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December 31, 2010 - Januar y 6, 2011
The Town-Crier
WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM
NEWS Wellington
A Year Of Big Projects
continued from page 1 provides a place for children to play during special events at nearby venues. POOL REOPENS, AMPHITHEATER COMPLETED The Wellington Aquatic Complex reopened in May after a retrofit that included deepening the pool, a new office building and renovated restrooms. The village officially opened the new pool during its Fourth of July celebration with a pool party. Also in July, the village opened the new Wellington Amphitheater and began hosting a series of free programs for village residents. It kicked off with a Fourth of July celebration and now offers concerts, movie nights, plays and special events. The village, in partnership with local organizations, has already hosted several successful events at the venue, including WinterFest 2010 with the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the annual
The Acreage
Busy Year At Indian Trail
continued from page 1 road to within a half-mile of all homes in The Acreage. The R3 program will be financed as cash becomes available using money now spent to pay off soon-retiring bonds for the R2 program. Special districts such as ITID are prohibited by statute from making road improvements unless they have an approved plan in place. HAGER WINS ELECTION ITID Supervisor Mike Erickson’s decision to not seek reelection set off a four-way fight for the open seat. School teacher Jennifer Hager and water quality expert Mike Nichols advanced out of the August primary to the November general election. Hager narrowly won the race and took her seat in December. Hager said she ran for the board to make sure ITID is listening to ordinary residents and being responsive to their needs. She seeks lower assessments, is critical of bringing county water into The Acreage, and feels that not enough has been done to investigate concerns of a “cancer cluster” in the area. As an avid equestrian, she is
Lox Groves
New Rules Put In Place
continued from page 1 regulations will be enforced is still a matter of contention. State statutes require that municipalities adopt their own land development regulations within a year of adopting a comprehensive plan. The town adopted its plan in the spring of 2009, but it is not yet in effect due to a legal challenge from Callery-Judge Grove. COMP PLAN SETTLEMENT TALKS In December, the town was close to an agreement with Callery-Judge Grove on its objections to the town’s proposed comprehensive land use plan. In May, after the Florida Department of Community Affairs found the plan in compliance, Callery-Judge filed a challenge to have the DCA ruling overturned. Since then, town officials have been meeting with Callery-Judge representatives. The settlement involves four main areas: the capacity of Okeechobee Blvd. within the town’s
Palms West Holiday Parade with the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the village began several new projects including Forest Hill Blvd. improvements and the Wellington Patriot Memorial, which will round out the Town Center when they are completed in 2011. NATURE PRESERVE In November, Wellington unveiled its new, 365-acre environmental preserve: the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Habitat — more commonly known as the Section 24 project. It will serve as a park, a natural water filtration system and an integral part of Wellington’s effort to help restore the Everglades. It will also control flooding and clean storm water before it makes its way to the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The site can store and clean 770 acre-feet (or 250,905,600 gallons) of storm water. TENNIS CONTROVERSY When the village set out to renegotiate its tennis contract with provider Tommy Cheatham, pro-
spective providers called its bidding process and intentions into question. Although the council was set to approve a new contract with Cheatham in early August, an appeal by bidder A1A Tennis LLC delayed the decision. A1A questioned the village’s bidding process, which it said was too subjective. The bidder also felt that the village had rebid the contract simply as a way to get a better deal with Cheatham, rather than to get the best deal overall. Ultimately, the council stuck by its choice and awarded the contract to Cheatham. A NEW COUNCILWOMAN The makeup of the Wellington Village Council changed in 2010 after Lizbeth Benacquisto, who was term-limited, left to pursue higher office. Anne Gerwig defeated Ernie Zimmerman to claim the open seat. Meanwhile, Mayor Darell Bowen was reelected and Councilman Howard Coates returned unopposed. Benacquisto went on to secure a seat in Tallahassee as the District 27 state senator, after defeating State Rep. Kevin Rader in the Nov. 2 election. She now
holds the seat vacated by Dave Aronberg. CHARTER CHANGES A series of changes to Wellington’s charter were approved during the Nov. 2 election. Voters chose to increase the mayor ’s term from two to four years, putting the position on par with other council members. Additionally, voters clarified that appointed time on the council does not count toward term limits. Other changes eliminated a runoff election when one of three or more candidates wins at least 35 percent of the vote, and extends the time the mayor’s office can be vacant to 180 days. The charter amendments were meant to clean up some gray areas, such as how council appointments work, and save the village money by narrowing the cases in which it would have to hold an election separate from the county, which can be costly. SENIORS GET A RIDE As a way to help its less mobile residents, the village created the Senior Transportation Program, which helps residents over 60 who are unable or unwilling to drive to get around town.
