Page 18 October 12 - October 18, 2012
The Town-Crier
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NEWS
WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES ITS HOMECOMING COURT ACTIVITIES Wellington High School celebrated its homecoming during a football game Friday, Oct. 5. Taylor Yackulics and Alina Robertson were crowned homecoming king and queen. On the field, the Wolverines lost to Cardinal Newman 27-19. (See page 35 for game coverage.) PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
Senior Homecoming Court members Ashley Domark and Kamil Baska.
Seniors
Wellington Cares
continued from page 1 fering short-term, interim services to enable seniors to age in place,” she said. “We will go in and initially provide a limited range of services such as light housekeeping, laundry, driving seniors to the doctor’s office, taking them grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions, so they can maintain their independence until their shortterm problem is alleviated.” The organization is based on reciprocal volunteering. “It is a time bank,” Foster said. “No one pays anything. We will ask the people who benefit from our services to pay it forward when they feel up to it. Even if they are
FPL
Night Work In RPB
continued from page 1 that we have. You are the only electric company that we have. We are at your mercy. According to our attorney, we don’t have much choice in this matter, but if we did, I would say no.” Councilman Jeff Hmara asked whether there was some alternative to get the work done. FPL’s E. Jean Salem said the work has been going on since spring, but certain lines can be taken out only at night.
Biz Hours
Code Will Change
continued from page 1 ment on a complaint basis. In most cases, owners have been pretty responsive in dealing with them.” Schofield also pointed out that businesses such as accountants or other professional services can be open late with people working inside the office but not seeing clients. Councilman Matt Willhite said he knew Ultima Fitness had received at least one complaint for an early-morning outdoor boot camp. Stillings said that issue had been resolved quickly. “Taking those things into account, the initial staff recommen-
Traffic Light
Office Gets To Expand
continued from page 1 this traffic light,” he said. “He represents the entire POA. Because the other members were not in support of the traffic light, at that particular meeting he voted no. He was representing the constituents of all of Palomino Park as a board member, not as an individual.” Attorney Chuck Edgar, representing the POA, said that the county had two years to make the determination whether a traffic signal was required at the intersection but let the time lapse without a decision. “As it currently stands, there is no requirement that the Palomino Park POA contribute anything toward the traffic signal,” he said. “That is the status quo today. There is no obligation.” Edgar noted that the Versailles community would also benefit from a light. “They have an association,” he said. “Are they being asked to contribute? No. They are not.” Edgar asked that the council look at the application on its own merit. “Once you start trying to impose financial obligations on neighbors, you’re legislating,” he said. “That’s not what this is about. We’re not here to talk about whether the light is needed. That’s not the issue. The issue is whether a 2,400-square-foot expansion justifies a traffic signal.” But Councilman Matt Willhite said he thought the expansion did merit a traffic light. “It does trigger the need of a
Wolverine seniors Carly Jamarowicz and Nick Hall.
Payton Travis and Matthew Goldman.
Tabitha Lazarre and Evan Inniss.
Taylor Neuman and Frankie Watson.
Cyara Finn and Mike Ross.
housebound, they can make a hospitality call to someone else who is housebound.” Foster said she hopes younger seniors who are still independent will volunteer to help, building up time for when they face similar situations. “Hopefully, through Wellington Cares, younger and healthy seniors can provide services to those who are not as fit and need help,” she said. “And then, by banking service hours, should they have an emergency down the road, they would have created a reserve bank of time for people to provide them or someone they love with services.” But it’s not just seniors helping seniors — anyone can volunteer to help and build up time for a loved one who may need assistance.
“Anyone can volunteer to help,” Foster said. “Say you’re a 40-something working person, but your mother is a senior. Maybe you can’t take off from work to take them to the doctor’s office. Well, we’ll be glad to drive your parent to the doctor and stay with them, if they need someone to take notes. Then, perhaps on a weekend, you could provide service hours in exchange to someone who needs laundry or light housekeeping done.” It is through this “pay it forward” mentality that Wellington Cares hopes to create a tight-knit community that helps each other. “No one is perceived as just a recipient,” Foster said. “We’re asking everyone to get involved. There’s a job for everyone. There is a way to reach out, no matter what your skill capacity is.”
The organization will also partner with doctor’s offices, churches, homeowners’ associations and other facilities that can identify seniors in need. “The premise is building community,” Foster said. “Hopefully, through networking, we will be able to identify individuals who, with the exception of this shortterm situation, could stay in their homes and maintain their lifestyles.” Wellington Cares is looking now to identify those seniors in need in order to begin providing services in early November. Those who are interested in assisting should call Foster at (561) 568-8818. The organization also is looking for sponsors to help cover costs. Foster said that although the organization is volunteer-driven, it will have to pay for insur-
ance. “We have insurance costs so that anyone who volunteers is protected by a blanket policy,” she said. “We are also looking to provide welcome baskets to everyone we visit for the first time. In those baskets will be information from our sponsors.” Recently, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care kicked off donations with $10,000 for the organization. “For anyone who cares about seniors, who cares about aging in
place, this is an organization that can help,” Foster said. She hopes the community will rally around the cause and come out to help seniors. “We hope Wellington Cares can rekindle that neighborhood spirit where we reach out one-onone to help others who need it in order to improve their quality of life, and enable them to maintain their independence,” she said. For more information, call Foster at (561) 568-8818.
