Henrietta Farms Early Lock Out
Updated 9/27/2021 @ 9:50AM
A recent article by Investigative Reporter Terry Parker (Channel 25 (WPBF) tells the story of “Brightline restarting in November, debuts ride-share service” Part of the story reads:
“So you’d love to take the high-speed Brightline when it reopens, but there’s always a slight problem:
“How do I get to the station and how do I get from the station to my final destination, well we’ve solved that problem for you,” said Brightline Trains President Patrick Goddard.
“We’ll have a fleet of Teslas, shuttles, electric golf carts that will pick you up where you are and take you to the train station, then take you to your final destination,” Goddard said.
After reading the story, bells were going off. Brightline will have a fleet of vehicles to take riders to and from their home to the RR and back again. Question? Where is Brightline going to park the vehicles? Hey, how about the land that Henrietta Farms is located on?
The property is already fenced in thanks to generous donors, so vehicles will be safe. All that needs to be done is plow it under, bring in the asphalt and we have a parking lot.
Circuit Service is already doing business in Fl. “Rewire your city with on-demand, easy-to-use, electric, shuttles! Improve access to local trains, buses, essential businesses, and reduce traffic, congestion, and emissions in the process.”
The Sept. 20,2021 City Commission Meeting residents spoke out in defense of Henrietta Farms and 2 Commissioners spoke up when Commissioner Shoaf asked for information on what the land would be used for, and Commissioner Warren asked if another solution was possible. Here’s an update on the farm, and I have a possible solution.
Mr Stewart Bosley, worked tirelessly to start the farm, was sent a letter from the City informing him the lease would not be renewed. The present lease will expire on 10/16/2021.
9/24/2021 (Fri.) Mr. Bosley had a crew of volunteers to work on the farm that weekend, and when they arrived they found their locks were cut off and replaced with new one’s. A week end of work gone when the lease didn’t expire for 2 more weeks. People who were willing to spend their time off helping Boz weren’t needed after all. Shinny new lock placed on a chain bought by the farm along with the fencing.
The farm kept operating on dollars donated by caring people and from Boz own pocket, and he dug deep in order to feed the poorest of the poor in a run down section of the city, and the weekend plan was to clean up the area and remove cinder blocks, potting pots, a hot house and whatever else they could salvage.
Mr Bosley recently received a $20,000 grant which he returned before it was even cashed.
If my thinking is correct why can’t the city allow the fleet of vehicles to be parked in the city garage—give them the top floor and don’t charge Brightline for the parking privileged, and leave the farm alone.
10/4/2021 is the next City Commission Meeting, please try and attend and let your voice be heard on the farm issue. Bring your parking ticket with you and have it validated outside Commission Chambers (free parking). If unable to attend please write a comment and send it to the City Clerks Office, and it will be read out loud, and into the record, for the mayor and Commissioners to hear your thoughts.
“If you wish to give public comment, please attend the meeting or fill out and submit the public comment form below by 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.” I have supplied the form for those who wish to address their concerns. If not you—who?
https://www.wpb.org/i-want-to/public-comment
Channel 25 news story below below.
Mayor Keith James, while campaigning told voters he was raised by a single mother. James did well for himself and I can only imagine the struggle’s his mother had.
Before City Administrator was Faye Johnson she was Faye Outlaw, and she was interviewed by Carol on July 9, 2013 for FCCMA (Florida City and County Management Association)
One question and answer stood out, and I will share with readers.
What got you interested in public service?
I became interested in local government early in my childhood. It was sparked from a passion for reading the local newspaper and a curiosity about the “government.” Being raised in a family that was reliant on public assistance, I heard the word “government” all the time. However, I had no idea who or what the “government” was but was glad it existed as, for the most part, that was how my family was able to have food on the table.
Ever hear the old saying I GOT MINE; YOU GET YOURS. Translation: “A selfish mentality that is very common among people, whereby an individual strives to achieve the standards that he wants; and that after achieving, denies responsibility or aid to other people who have yet to achieve the same standards.”
How can the 2 people charged with running the City of West Palm Beach turn their back on the neediest residents needing fresh fruit and vegetables. People who look like them.
