Town-Crier Newspaper August 12, 2011

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TWO REDISTRICTING FORUMS NEXT WEEK SEE STORY, PAGE 3

PAT ROONEY SPEAKS TO P.W. CHAMBER SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE Allen West Addresses Wellington Chamber

Volume 32, Number 32 August 12 - August 18, 2011

A FUN EVENING AT HUGS & KISSES

The state of the economy was the main topic when Congressman Allen West (R-District 22) spoke Wednesday to members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. West spoke before a sold-out crowd at a chamber luncheon held at the Wanderers Club. Page 3

Wellington Marketplace Hosts Swap Meet & Sale

A community swap meet/garage sale was held Saturday, Aug. 6 in the parking lot of the Wellington Marketplace. Shopping center tenants offered guests exclusive deals and discounts, while the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office offered child fingerprinting, bike safety tips and car seat inspections. Page 5

The Goddard School Prepares Children For A Successful Education

Studies have shown that early childhood education is a crucial part of development, and the Goddard School in Wellington specializes in early childhood education for infants to kindergartners. The children are taught using the Goddard School’s specialized curriculum called the Flex Learning Program. Page 13

OPINION Get Involved In The Redistricting Process Every 10 years, the legislature redraws Florida’s state and federal district boundaries based on newly released census data. This is the first time the process will be governed by newly enacted constitutional amendments that require more compact and contiguous district lines. After an uphill battle was won to get those constitutional referendums passed, the process is now underway. Public input hearings will be held Monday, Aug. 15 in Stuart and Tuesday, Aug. 16 in Boca Raton. We urge all those interested in good government to take part in the process and make sure that we get the fair representation we deserve. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 2 - 14 OPINION ................................ 4 CRIME NEWS ........................ 6 NEWS BRIEFS .......................8 SCHOOLS .............................15 PEOPLE........................ 16 - 17 COLUMNS .................... 23 - 24 ENTERTAINMENT ................26 BUSINESS ...................29 - 31 SPORTS .......................35 - 37 CALENDAR...................38 - 39 CLASSIFIEDS ...............40 - 45 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Hugs & Kisses Inc. hosted “Date Night” Wednesday, Aug. 3 at its Royal Palm Beach location. Attendees sorted buttons and made button bracelets while enjoying refreshments. Hugs & Kisses uses the bracelets to raise money to pay living expenses for cancer patients in financial need. Pictured here, Shannon Maguire, Andrea McKenney and Andrea Morgan sort buttons. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Northlake Shopping Center Foes Discuss Plans With PBC Officials By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report County Commissioner Jess Santamaria held a meeting Wednesday afternoon with residents living near the proposed Shops at Indian Trails commercial development on Northlake Blvd. Several residents complained about the development at the Palm Beach County Commission meeting last month. The commissioners granted a 30-day postponement on the zoning approval in order for Santamaria and county staff to work out an accommodation between the residents and the developer. The project, located on 30.7 acres on the south side of Northlake Blvd. between Coconut Blvd. and 130th Ave. North, has already received the necessary land-use amendment. Developers propose 107,566 square feet of commercial space, including a grocery store, general retail, two banks, a medical office building, a gas station and a fast-food restaurant. Most of the nine residents attending Wednesday’s meeting held at the county’s Vista Center offices said they did not want the project at all, but Palm Beach

