09 Jul Where Do We Stand on Boca National Now?
In Part 1 (link below), I summarized the current positions of the City and the District towards joint participation on the Boca National Golf Course project. I believe that these two governments are still so far apart that any hope of going forward together is quixotic at best.28 Jun The End of Keeping Golf Public In Boca?
Forty years ago, Boca citizens voted themselves into the golf business. Golfers and non-golfers alike agreed that it would be an important recreational feature and economic development investment for their growing City. They set up their venture as an Enterprise Fund at City Hall. City Council...
24 Jun Tri-Rail vs. Boca Raton Hospital – the Subterfuge Continues
I recently read yet another ‘Plant’ or ‘Seed’ (or setup) article on June 13, 2019 published in the CityWatch section of Boca Magazine presumably at the behest of Steve Abrams, the current Executive Director of the SFRTA.21 Jun Breaching the Public Trust or Violating the Sunshine Law
It was over two years ago that the City Council was confronted with having to investigate the actions of one of its own, former Mayor Susan Haynie, when, during the election cycle of March 2017, facts were uncovered which eventually led to probable cause findings...
20 Jun Defining REASONABLENESS
In my June 4th article, about ‘The Sunset of Resident Friendly’, I commended Councilmember Andrea Levine O’Rourke on her position paper to the community where she opines that “we can’t stop development” and that “developers are reasonable business men and women” with development rights; a position shared by many including myself.
22 May Beach and Park District Challenge Definition of INSANITY
This model has been employed for years now between the City of Boca Raton and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District. Never ending differences on issues such as user fees, field surfaces, budget priorities and other items in what appears to us, the...
21 May Government Developers Tag Team to Defeat the Resident, Current and Future!
The interests of government, in this case Palm Beach County and the City of Boca Raton, tag teaming up with the financial interests of a developer, in this case, GL Homes, to effectively take away rights and values of current and future residents. What is this...
14 May Tri-Rail vs. Boca Raton Hospital–Does It get any Stranger?
Many have become used to BocaWatch publishing stories on current events, much of which includes matters associated with development and government. We try to approach issues with a “resident responsible” analysis of what good governance should be. As part of this process BocaWatch contributors, including...
11 May Why Boca Needs an Independent Audit of our CRA
Across Florida there is a total of 224 Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs), almost all associated with cities. As the name implies, they seek to improve blighted areas. As best as can be determined, unlike other cities' CRAs, Boca Raton has never perform an independent audit of its CRA.
30 Apr Out of The Rough and Into The Sand Trap at Boca National
Round 2 in the match between the City and the District over Boca National was played on Tuesday, April 23 at the District's new HQ clubhouse at Boca Swim & Racquet on St. Andrews Boulevard.
24 Apr Camino Square: An Epilogue of Hypocrisy
On April 8, 2019 the Camino Square project was approved by a 3-2 vote after YEARS in process before the City and after 5+ hours of mostly irrelevant testimony. Saved from itself and more litigation, City officials and project opponents had one last opportunity to...
22 Apr Talking the Talk but not Walking the Walk!
In the last few years, Boca Raton has been battling the consequences of overdevelopment and growth. Numerous residential projects have been vilified for their actual and perceived impacts on the Boca Raton resident. Projects like the Alina, Tower 155, Midtown, Camino Square and others have been subjected to criticism and delay. Mostly, the criticisms are due to their impacts on traffic, parking, school overcrowding, etc.; factually accurate or not.
15 Apr Stuck In The Rough At Boca National Golf Course
As the City Council and the Beach and Park District prepare for a scheduled ‘tee off time’ on May 13 with a joint session exploring next steps in the Boca National Golf Course (BNGC) saga, these elected officials appear to already be in the ‘rough.’ Now, over a year into this process, the hard-unanswered questions will be the ‘driving’ force to get back on the proverbial ‘fairway.’
09 Apr Camino Square Approved
City Council members voted 3 – 2 in a 5 ½ hour marathon quasi-judicial fact finding session to approve the Camino Square project. 5 ½ hours? 3 – 2 vote? Are you kidding??? Camino Square was a no brainer! Voting ‘NO’ is simply indefensible. What more does the...