City Commissioners: The simple fact that a commissioner had to ask what purpose the land would be used for should make them aware of how much in the dark they are kept on city business. If it wasn’t for good folks speaking out on the loss of the land they wouldn’t be aware it was an issue. Please include along with listening to “staff” recommend approval ask the questions and investigate, and readers continue to let your voiced be heard. It’s the first heads-up the commissioners hear that something isn’t right.
If the Mayor and City Administrator know the farm land will not be used to store a fleet of vehicles they need to contact me so the story can be updated. What’s their secret?
The end
CMUD Done Deal?
Update: 9/23/21 @ 3:15PM
Carl Flick, President of NSNA (Northwood Shores Neighborhood
Association) attended the 2nd. Planning Board meeting in person, and his remarks are in quotation marks. When Mr. Flick mentions ” yesterdays” meeting he is referring to the 2 Planning Board meeting held on Sept. 21 ,2021.
I attended the meeting in the comfort of my home and my comments in Italic.
“Northwood Shores has been negotiating with the City and with Jeff Greene on two major fronts. The first is to allow the public to participate in unfiltered community meetings. The second is to hold meaningful discussions on limiting the extreme 350′ height to under 267 feet.
The July 20, 2021 Planning Board Meeting had a 5-0 vote rejecting a revised CMUD and returned it back to planning staff because it was inadequate.There were 2 board members absent.
The mayor (James) was having problems with the Planning Board, so he let several board members go and appointed several new ones. Yesterday’s meeting was their first. They came with little history. They essentially stacked the deck with a clean slate of board members who did not know the issues surrounding CMUD.
We did prevail in getting scores of letters sent to the planning board opposed to the 350′ height. But the way the city’s planning staff dealt with that deluge of complaints was to deliver the stack of dissenting letters, not in advance, but to give it to the planning board as they sat down last night at the meeting. So board members had no time to review those letters.”
The Mayor appoints board members and the City Commissioners approval is needed, and it is required that they confirm the Mayors appointment’s at a City Commission meeting.
I examined the City’s CC Agenda back to June 2021 and the Mayor did not submit any names for approval to the Planning Board. I assume he picked up the phone and dismissed them for not going along with what the city needed for passage of CMUD. His three new choices did his bidding, but I challenge if the Planning Board is a legal board and has the right to make any decisions. The three dismissed members obviously have what City leaders are lacking. It’s called integrity.
I joined the meeting and heard Lobbyist Harvey Oyer, who’s job it is to sell the city on developer Jeff Greene’s CMUD project, and he made the statement saying changes to the Joel Daves Park would be needed to accommodate CMUD development. For those readers new to the City Joel Daves is a former Mayor and the city honored him with a park named after him and is located at 2410 N Dixie Hwy. Mr. Oyer stated Mr. Daves was fine with changes that were needed to the park, in fact he drove the point home by restating all was fine with Mr. Daves.
It would be easy enough to verify how Mr. Daves felt about needed changes to his named park, but the City lost a gentleman when he passed on in July. Who’s to know if Oyer’s statement is true or not.
“Last nights Planning board meeting resulted in a 7-0 vote approving the proposed CMUD changes and sending the proposal to the city commission meeting- to be held in October 2021.”
City Commissioners receive all stories written on WPB Watch and it’s up to them to investigate the issue coming before them with a request for approval from City Staff.
They should be upset about the meetings being held with selected invited guests, and a planning board that may have been illegally approved by Mayor James alone.
The picture is of me looking into the Flagler meeting after being removed from City Hall and not allowed to join the meeting. My name was not on the invited list.
City Commissioners please do the job you were elected to do.
The picture of Joel Daves park was taken from the city website and you see the water view. I don’t believe Mr. Daves would be OK with the City’s planned changes to accommodate developer Green’s vision. If you knew Daves he was the people’s Mayor. He was not owned by developers.
The end.
How Could Something So Good, Go So Bad.
In September 2013 Geri Muoio’s was the WPB Mayor and a gentleman named Mr. Bosley was making an appeal to the City and asked that the $5,000.00 fee for bringing a water line to the area be waived, and his request was granted.