“The load demand is too great during the day, and it would interrupt service to the entire county if they were taken out during the day,” Salem said. “That’s why for a short period, certain lines have to be taken out at night.” She added that most of the night work would be from Okeechobee Blvd. south, where homes are far away from the corridor. Councilman Richard Valuntas suggested that if the council approves the application, that a condition be made that the noise level be limited in some manner. Councilwoman Martha Webster said since the request was through
Nov. 30, the council approve it and get the work over with. She also pointed out that any extensions to that date would have to be approved by the council. “We clearly have control over those circumstances if they are not met,” she said. “I’m just looking at what’s best for residents here. Is it better to get the work done so that they can move on?” Webster also pointed out that denying the variance could lead to legal issues for the council. Village Manager Ray Liggins said FPL had applied for a permit to do work during the day, but it came to the village’s attention that the utility was doing some work at
night after residents complained. “If they continue to do the work at night, there is no enforcement we can put over them,” he said. “It’s their easement, and they have a right to do that work. Liggins also pointed out that FPL stopped the work at the village’s request although the company was not legally obligated to. Valuntas made a motion to approve the variance with a condition that they would be limited to 14 days to do the remaining work north of Okeechobee Blvd. The motion carried 3-1, with Mattioli opposed and Pinto absent.
dation would be to suspend the hours of restriction for indoor activity and fall back to the other codes that we have for alcohol sales, noise and other similar operating codes,” he said. “Then we would suggest restricting outdoor activity from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.” Stillings said that the village would have to make exceptions for gas stations, drive-through restaurants and other uses that council members could specify. However, he stressed that outdoor uses still would have to comply with the village’s noise ordinance. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she was concerned about banning all outdoor uses, noting that people cannot smoke inside restaurants. “I don’t smoke, but a lot of people do,” she said. “I don’t want it so they can’t go have a
late-night dinner because they smoke.” But Schofield said it would be relatively easy to limit outdoor entertainment and service while still allowing smoking. “That’s a relatively simple policy direction to implement.” He said the village’s staff is comfortable extending the hours. “Some people are very concerned about making sure businesses [in central Wellington] are not put at a competitive disadvantage,” Schofield said. Schofield said that if the council agrees, village staff members will write preliminary language and bring it back for discussion. “It will still have to go through the process,” he said. “Some of the businesses are in the [Wellington Equestrian Preserve], so this will have to go before the
Equestrian Preserve Committee, the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board and come to two hearings in front of you. It will be about four months from the day we get the go-ahead with the ordinance.” Council members largely agreed with the staff recommendation but said they wanted another chance to discuss the language and get more information. Schofield said there would be another workshop and another attempt to draft policies for businesses such as gas stations and other 24-hour establishments. In the meantime, he said, Wellington will not enforce the hours of operation. “We will continue to enforce our noise standards, but we are not enforcing the hours of operation,” Schofield said.
light,” he said. “The underlying fact is that we need a light there. It’s not just the 12,000 square feet Dr. Patel has, it’s the 100,000 square feet of development already there. It’s the new development next door and across the street.” Though council members wanted to see whether continued negotiations could bring all parties to an agreement, Village Manager Paul Schofield recommended that members accept the applicant’s offer of about $11,000 to finance the light, noting that other entities were on board to pay. “Wellington Parc has a condition of approval that they will fund 20 percent [of the light’s cost],” he said. “You have the Wellington Charter School, which has a contribution requirement.” Schofield suggested that the council consider amending the conditions and directing staff to do the necessary design work, which would trigger the payments from Wellington Parc and Wellington Charter School. “Then, staff could begin assessments for the balance of it, which is about $84,000,” he said. Schofield said that the assessments would be on Palomino Executive Park. He cautioned, however, that Wellington Parc had not yet approved its contribution and that it might decide not to help finance the light. Palm Beach County and the village are also slated to contribute to the total. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig asked whether changing the condition of this application would alter the underlying condition for Palomino Park to pay its share. Flinchum said that originally
Palomino Park was supposed to pay the entire cost of the signal. “The conditions have changed since then,” he said. “The point of the condition is so that each property owner shares in the cost because they share in the benefits.” Willhite made a motion to amend the conditions of approval to accept Patel’s offer, and council members voted unanimously to pass the measure. In other business, council members unanimously granted preliminary approval to two measures that would allow for the Wellington Charter School to open on the east side of SR 7, south of Stribling Way.