Under the program, residents get a voucher for a set number of cab rides with Wellington Taxi. The village pays $13, while residents contribute $2. A ride is good anywhere within the village boundaries, as well as to Palms West Hospital. After an election season in which many seniors called for the council to pay more attention to their needs, the program is one of several steps toward improved senior services. The council also hopes to retrofit the Wellington Community Center into a facility catering primarily to seniors. MEDICAL ARTS DISTRICT To ensure Wellington’s economic future, the Wellington Village Council advanced several key measures to create the Wellington Medical Arts District, a medical complex on 200 acres around Wellington Regional Medical Center. Despite some concern from Palm Beach County about traffic congestion around the site, the village received county approval to move forward with the project, as well as a Constrained Roadway at Lower Levels of Service
(CRALLS) designation, in October. The medical arts district is expected to add between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs for the village once completed. AERO CLUB DIVIDED A war erupted in the Aero Club last year when its board made the decision to pave the community’s grass runway without first holding a vote among residents. Two factions, the “grassers” and the “pavers,” initially emerged, dividing the onceclose-knit community. But soon, members with differing opinions joined together to form the Wellington Fair Play Group, an organization that lobbied the community’s board to let the community vote on the issue. After a petition to remove board members prompted the resignation of the old board and appointment of a new board, the issue went to court. The Wellington Fair Play Group received an injunction to halt construction on the runway while the matter of the community’s leadership is settled in arbitration. A decision on the matter is expected early in 2011.
also critical of paving projects, saying she moved to The Acreage for its rural atmosphere. In other ITID election news, incumbent Ralph Bair defeated challenger Greg Sitnek. Bair said his goals are to continue working on the expansion of Acreage Community Park and seeing the R3 road improvement project through. Incumbent Carol Jacobs was unchallenged for reelection. FIRST ACREAGE GAS STATION OPENS The first retail gas station opened in The Acreage on Jan. 8. Pix, the long-planned Publixowned gas station located in the Acreage Shopping Center , brought what some have said is a sorely needed service to the area. The gas station met with opposition from others who felt it put water quality in jeopardy. Designers of the station said it is probably the safest in the state because the tank system is fully consolidated, with the pumps directly over the tanks without the need for any piping from tanks to dispensers. The tanks have state-of-theart double walls that are monitored so that an alarm goes off if fuel escapes from the interior wall. ACREAGE CANCER INFO CENTER CLOSES The Palm Beach County Health
Department’s Acreage Neighborhood Information Center that fielded questions about a possible “cancer cluster” in The Acreage closed Nov. 5 after a continuing decline in visitors. The closing was in contrast to a widely publicized meeting in February attended by hundreds of panic-stricken residents who filled up the Seminole Ridge High School auditorium to learn more about the cancer issue. Subsequent testing showed no greatly elevated levels of carcinogens in the water or soil, leading health officials to state that they felt it was safe for Acreage residents to enjoy their yards. Health officials said they closed the office after receiving letters from the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention on Oct. 27 stating that it had reviewed the steps taken by the health department over the past year and had no recommendation for further testing. The health department also received a letter of concurrence from the Environmental Protection Agency earlier in October. The county health department continues to provide information on its web site at www. pbchd.com and by phone at (561) 798-7082. CELL TOWER OUTRAGE Cellular communications tow-
ers were a big issue in The Acreage over the past year, first when Horizon Baptist Church, which opened on Orange Blvd. near 130th Avenue in 2010, put up a tower in January resembling a gigantic cross. The church had received the required permits from the county but had not approached the Indian Trail Improvement District, which was not required of the church but drew the ire of some officials and neighbors, who said the tower is an eyesore. Another incident was over Royal Palm Beach’s moving of a cell tower to the edge of the Royal Palm Beach-Acreage border in November. The tower used to be in the center of the village’s 150acre shuttered wastewater treatment plant site off Crestwood Blvd. The tower was moved to the northern end of the property near The Acreage. Royal Palm Beach Village Manager Ray Liggins said the tower had been moved to the north end to make the property more marketable or usable, but ITID President Michelle Damone said residents along 40th Street North have complained about the relocation. Royal Palm Beach officials said they followed the necessary rules of notification, which did not include residents of The Acreage
because none lived within 300 feet of the tower. Damone attended a recent meeting of the Royal Palm Beach Village Council where members urged a meeting of the two entities to iron out differences including the cell tower, a county water surcharge and entrance signs to The Acreage that were torn down by the village when it improved Royal Palm Beach Blvd. LAND SWAP CLEARS WAY FOR LIBRARY, PARK EXPANSION ITID and Palm Beach County reached a final agreement in August that clears the way for development of a county library in the Acreage and further development of Acreage Community Park. The agreement finalized years of negotiations for ITID to trade 6.5 acres east of the Acreage Shopping Center on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road to the county in exchange for about 46 additional acres of county property adjacent to Acreage Community Park at Orange Blvd. and 140th Avenue North. Each entity is receiving a 75-year lease on the respective properties. ITID held a public workshop recently to get input from residents about what they would like as part of the Acreage Community Park expansion,
which calls for a community center, gym, amphitheater, nature boardwalk, pavilions and additional recreational amenities. PRESSURE TO MAKE SEM PRATT SAFER Recent accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles near Seminole Ridge High School drew attention to the current condition of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, which some residents say is not sufficient to keep students and other pedestrians safe. In November and December, Acreage mother Karen Keogh organized walks along Seminole Pratt, following the route that students take from a nearby shopping center to the school. Participants included the parents of student Ryan Garcia, who was hit by a bus in late October, the parents of two girls whose vehicle was struck by a truck last year, and friends of a bicyclist who was struck by a vehicle in November. Keogh said portions of the road do not have sidewalks and that on other portions, the rights of way are so overgrown that pedestrians and bicyclists must walk on the road. Keogh spoke to the Palm Beach County Commission in December and received promises that it would look into further improvements along the roadway.
