LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS IRK THE COUNTY SEE STORY, PAGE 4
GET LILLY PULITZER AT TYLER BROOKE SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 13
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE Planner Alerts Lox Council To Upcoming Land Use Applications
Volume 40, Number 30 August 9 - August 15, 2019
Serving Palms West Since 1980
BACK-TO-SCHOOL EXPO AT THE MALL
Planning Consultant Jim Fleischmann told the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Tuesday, Aug. 6 that seven proposed projects and amendments will be coming before the council for review in the coming weeks. Page 3
Greenacres Adult Day Care Now Offering Expanded Services
Families looking for a safe, stimulating way to get an elderly loved one or adult with special needs out of the house can find what they need at Greenacres Adult Day Care, located at 6623 Forest Hill Blvd. The facility has enriched the lives of participants over the past six years and recently expanded its service hours to include Saturdays. Page 7
Children’s Hospital At Palms West Gets July Visit From Santa
Young patients at the Children’s Hospital at Palms West received a special visit from Santa Claus on Saturday, July 19 courtesy of Believe in Santa Foundation President Keith Carson. Wearing a red Santa outfit, a full beard and hat, Carson brought cheers of joy. Page 13
WPTV News Channel 5 held its annual Back-to-School Expo on Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Mall at Wellington Green. The expo was a one-day gathering of public and private schools, trade schools, universities, and education-related companies and services. The event also featured a fun kids fashion show by Dillard’s. Shown above are Breanna Finlan with Macy and Riley Sherman during the fashion show. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Lox Council Agrees: Parking Lot Lights Go Out At 11 P.M.
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 6 to require that parking lot lights go out at 11 p.m. at commercial developments in the community. The decision at this week’s council meeting followed a discussion at a meeting of the town’s Uniform Land Development Committee, which ended in a 2-2 impasse. Planning Consultant Jim Fleischmann said the committee has been working through the code and recommended approval of all revisions except for outdoor lighting, on which they were split on whether lights should go off at 11 p.m. or be allowed to use dimmers. “Under the current code… open-air parking shall be controlled by automatic devices that cause lighting to be closed, shut
down between 11 o’clock and dawn. So, right now, the code says that outdoor lighting — that is parking lot lighting — has to be shut down between 11 p.m. and dawn,” Fleischmann said. “The committee voted 2-2 on that. Two members wanted that language retained, and there were two members in favor of staff’s recommendation to require that automatic devices be installed, but that those automatic devices be used to regulate lighting between 11 p.m. and dawn so that the overspill requirement is maintained.” Fleischmann brought the item to the council to break the tie. Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia preferred to allow parking lot lighting after 11 p.m. “I don’t believe any place should have no lighting whatsoever after 11 o’clock,” she said. “I think the issue was they wanted it dark in a commercial parking lot. I disagree with that.”
Mayor Robert Shorr said he agreed that there should be some lighting in commercial parking lots, adding that current lighting technology allows for dimmed lights that will not spill over into nearby residential neighborhoods. Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey said there will be sufficient lighting on the buildings themselves to illuminate the area for late-night customers. “The light pollution that we’re going to be encountering as we move forward with all the development around us, we should control what’s within our boundaries in a much heavier way, so I disagree,” El-Ramey said. During public comment, Casey Suchy, a member of the Unified Land Development Committee, said the parking lot lights should go out at 11 p.m. “This is for developments under See LIGHTS, page 18
Players Club And St. Rita Projects Head For Zoning Board Review
By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board will review a number of applications at its meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 14, including consideration of the Players Club Residences project and a new building at St. Rita Catholic Church. These discussions are in addition to controversial comprehensive plan amendments to the Wellington Green development that could scale back preserve land near the mall in favor of a new restaurant and additional apartment buildings, as reported previously in the Town-Crier. The architectural firm Schmidt Nichols, representing Players Club property owner Neil Hirsch, has put forth five applications to modify the property located at 13410 South Shore Blvd. allowing the 5.5-acre parcel to become the future home of 50 luxury residences. Two of the items are regarding building height: a comprehensive plan text amendment and a zoning text amendment to allow a building height in excess of 35 feet. These amendments, if approved, will allow for greater flexibility in the maximum allowed building height on properties located within residential land use designations. As of now, taller buildings are only allowed along the State Road 7 corridor. The property owner is also asking for a comprehensive plan amendment to modify the future land use map designation for the property from Commercial Recreation to Residential F. Next, a master plan amendment to the PUD master plan would allow 50 dwelling units and formalize the access points that exist on the site. Finally, a site plan amendment proposes a four-story, 42-unit condo