I listened to Mr. Bosley who acquired a lease for a piece of city owned property consisting of 1.52 acres at 1400 Henrietta Ave. and heard his plans to build a Community Farm in one of the poorest area’s of WPB, and my thought at the time was this guy has a good idea.
“In West Palm Beach, 18.7 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, compared with 14 percent for Palm Beach county and 14.5 percent for the U.S. as a whole. The city is also home to a large proportion of the county’s 27 federally designated food deserts. Residents live in a stark contrast to the area’s natural abundance of fresh produce, with limited retail and transportation options to grocery stores.
However, this is all about to change.
One man, Stewart W. Bosley Jr., and his non-profit organization Urban Growers, has broken ground on West Palm Beach’s first urban farm, and they’re set to harvest their first crop in January.
“What I didn’t realize is that it would take me four years to finally get site control,” he says. “Over the past four years, I have been steadfastly trying to acquire this property, clean it up, and put a farm on it. Now I’ve got 1,200 plants. We’ve got about 500 or 600 tomatoes, green peppers, kale, collard greens, bell peppers, and pole beans, and the first crops will be ready in January.
After a long process of land acquisition and jumping hurdles, the Urban Growers’ Community Farm, also known as the Henrietta Bridge Farm, is finally growing produce.
In addition to producing fresh and local produce for the community, Urban Growers is also providing job training and job opportunities to residents of the neighborhood, including previously incarcerated and at-risk youth. The plots were installed by previously incarcerated individuals from the juvenile justice system in Palm Beach county as part of a restorative justice program in West Palm Beach. Urban Growers hopes to continue supporting this population and other individuals from the community as they begin to harvest their first crop and expand their business.
“Where this farm is located is a perfect example of a food desert community,” he says. Where the growing center is now located, you have to go two and a half miles in any direction to get produce. The people that live in this neighborhood are all near or below the poverty line, and don’t have access to fresh produce. People who benefit from this are low-income seniors, and kids. It helps the people who don’t have access to fresh produce, many of them because of limited transportation options. The cost of transportation also has to be factored into the cost of the food.” Read the entire story below.
https://seedstock.com/2015/01/05/west-palm-beachs-first-urban-farm-serves-local-food-deserts/
One more story I hope readers will take the time to read in part explains:
Urban Growers CEDC Mission
“The primary mission is to develop and improve low-income communities and neighborhoods through economic and related development activities that will increase the opportunities for residents to become owners, managers, and producers of small businesses, affordable housing and jobs designed to produce positive cash flow and curb blight in the Greater North West Communities of West Palm Beach.
“Urban Growers CEDC is a grass roots non-profit organization dedicated to improve
the quality of life in low income communities in the neighborhoods of Coleman Park, Historic Northwest and Pleasant City. Through educational, economic and related development activities, the organization will promote actions designed to increase opportunities for residents. Read the entire story below:
http://www.urbangrowerscedc.org/
For over eight years the farm was up and growing, people were receiving fresh produce and fruit and had the satisfaction of knowing they helped create the farm and grow their food. So what went wrong?
The City sent a letter informing Urban Growers their lease for the land would not be renewed, and they have 30 days to vacate the property, and the only explanation was the City (James) stating “they have a better use for the property.”
What could be better than to give access to fresh produce and fruit to low income minority communities around the farm?
James is so proud of his “Mayor’s Taskforce for Racial and Ethnic Equality” which will sound good for his reelection, but I hope people remember what he has done to Urban Growers. Damn disgrace.
The end.
Right To Life
At the upcoming City Commission (9/20/21 meeting the City will make a “Special Presentation”
“Special Presentation to Mona Reis in recognition of her contributions in our community for the past 41 years.”
I was curious on what her contribution was and googled her.
“Mona S. Reis is the Founder and Director of Presidential Women’s Center, an independent abortion provider located in West Palm Beach, Florida.”
The center is within a mile of my home and on the weekends you can witness pro life supporters with their signs and rosary beads, praying for the mothers and unborn children, and they have done this for years.
