fiscally, historically and culturally sustainable. “Most of the city is in poverty,

and housing values are significantly below the average of the county,” he said. “We can’t sustain ourselves with an economic strata that’s as low as this for housing values.”

What the city envisions, Waters said, won’t happen overnight. “This is a long range, very big-picture idea of what we’re setting the stage on — how we can get to be a commendable city that is sustainable,” he said.

Lake Worth, Waters said, doesn’t have much vacant land, which is why the city proposed a multi-family, mixed-used medium-density complex by Bryant Park. “This is the limit to what the city might be open to if you proposed redeveloping this site,” he said. “It doesn’t change the height. It can still be up to 35 feet and three stories.”

Commissioner Scott Maxwell said with a 30 percent poverty rate, Lake Worth can’t expect to thrive. “We

to talk about redeveloping,” he said.

But many residents weren’t happy with the proposed changes and for not being notified of them. They showed up at the meeting to voice their concerns.

“I’m a lifelong Lake Worth resident, and I think it’s sad,” Teri Abrams said. “You can’t give away our land.”

Ryan Oblander said getting neighborhood input should be a priority. “Or at least a second priority,” he said.

Sam Goodstein said it’s reassuring to know the process goes slowly.

r Pam Triolo said she didn’t like how the change was handled before Dec. 5, when she and commissioner Scott Maxwell voted against it.

“It moved too fast and there was not substantial public input,” she said. “We didn’t do good. When you don’t give people the opportunities to speak about it ...you’re going to get ... this.”

Commissioner Omari Hardy said Lake Worth has to make tough choices. “If we don’t get it right now, when the next recession comes, we’re going to be lost,” he said. “We have serious issues making changes to try to figure out how to move forward.”

He said the map should infuriate and embarrass every person at the meeting.

“This map is a vast improvement over the map five years before that, and the people sitting on this commission have made the map look better than what it used to be, but clearly, we still have some issues,” he said.