building with underground parking spaces and detached eight-unit townhouses with 14 underground spaces. The condo structure will have a rooftop pool area. The site will be gated and will be aligned with the existing intersection. Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Building Director Bob Basehart said that the change will be a major shift for the longtime local landmark. “For decades, it has been a restaurant and nightclub,” he explained. “They want to tear the building down, redevelop the site and put 50 condominiums there.” The height of the proposed building is an issue, as Wellington only allows a height of 35 feet in the village, unless the building is near SR 7. Then 72 feet is allowed. “What they are proposing is to change the height limit to 65 feet,” Basehart said. “They want to build a four-story building. They will put all of the parking underneath the building.” If approved, these upscale, oversized condominiums will range in size from 3,800 to 4,000 square feet per unit, but it will create a smaller footprint on the five acres because the garage will be under the building and the pool on top. One of the reasons given to go higher is to be able to leave most of the site in landscaping and not destroy the habitat that is there now. There will be no parking lot outside of the parking garage. While Wellington staff does support parts of the proposal, the issue with the height of the main structure remains a sticking point. Staff is not supporting the full height that the property owner is requesting but is working on something that both parties can live with. The Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board will hear the petition See PZA BOARD, page 18
WELLINGTON HOSTS Community Comes Together To Celebrate Marine’s Promotion BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH
Wolverine Football Begins Season With High Expectations
By Meredith Burow Town-Crier Staff Report Defying the muggy weather, more than three dozen people gathered at the Wellington Veterans Memorial on Thursday, Aug. 1 to witness Jonathan McLean’s
promotion to his new U.S. Marine Corps rank of gunnery sergeant. While promotion ceremonies often take place in an intimate setting among close family and friends, McLean wanted to celebrate this milestone in the heart
It is still summer, but the high school football fall season is underway. Local teams have hit the turf early in Palm Beach County. The first day of practice was held July 29, and the Wellington High School football squad has a strong returning group of athletes. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 LETTERS.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 16 CALENDAR............................ 18 BUSINESS............................. 19 SPORTS......................... 21 - 22 CLASSIFIEDS.................23 - 24 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan McLean (center) is flanked by his fellow Marines during his promotion ceremony Thursday, Aug. 1 at the Wellington Veterans Memorial. PHOTO BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER
of his newly adopted community. Having served 15 years with the Marines, Gunnery Sgt. McLean and his family have only been residents of Wellington for a few months, having previously been stationed in Okinawa, Japan. However, this local serviceman is not lacking in loyal supporters. “It turned out fantastic,” said Haley McLean, Gunnery Sgt. McLean’s wife. “I mean, honestly, I wasn’t expecting them to do this much for us.” At the suggestion of a family friend, Haley McLean contacted Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, inquiring about the use of the centrally located memorial for the occasion. Gerwig then contacted Michelle Garvey, the assistant director of the Parks & Recreation Department, who then helped organize an event that went well above and beyond what the family was expecting. “I just thought we were asking for permission, and then she was like, ‘We’ll set up a tent. I’ll contact the VFW to see if any of those guys want to come. We can set up See MARINE, page 18
The Village of Wellington held its annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, July 27 at the Wellington Community Center. Backpacks, uniforms, shoes, school supplies and more were donated and given away with support from many local nonprofits and businesses. Shown above are Wendy, Emily and Emma Sanchez with Maggie Zeller and Director of Community Services Paulette Edwards. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Family Seeks Support After Devastating Accident
Valerie Chandler learning how to manage in the wheelchair.
By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report It’s hard enough living day-today trying to keep the balance of a growing family. But if the unexpected occurs, a family component can change in an instant. One day in May, this year, mom Katie Chandler and her teenage daughter Valerie were driving home to Wellington from Miami. On Southern Blvd., the car that they were in suddenly hit a pole and flipped over, rolling before righting itself facing the oncoming traffic. No other car was involved, and Katie cannot recall what happened before waking up and finding her daughter with bruising and internal bleeding. Valerie had injured her spine.
This Wellington family is experiencing a sudden modification in their life, and now after almost four months in the hospital, Valerie may get to come home. The family is keeping their spirits high, but each member has their own pain, grieving the old life they once had. Fortunately for the Chandlers, they have their faith, but keeping things together can be overwhelming. The insurance claims and the paperwork alone from being in the hospital is a full-time job. There in the children’s wing, Valerie lives each day to be strong. Having one daughter in the hospital puts a bit of guilt on parents Katie and Donald Chandler, who also must tend to the needs of Valerie’s 10-year old sister, Camryn,
at home. They now need to adapt to a family scattered in different directions trying to cope, grieve and keep going, even though there is a long road ahead. The moving parts are not simple, so the Chandlers need the community’s help. Right now, they need gift cards from Target, Publix, gas cards, restaurants like Chick-fil-A and PDQ, monetary donations, housing, renovations, babysitting and assisting Katie with all of her ongoing responsibilities. Supporting Donald, who cannot just run in and fix this one, will take some special skill, as men often want to be strong at times like this. Camryn is going to need some caring parents who can arrange play dates, picking her up
to see that she’s safe and sound back home. Valerie will need wellwishers who know how to help and encourage her not to give up. Katie described Valerie’s injuries and how the family is coping. “Valerie has a huge scar from her chest to her navel where they had to go in to do exploratory surgery to find the internal bleeding,” her mother explained. “She had to have her spleen removed. She had lacerations to her kidneys, trauma to her heart, and fractured her back and pelvis. She had two bars that are attached to her pelvis, and five days in had a spinal fusion. The fracture in her back is what caused the spinal cord injury.” Since the accident, they have See CHANDLER, page 18