“Mary Susan Pine, who stands outside abortion clinics and advises women not to have the procedure, was accused of blocking a car from entering a Florida abortion clinic in 2009.
In December, a judge threw out the case, in which the government sought $10,000 in fines and a permanent injunction barring Pine from counseling women outside the Presidential Women’s Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The government had been appealing the ruling until it was announced Monday it would no longer pursue the case
Feminists for Life: “We believe in a woman’s right to control her body, and she deserves this right no matter where she lives, even if she’s still living inside her mother’s womb.” Please re-read the sentence.
Many states allow late abortions that can be performed up to 24 weeks meaning the child was carried for six months and able to survive outside the womb, but will never get the chance.
Women have their choice of birth control methods, including: longer-acting birth control such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants shorter-acting methods like birth control pills.. IUDs are considered one of the most effective reversible forms of birth control. Researching for this story I was surprised to find a patch, which can be worn for a week, and prevent unwanted pregnancy’s.
In general, the cost of an abortion can average $1,500.00.
People can’t afford $8.00 for a box of condoms, but can raise $1,500.00 for an abortion.
Fortunately views on abortion are changing and for that I’m grateful along with the men and women who sit quietly outside the abortion clinic with rosery in hand still praying for lost souls.
A neighbor of mine just became a grandmother and she is “over the moon” with a beautiful granddaughter, welcomed into the world with nothing but love.
How many babies have been aborted in 41 Years?
Does Ms. Reis realize how fortunate she is that her mother didn’t believe in abortion.
Currie Park Mixed Use (CMUD) Stakeholders Meeting! Part 2
Updated 9/16/2021 @6:18PM
I received the invitation below from Carl Flick along with other concerned residents and the City Commissioners on Wed, Sep 15, 2021 @ 12:14 pm
“FYI on a sponsored Zoom meeting scheduled for tonight at 6:00 PM that will explain why the hosts think allowing 300-350 foot building heights in the Currie Corridor is OK.
Feel free to attend on-line. I have no idea if they will allow comments by those who remain unconvinced and disagree. Still, it’s important to listen to the viewpoints of all sides.
This is in preparation for this coming Tuesday’s West Palm Beach Planning Board meeting (beginning at 6:00 PM) inside City Hall’s Commission Chambers. We encourage all to attend this in-person forum.”
Carl received the invitation late and forwarded it to concerned citizens and with short notice 54 people attended the Zoom meeting, hoping to voice their opinion on the project. They were not allowed to speak, but 3 people in favor of the project were. One resident said this project is needed due to small businesses failing and closing it’s doors. My opinion small businesses are failing due to Coronavirus and nothing to do with development.
In attendance were Commissioners Fox and Peduzzi. Missing were Commissioners Lambert, Warren and Shoaf who is the district commissioner. I understand not much notice was given but Commissioners who will discuss and vote on projects that will affect residents lifestyle should not consider City Commission a “part time” job.
Harvey Oyer, an attorney and lobbyist and has the responsibility of “selling” the CMUD project for developer Jeff Greene to the City, along with it’s residents of the NSNA (Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association)
Oyer started and finished the presentation and he’s really good at his job. He mentioned how he “loved” Northwood Shores and at one time wished he could have afforded to purchase a home in the area. Things are looking up for Oyer, he purchased a $1,350,000 home in the Presidents Country Club, an upscale gated community far removed from large structures.
Bill Nugent, Don’t have much information on him and the conversation between Bill and Harvey had me knowing they were both on the same page and Bill called on the speakers who were allowed to comment. The hi-light of the meeting was when an attendee namely Lon Sebella found a way to um-mute his mike and started to comment and the look of panic on Bill’s face when he shut off Lon’s mic only to have Lon turn it back on and continue commenting. His mike was turned off again and the meeting ended, rather abruptly.
In the previous story concerning CMUD I wrote:
“In fact the Currie Corridor is nearly vacant with the exception of a small home built in the early 1920, and is located across the street from Currie Park.”
