Community Healing, Roads and Avenir Progress

Note: Not listed on the City’s calendar but of public interest – Vice Mayor Jablin will conduct a ceremony lighting the Menorah for Hanukkah on Wednesday,December 28 at 6pm by the tree at Burns Rd Community Center – all are welcome.

The last City Council meeting of the year was relatively short but covered a range of topics.

Candice Temple, Media Relations Manager, gave a synopsis of November 19th’s Unity Day (Palm Beach Gardens and the Anita Banks Justice for Corey Foundation), and presented a beautiful painting of Corey Jones with wishes posted during the event to Sheila Banks and Terry Banks – Corey’s aunt and uncle. See an image of the painting in Sarah Peter’s article. 

During Comments from the Public:

• I-95 Central Blvd Interchange – Don Mathis spoke in-depth on flaws in the FDOT models and assumptions used for the I-95 Central Blvd Interchange. One specific example he cited were the additional trips modeled for Kyoto Gardens Drive – 2600 new jobs but only 100 extra trips in the morning and 200 in the afternoon? Also the PGA interchange had flaws. Don said that staff has not presented an accurate picture of FDOT’s plans. He is doing this on behalf of several homeowners and by himself. Don provided staff with his documents and staff will review it in the future.
• Gardens of Woodbury (along Shady Lakes Drive) Residents Marty Gronek, David Einhorn and Scott Workman (attorney for Gardens of Woodbury HOA) asked for a wall or better noise abatement and traffic calming measures, as were provided along Shady Lakes subdivision. Mr. Workman thanked Council Member Woods for taking the time to meet with the concerned residents. City Engineer Todd Engle then gave a presentation showing the mature trees that line the road, landscaping plans, and explaining why the oak trees make a wall impractical/impossible.

First Reading of Ordinance 17, 2016 was to establish a Community Development District (CDD) for Avenir. (CDD Definition. A Community Development District (CDD) is a local, special purpose government authorized by Chapter 190 of the Florida Statutes as amended and is an alternative method for managing and financing infrastructure required to support community development.) This would be in lieu of an HOA. Council confirmed that the CDD area described excludes any of the land area donated to the City of Palm Beach Gardens. For more information see this article.

Consent Agenda Items and 2nd Reading and Adoption Items all passed 5:0.  All on the Council wished everyone Happy Holidays.