County Planning, Zoning & Building Director Barbara Alterman said it has already received a comprehensive plan amendment. “A lot of people might not know or understand this has been in the county process for three or four years,” Alterman said. “The Board of County Commissioners did approve this as commercial low, so that is kind of a moot issue.” She said what is under consideration now is to change the zoning to fit the land-use designation. Santamaria noted that the property had gone through many public hearings, including at the county level; by the Indian Trail Improvement District, which gave its approval after the developer made many concessions; and by the Acreage Landowners’ Association, which also gave its approval. “The comp plan is the first step, and it has already been designated as a commercial area,” he said. “Now we have to decide what kind of commercial can go there.” Santamaria said he had acted to postpone the decision so he could meet with residents to protect them as much as possible from detrimental effects of the project. “I want this to have the mini-

mum possible impact on your lifestyle,” he said. “My contention has been not to take away from your lifestyle, but it already has commercial designation.” Site planner Joyce Lawrence said at the last commission meeting that there were two outstanding issues, a planned access onto Hamlin Blvd. and additional buffering along Hamlin. The most contentious issue with buffering, she said, was the planned 25-foot landscaped buffer with an 8-foot wall behind the grocery store. She said the minimum allowable is 15 feet and that the developers had agreed to make it 25 feet. After contacting them again, Lawrence said they had agreed to expand that to 35 feet. Traffic engineer Nick Uhren said they were trying to minimize the number of places drivers could make a left turn and that the rightturn-only entrance on Hamlin would serve local residents and actually reduce the number of trips onto Northlake Blvd. Some of the residents said they would prefer a 50-foot buffer, but Lawrence said the developer would have to redesign the entire See NORTHLAKE, page 18

Lox Groves District Approves $13.50/Acre Assessment Hike By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report At a public hearing attended by fewer than 20 residents, the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors agreed Monday to raise its annual per-acre assessment $13.50 to $151.45 per acre. District Administrator Clete Saunier attributed the increase to a recent petition-driven referendum the district conducted, which determined that one or more supervisors should be elected through a direct election process, not the proxy vote method used previously.

Last month, the supervisors approved a resolution adopting a preliminary district budget that included a proposed rate increase of $13.50 per acre for fiscal year 2012. The board directed district staff to notify all property owners of the proposed increase and to schedule a public hearing for this week. The unanticipated additional costs associated with the referendum will be $106,300, Saunier said. This includes not only the cost of the referendum itself, but also the urban area mapping necessary to determine the number of board seats to be chosen by direct

election and amending the district’s enabling legislation. The district’s reserve fund as of Sept. 30, 2010 totaled $182,054, and the district’s fiscal year 2011 projected expenses yielded a shortfall of $22,630. This means the reserve fund would be reduced to $159,424 as of Sept. 30, 2011, Saunier said. Saunier explained that the district’s reserve fund is designed to provide a three-month cash-flow balance at the beginning of each fiscal year to pay the district’s expenses until assessment revenue is received from the county tax See LGWCD, page 7

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Palm Beach State To Buy Simon Property For Fifth Campus By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach State College Board of Trustees on Tuesday authorized $4.5 million to purchase 75 acres of the Simon property in Loxahatchee Groves for its fifth campus. Also known as Loxahatchee Groves Commons, the Simon Property is a 96.7-acre parcel on the east side of B Road at Southern Blvd. The owners of the property have been negotiating zoning issues with the Town of Loxahatchee Groves for several years. Most recently, the town granted the Simon property a land use change from rural residential to mixed use. Co-owner Sandy Simon complimented the PBSC board and especially attorney and trustee Wendy Link, who had led the negotiations in a meeting moderated by Richard Becker, PBSC’s

vice president for administration and building services. After choosing the Simon property as the best site for a campus, Becker said that he, Link and Simon met Thursday, Aug. 4 to hammer out a price. “I just sat back and kind of played referee and watched two skilled negotiators go at it,” Becker said. “After about an hour and a half, we got to the point of having the property offered to us at $4.6 million.” They also discussed a possible discount in return for naming rights on the first building on the site, Becker added. “This has been a very deliberate action by the board of trustees,” Simon said. “Their attention to fiduciary responsibility is refreshing. It’s nice to be able to negotiate with a board that does not have a lot of other agendas going. I must say I’m very grateSee CAMPUS, page 18