RPB Zoning
Industrial Buildings
continued from page 7 sign was pleasing to the eye. “I really don’t have a problem,” he said. Commissioner Darrell Lange agreed that the design is nice, but he was concerned about the reductions in the variations of flat planes on the reasoning that the code did not apply in this case because it was away from other developments. “The code was not written just for malls,” Lange said. “Here we are with a code variance for massing standards. We’ve been down this road before.” Commissioner Jackie Larson said the building design was not unpleasant. “For an industrial building, it’s beautiful,” she said, adding that if the commission was
Though council members approved the school, applicants will have to seek a conditional use approval for a proposed daycare facility on the site. John Schmidt, a representative for the school, said that the applicants agreed to all the proposed conditions for the proposed K-8, 1,200-student school. Willhite asked whether that included payment for the traffic signal, and Schofield said it did. “It’s $171,000, and they’ve agreed to pay it,” he said. Council members voted unanimously to approve the measures. The item will return for final approval in November.
going to give in on some of the variances, the applicant should work with them to provide more landscaping. Larson made a motion to recommend approval of the site plan modification with the condition that the existing coco plums be allowed to grow to 8 feet and that the applicant continue to work with the village to improve the landscape buffers. Included in the motion was a condition that if the existing invasive exotics around the lake should be removed, the developer would take steps to further improve the landscaping within 90 days. The motion carried 4-0 with Commissioner Michael Newkirk absent. The commissioners also approved a related measure granting variances for code requirements that building surfaces could not extend for more than 100 feet on the same plane. That motion also carried 4-0.
Andrew Cutler of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care (center) presents a check for $10,000 to Joe Scarpa and Kathy Foster. PHOTO COUR TESY KATHY FOSTER
McDonald’s
Intersection Traffic Woes
continued from page 1 once they open a second driveway with the addition of McDonald’s, the congestion would be reduced. The project has been submitted to the county but is still in the staff review phase. It will probably not go to a public hearing for a few months. “We still have to deal with a lot of the staff’s comments,” Terry said. “We still have quite a few that we’re trying to address, but I think we’re making good progress.” Adam Kerr with Kimley-Horn & Associates said the timing of the county’s traffic light at Orange and Seminole Pratt should probably be altered so there is more green time for drivers on Orange entering Seminole Pratt. He said the major sources of traffic for the area would
LGWCD
Seeking Assistance
continued from page 4 County or the Village of Royal Palm Beach to request their assistance on the project. Saunier said that he has been in contact with Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management representatives about their plans to raise the perimeter berm. “It is our drainage basin, and we are responsible for maintaining our perimeter berm to such a degree as to contain our flow from going out,” he said. “They, in turn, are responsible for making sure that their flow doesn’t come in, so there is somewhat of
Lutrin
Challenging Pat Rooney
continued from page 3 through the expansion of gambling,” he said. “It does nothing but bad things to neighborhoods. It does bad things to families.” Lutrin characterized himself as “liberal with some libertarian,” noting that he is progressive on many social issues, including women’s rights and same-sex marriage. He said he differentiates himself from Rooney because he believes in financing public programs and opposes large tax breaks. “I believe that everybody should be able to earn as much money as they can,” he said. “But in order to do so, you need to depend on public services — public roads, schools, waterways and libraries. Somebody has to pay for those things. There is no free lunch.” Lutrin said he believes in properly financing public institutions. “My opponent is of the belief that private is better,” he said. “He even
probably be the McDonald’s and Walgreens. Supervisor Ralph Bair agreed that additional green time on Orange would help. ITID President Michelle Damone said they need to get help from the county traffic engineer in working through the issues. Terry said the county does not appear to be having an issue with the plan, but Damone told him to write a letter to the county indicating that ITID would not support the amendment unless traffic concerns were addressed. Damone said the gas station was probably a big contributor to the issues as well. “If there is any way to prevent additional traffic congestion for future generations, now is the time to do it,” she said. Damone said her concern was not so much about the McDonald’s, but rather going back to the county and looking for its traffic department to help work on an overall solution at the intersection. a 50-50 responsibility there.” Saunier said the county has indicated it is interested in helping, based on meetings with Commissioner Jess Santamaria. He added that he did not think the berm repair was a critical need in light of the amount of rain that fell and the unlikelihood of that happening again soon. “This is an event that was unprecedented, 20 inches of rain,” Saunier said. “The perimeter elevation of our water control basin is not designed, nor will it be designed, to withhold a 20-inch rain from occurring that doesn’t flood everything. All the basins interconnect when you get that much water. The perimeter berm is based on a 100-year storm, and it exceeded that.” voted to privatize the corrections system, which would compromise public safety.” Lutrin added that he opposes all of this year’s proposed amendments to the state constitution, and criticized the state legislature for several decisions last session. “They cut $350 million from higher education,” he said. “But then they created another university that was totally unnecessary. I didn’t like their budget, even though it added money to education. It still gave to private schools. I wouldn’t have shifted Medicaid. They are privatizing it. I understand that they’re trying to save some dollars, but it is going to ration care.” Ultimately, Lutrin said he is a public servant who works hard and hopes voters can identify with him. He said he wants a chance to work for residents to improve things in the state. “Florida could and should be a paradise,” he said. “But it isn’t. I have the vision to help take it and make it what it should be.” For more information, visit www.lutrin.org.