boundaries, road connections on the north and west boundaries of the town, intergovernmental coordination with Callery-Judge’s Seminole Improvement District regarding traffic and development, and how the improvements will be financed. As part of the settlement, the town would identify and build additional roads to enable vehicles to enter and leave the town without relying on Okeechobee Blvd. The town must also identify a financing source for the new roads and adopt an ordinance to levy impact fees on new development. Under the agreement, the town and Callery-Judge will use their best efforts to negotiate an agreement with Palm Beach County to provide the future design and construction of Okeechobee Blvd. as a four-lane road with enhanced medians, turn lanes and landscaping. Callery-Judge Grove representatives said they were concerned that the Groves’ comp plan would hinder their ability to develop by limiting available traffic on Okeechobee Blvd. MANURE ORDINANCE In March, the town approved an
ordinance that would place controls on the dumping of manure and horse bedding in town. The ordinance came about largely due to the illegal dumping from Wellington, which had been going on for years, according to town staff. The ordinance sets fines for illegally dumping under the code enforcement process of $250 maximum for the first offense and higher for subsequent offenses. The ordinance also provides that property owners who receive manure for agricultural purposes must have it spread within a certain amount of time. TOWN GIVES GAS TAX MONEY TO DISTRICT In June, the town approved contributing $100,000 to $130,000 in gas tax money to the district for road maintenance so that the district could avoid an assessment increase for the coming fiscal year. The assistance followed suit on the previous year, when the town gave the district $240,000 for projects that otherwise would not have been financed. GRADING AGREEMENT Marking a continued improvement in relations, the Town of
Loxahatchee Groves and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District reached an agreement on courtesy grading of non-district roads in November. The non-district roads are about 16 miles of side roads that the district maintains as a courtesy. The estimate for grading only, which does not include watering or hauling and material costs for additional base rock, is $160 per graded mile. The maintenance of the non-district roads largely include roads for which residents had a prior arrangement with the district for courtesy grading. Grading an average of 1.5 times a month would cost about $50,000 a year, according to district officials. LGWCD LOCAL BILL In December, the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District decided to hire a lobbyist to steer a local bill through the legislature after Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation Chairman Joseph Abruzzo said he would not sponsor it. The local bill would enable the district to claim rights of way for road improvement projects on A, B, C and D roads that have already been approved but
have easement issues to be resolved. In June, the district had received an unfavorable opinion from the state attorney general as to whether the district has the right of “statutorily presumptive dedication” enjoyed by municipalities. Under Florida statutes, when a road has been maintained or repaired continuously for four years by a county, municipality or the state, the road is deemed to be dedicated to the public. The attorney general’s
opinion did not extend that authority to special districts. Without that control, the district could not improve the roads without either going through a condemnation process or passing a local bill in Tallahassee. The local bill has been opposed by several residents who feel that it will give powers of eminent domain over road easements to the district at the expense of the powers of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves.
Blotter continued from page 6 that every room in the house had been ransacked, and his drawers and closets were opened. Two televisions were also moved near the front door, which was unlocked. Additionally, the victim’s golf cart was removed from the garage and found behind the airplane hanger. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. DEC. 28 — A Lake Worth man was arrested Tuesday on shoplifting charges after he was caught stealing from the Nordstrom de-
partment store in the Mall at Wellington Green. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 1:15 p.m., 19-year-old Kenju Konn was caught stealing approximately $996 in handbags from the store. He was stopped by a loss prevention officer, but resisted both the officer and mall security until threatened with a taser. Konn suffered a bump to the head and abrasions when resisting the officer. He was arrested and taken to Wellington Regional Medical Center for care, and then taken to the county jail where he was charged with grand theft and resisting a merchant.