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH AT THE MALL

The Mall at Wellington Green celebrated the back-to-school shopping season with a MallStars Kids Club “Back-to-School Bash” on Saturday, Aug. 6. Local vendors offered services for kids, and several stores offered special deals. Pictured here, Home Away From Home Child Care Director Linda Gilbert gives Denise McIntyre some information. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO B Y DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Seeking Green Designation By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s green initiative may soon pay off as it pursues certification to become a Florida Green Local Government. The designation, given by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) recognizes both municipalities and counties as “green” for their environmentally minded practices. The Florida Green Local Government Standard was created with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Florida Energy Office, and strives to improve environmental performance. It evaluates governments that provide “in-house” environmental practices, offer incentives and ordinances to foster green practices, and engage in educational activities to improve the environment.

Wellington Principal Planner Bill Nemser told the Town-Crier Wednesday that Wellington’s forward thinking in its environmental policies have helped its eligibility. Notably, the new LEED-certified municipal complex, extensive e-services to cut down on waste and the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Habitat have helped Wellington to stand out. “We’ve worked very hard in the past on environmental practices and policies,” Nemser said. “If we were given this recognition, I believe we would be one of the first — if not the first — in Palm Beach County.” Currently, Wellington is working with FGBC coordinators to tackle the evaluation process. Nemser said that the detailed process includes a checklist of more See GREEN, page 18

Wellington To Launch Green Market At Amphitheater By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington residents will be able to take advantage of the new Wellington Green Market this fall when it opens at the Wellington Amphitheater. Beginning Saturday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., residents will be able to peruse and purchase some of the area’s best locally grown produce. Each Saturday, more than 20 vendors will set up in the parking lot of the amphitheater, selling fresh vegetables, flowers and other treats local to Palm Beach County. “We wanted to bring a green market to Wellington to provide another avenue for our residents to take advantage of fresh produce,” Wellington Parks & Recreation Director Bruce Delaney

said. “The western communities have a lot of agriculture, so it was a natural match, and we think it will be well-received.” The Wellington Green Market will be open every Saturday starting in November and ending sometime in the spring, Delaney said. “If everything goes well, we expect it will run for about six months,” he said. “That would put us sometime in April. An exact end date has not yet been decided.” Wellington is partnering on the project with Peter Robinson, who runs the Lake Worth Farmers Market. “I chatted with the mayor, and he said he felt we needed a green market in Wellington,” Robinson said. “I had done them out west

before, but always on a Sunday. I felt that the area really needed a Saturday market.” The market will open in November with some celebrity appearances, including WPTV’s Roxanne Stein, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Initially, the market will host between 20 and 30 vendors offering locally grown vegetables, wildflowers, local baked goods and other foods, Robinson said. Delaney noted that he hopes to see the market eventually expand. “The idea is to start relatively small and build a nice base,” he said. “We will try to use as much local produce as we can, whether from our neighbors in Belle Glade or right here in Wellington.” In addition to great produce, Robinson said he would be bring-

ing the popular Canal St. South to the Wellington Green Market. “It’s an amazing collection of collectibles and unique items and housewares,” he said. “We have had great success with it in Lake Worth. We even have a few vendors who come from Wellington and sell horse items, so they’ll be offering those to residents.” With its great location in the heart of Wellington’s new Town Center, Delaney expects the market to be a success. “I think that for those people who may be stopping by to use the aquatics complex or taking their children to Scott’s Place playground, they might have a good opportunity to take advantage of the green market there,” he said. Likewise, visitors attracted by the green market may stick around

and enjoy some of Wellington’s amenities. “It will give them the opportunity to see what is going on at the amphitheater or the community center,” Delaney said. To make it a true community event, Delaney said Wellington hopes to bring some of its great entertainment at the amphitheater to the stage during the market to entertain guests. “We’re anticipating bringing in some entertainment on various days,” he said. “Either we’ll have live music or something as an aside to the green market. That way people can come and spend some time there being entertained while they shop.” For more information about the market, or for vendor inquiries, call Robinson at (561) 283-5856.


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