What I have learned is the property is owned by Mr. Kenneth Witt who acquired the property in Aug.1989 and is the hold out seller to the site. Mr. Witt, in my opinion is the most important “stake holder” living in the middle of the project, and he was denied an invitation to the meeting.
Carl Flick, AICP, (American Institute of Certified Planners) is an urban planning consultant with over 25 years of municipal & county planning experience and is the President of the Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association.
Because of his vast knowledge of planning and what goes into these projects, Carl is rarely invited to the meetings and when he is, he’s not allowed to speak with the exception of 4 board members allowed to comment at one meeting. NSNA issue is that there have been no “community meetings” where anyone can enter, take part, speak and fully express themselves. Every lie told, Carl is able to offer proof of the mis-information given to residents. Carl attended the Zoom meeting and was not called on for his opinion, but 3 people in favor of the project were. That’s called “stacking the deck.” Planning staff is still planning to allow 300-350 foot towers, among the highest buildings in Palm Beach County to be built in a residential neighborhood.
Carl Flick will tell the remainder of the story below and readers will understand why Carl is not welcome at meetings. A little bird told me developer Jeff Greene has requested a meeting with 3 of the 8 board members and Carl Flick was not to be one of the invitees.
“Sharing what Northwood Shores gave to Planning staff on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 This was our negotiating plank.
Planning staff cherry-picked the minor stuff and failed to effective address the height issue.
We start again.
Carl
Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association
Committee discussion on Currie Corridor Mixed-Use Zoning District (CMUD), West Palm Beach
Monday, September 6, 2021
NSNA’s offers these key points to improve the City’s proposal for changes to CMUD zoning district.
1. The city has offered to reduce the previously suggested 397 foot maximum building height for developer Jeff Greene’s Core I sub district. The NSNA selected option #2 which sets the maximum height at 267 feet (23 stories at “13 foot floor plates”).
2. The limiting time frame for building should be reduced from the suggested 5 years down to 3 years. After this time, if no development is begun by permitting (need specific wording), then CMUD for developers and landowners enjoying more allowances must revert back to the 2014 CMUD regulations.
3. Move the highest building heights within Core District 1 – from south of 26th Street to south of 23rd Street. This will reduce negative impacts on the adjacent single family residential neighborhood of Northwood Shores.
4. Any reorganization of Joel Daves Park should result in no net loss of park square footage. The park can be narrowed and lengthened east to west (in conjunction with the extension of Northwood Road), but if it is reshaped, then its original size total must be maintained.
5. The incentives should be significantly strengthened. If developer Jeff Greene wants to take advantage of securing more height via CMUD’s incentives, then three important base incentives should be first required. The incentive addressing attainable or affordable housing should become required incentive number 1. Further the attainable housing incentive should require that affordable units be built within CMUD only and there should be no opt-out payment in lieu of building. Required incentive number 2 should be the extension of Northwood Road. Required incentive number 3 should be the inclusion of urban-street level activity. At a minimum, implement CMUD’s urban mixed-use village along the extension of Northwood Road and along North Flagler Drive.
6. Return to CMUD’s prior strength of employing urban building liners of 3-4 stories along streets, with higher building portions set back and hidden from the pedestrian street level.
7. Hold a real community meeting so that everyone can comment on the proposed changes to CMUD. At the conclusion of its July 20, 2021 meeting, the West Palm Beach Planning Board directed Planning staff to: 1) hold one or more community meetings with the surrounding residents and obtain meaningful input; 2) meet with overlooked CMUD property owners; 3) re-engage with developer Jeff Greene; 4) make the list of incentives more powerful and beneficial to the City; and 5) carry out a “massing study” so that professionals and lay individuals alike can see how each proposal for additional height will actually appear from the street level.
The NSNA anticipates that Planning staff will fulfill the Planning Board’s directives. The NSNA continues to request that City staff hold a bona fide community meeting where residents can freely comment on the Planning staff’s proposal to revise CMUD. According to email written by Armando Fana of the City, the August 31, 2021 and September 9, 2021 meetings are not “community meetings”. They are “stakeholder meetings”, which are by invitation only. Planning staff selected participants based on prestated support and has barred those who questioned the City Planning staff’s proposal.”
