Preserve the Ag Reserve

Thank you for letting readers know that Palm Beach County commissioners will revisit GL Homes’ request to expand from an approved 277 homes to 704 homes in the Agricultural Reserve in May. I urge you to report an in-depth analysis of it and explain why so many Palm Beach County residents oppose it.

In 1999, we voters set aside land in the Ag Reserve designating $100 million to preserving it. It is a 20,923-acre farming region west of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. The comprehensive plan keeps our area’s quality of life intact, so that our residents benefit from the farms and open spaces free from congestion.

Over the years, the preserved land has been chipped away by county commissioners who prioritize development over agriculture and the natural environment. The reserve is ideally suited for agriculture and should not be constantly developed, which violates its intended purpose. This land provides a buffer for flood waters, it provides for stormwater filtration and helps to recharge the aquifer. It is critical to county flood prevention and water filtration.

In the same issue of the Sun Sentinel’s Gateway Gazette where reporter Wells Dusenbury’s article appeared,

Mr. John Christopher Fine, a marine biologist, wrote an impassioned plea warning about the horrifying aspects of overdevelopment. When it rains hard, as it often does here in South Florida, authorities cannot manage sewage overflows.

Large developments like the ones planned by GL Homes could undermine our master plan, which protects more than 20,000 acres of the Agricultural Reserve. Where are the fully funded plans to deal with more traffic, greater density, water, and sewage?

Will commissioners address how they have misused the money set aside to preserve the Agricultural Reserve? It’s time to prioritize the preserved land.

Holly Rothkopf,