If Mr. Fana, Assistant City Manager, Richard (Ric) Greene, head of Development Services, not to be confused with Jeff Greene, the project’s developer had a quarter of Carl Flick’s knowledge, the City of WPB would be better off.
The end, more to come
Currie Park Mixed Use (CMUD) Stakeholders Meeting!
The story below is part one of two stories, and possibly three as more information continues to arrive daily. As always my comments in Italic.
The developer for the CMUD project is billionaire Jeff Greene.
The statement below was read into the record by Sandy at the 9/7/2021 City Commission meeting and concerns CMUD development.
“CMUD is the acronym for Currie Corridor Mixed Use Zoning District, and should not be confused with Currie Park. Two different pieces of land. In fact the Currie Corridor is nearly vacant with the exception of a small home built in the early 1920, and is located across the street from Currie Park.
A developer wants to build on Currie Corridor and has already appeared before the Planning Board July 20, 2021 and in a 5 to 0 vote the planning board was against the project going forward and gave their reasoning as staff didn’t coordinate with the community. So far so good, let’s involve the community in the planning.
8/31/2021 @ 5:30 The City held a meeting which was not posted on the City website, and the meeting was attended by 25 invited guests only. Double click the picture to enlarge and notice no scheduled meetings for 8/31.
9/9/2021 @5:30 The City will hold another meeting, which is not posted on the City website, and invitations were again sent out to selected individuals. If you don’t hold an invitation you will not be allowed to attend the meeting.
It is my intention to attend the 9/9/2021 meeting, and with no invitation in hand, I expect to be turned away, and that is when I will express civil disobedience in the form of resistance without violence.
9/20/2021 @6:00 PM the Planning Board will meet again to discuss the Currie Corridor development.
The only difference is the City can now state the Community was involved and spoke favorably of the project, not mentioning the majority of the invited guests at both meetings are “friends of the city”
End of statement.
Below is an email sent from Fano to a resident lucky enough to get an invitation, and bring along a friend.
“From: Armando Fana <[email protected]>
Date: August 31, 2021 at 11:56:56 AM EDT
To: Name removed by WPB Watch
Subject: FW: CMUD Stakeholder Presentation
Hello Name removed
Good talking to you. Please see attached and below. You are ok to bring one other representative of La Fontana. Please send me that person’s name and contact info to provide to security. Also please send me the contact for Portofino and I will send them the invite for 9/9.
Thank you,
Armando Fana
Assistant City Administrator
City of West Palm Beach
From: Kimberly Bolton <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2021 5:02 PM
Subject: FW: CMUD Stakeholder Presentation
Good Afternoon, Everyone.
Please see the attached presentation for the meeting tomorrow.
The agenda for the meeting will be as follows:
Summary of existing CMUD regulations
Proposed changes
Feedback
Breakout tables
Thank you.
Have a great day.
Kimberly Bolton
Executive Administrative Assistant to
Armando Fana, Assistant City Administrator
Dr. Philip C. Harris, Assistant to the City Administrator”
I did travel to City Hall, and as expected was not allowed entrance, but instead was escorted from the building by police and a PSC security guard, after they learned my name was not on the guest list. The reason given was fear of the Corona Virus. Please open the link below to see what events are scheduled in WPB in the upcoming days. Corona an excuse to keep residents away, and in the dark concerning CMUDD. No sunshine in WPB Fla.
https://tickets.westpalmbeach.com/
Jeff Greene Developer of One West Palm & CMUD
“Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, who is developing the 30-story One West Palm apartment-hotel-office complex, said on Tuesday he is about to pull the plug on construction, three stories shy of reaching the top, because the city is pushing back against his request for a zoning change.
As a result, “we think we’re going to stop,” Greene said. “I have no intention of dumping more money into this. I’ll leave the shell up. It’s going to to look like a skeleton because there’s no glass.”
Greene obtained city approval to punch through 10-story height limits so he could build 30 stories at the 550 Quadrille Blvd. site
Last year, experts began warning that West Palm Beach’s downtown office market was loaded with empty space, even though business leaders insisted the city needed more space to lure employers.”
Construction did stop for over a year and I cant help but wonder if the concrete and rebars have been compromised by the weather, and salt air. WPB doesn’t need a building collapse as we witnessed in Surfside, Fla. The story by the PB Post can be read below and again corona virus is the culprit, while the story reads Greene didn’t get what he asked for.
The end, for now.
Broken Window Theory
Broken Windows Theory: “The broken windows theory states that visible signs of disorder and misbehavior in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehavior, leading to serious crimes. The principle was developed to explain the decay of neighborhoods, but it is often applied to work and educational environments.”
The author of this letter’s name and phone no. has been deleted by WPB Watch for obvious reasons. Please view pictures (4) at the end as they tell the story.
To: The Honorable Keith James, Mayor, City of West Palm Beach
Re: Abandoned residence at 4719 Pinewood Avenue – Repeated calls and letters to the city have gone unanswered – We need your help
Dear Mayor James:
Over the last decade I’ve repeatedly written to City staff about the abandoned home located at 4719 Pinewood Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. We need you help on this one and I am now writing you directly.
About two years ago, following a letter I wrote, the City came out and finally boarded the structure, removed all of the trash, mowed the lawn and cleared the house of intruders. The house also gained a City-issued “No Trespassing sign”, which is still displayed today on the front of the house.
We were told two years ago that the City police would regularly walk around the house each night from that point forward, until the City’s legal staff could take nuisance abatement action against the absentee landowner. A plan was in place.
But today the home continues to be abandoned and is still regularly occupied by vagrants. We see no progress. With the apparent stopping of nightly police patrols over a year ago, the vagrancy issue has predictably returned. About a month ago this illegal occupancy led to a fire around 3:00 AM.
Afterwards, I again wrote the City two weeks ago and asked staff to immediately re-board the partly burned structure. This exposed and abandoned house presents an extreme health and safety issue for our community. A single woman lives next door and she feels threatened by all the intruders that arrive each evening. In case you’re wondering, they were there last night.
This seemingly endless problem was already supposed to have been addressed by city staff and police. There was an action plan in place …and then it subsequently fell off the radar. Now that the house has partly burned, it will take even more investment to stabilize and redevelop.
This is not the way renewal of communities is supposed to happen. I know you know this. What you may not know is that City Hall has also contributed to the neglect. Neighbors I talk with along Pinewood Avenue feel ignored.
Please refer to the attached photographs taken this morning of the still-unsecured home. They tell the story beyond words.
My Questions:
1) When will the City act to re-board 4719 Pinewood Avenue, pick up the debris, mow the lawn, and take action against the absentee homeowner for gross neglect?
2) When will the City’s legal staff Use the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance to seize this home and resell it to a deserving family that will renovate it?
3) Can you investigate why the nightly police patrols stopped and why the Code Compliance Division staff has not ordered a City-boarding and clean up? This is their beat.
This property should have been redeveloped long ago. I’ve written so many letters. Unfortunately the City appears to have no comprehensive redevelopment strategy in place for Northwood Estates. This neighborhood seems to remain an overlooked and underserved community.
This house is the poster child of neglect. But City Hall still has a key role to play here. If the property owner had been forced to sell a decade ago (through the City’s Nuisance Abatement Ordinance), then another family would have already taken ownership, rebuilt the structure and would be living here today.
I urge you Mayor James, to take a special look at this individual problem, as well as the larger systemic issues facing Northwood Estates.
Please respond to me how we can make this right.
Sincerely,
Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association, NCON board member
Copy:
Faye Johnson, City Administrator, City of West Palm Beach
Armando Fana, Assistant City Administrator, City West Palm Beach
Marcus Laws, Homeless Coordinator, City of West Palm Beach
Chief Frank Adderley, Chief of Police, City West Palm Beach
Rick Morris, Deputy Chief of Police, City of West Palm Beach
Mitch Posner, Director of the Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Mark Joyce, Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Christopher Thompson, Code Officer, Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Kelly Shoaf, City Commissioner, District 1, City of West Palm Beach
