Thursday, March 7, 2013
Addison Mizner
“Florida is flat as a pancake. You must build with a strong skyline to give your building character.”
Greg Rice - Lake Worth's Biggest Local Celebrity 03/08 by High Noon in Lake Worth | Blog Talk Radio
Join me as I welcome Lake Worth resident Greg Rice to the High Noon in Lake Worth studios. As many of you know, Greg regularly appears on Hulett Environmental Services advertisements on TV. He is also active in Lake Worth civic activities and has his own interesting life story which I am sure that he will share with us during the show.
Click title for link to live show at noon on 3/8. Click title for link to archived show after it airs. (Re-scheduled from two weeks ago due to technical difficulties)
Group Building 'Noah's Ark' Outside Hialeah | WLRN
I scarcely know what to say about this, other than it couldn't be built here, with or without the referendum on height. However, you might just hear of just such a possibility when greeting "Yes" people at your door. Click title for link.
Palm Beach Post Readers Deserting Online Paper!
Click title for link. Some mood music for the occasion:
Message from Jorge Pesquera, Pres. of PB County Convention & Visitor Bureau
"The city of Lake Worth provides a distinct and highly attractive urban and waterfront experience to Palm Beach County visitors and residents alike. It has been a magnet for travelers for over a century and the recent renovation of the Lake Worth Casino facility and park add another dimension to the city’s tourism appeal. What it very much lacks is a significant hotel presence in or near the core of its Lake and Lucerne business and entertainment district. Overnight visitors attracted by Lake Worth and its multiple festivals, exhibits and events may be opting for accommodations in neighboring cities that provide such options thus reducing the economic benefit for the city. The renovation and reopening of the Gulfstream hotel would be a tremendous boost to the city’s tourism development efforts and will create many permanent jobs. Recent suggestions to enact reduced height limits will be a major deterrent to the rebirth of the historic Gulfstream hotel. The Convention and Visitors Bureau’s vision for the successful development of Palm Beach County’s tourism industry is dependent on the cities’ and towns’ commitment to grow their tourism product and appeal. We urge Lake Worth residents to reject height restrictions east of the business district and support a Gulfstream Hotel renovation and expansion in the near term. "
Jorge Pesquera
President & CEO
Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Jorge Pesquera
President & CEO
Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Proverbs 4:14-19 (NIV)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
Vids from the 3/5/13 Lake Worth City Commission Meeting
I left at the break and do not have a video of the discussion on the Sub-Regional Sewer settlement. Enjoy!
Historic Pasco hotel to get new life || Business Observer | Tampa Bay, Bradenton, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples
The new life is in the form of intervention from the residents of New Port Richey. Click title for link to article. Note the following:
Built in 1920, the Hacienda Hotel was called a “Bit of Old Spain Amid the Palms” and was a favorite of silent film stars. The hotel eventually became an assisted-living facility, and since 2006 has been vacant.From better days:
Lake Worth customers’ bills expected to drop in spring as part... | www.palmbeachpost.com
This is one of the bigger items from last night's meeting. Lake Worth went from claiming that our customers owed us tons of money and it turns out we owe them - and us - mostly. This is from the article - another legacy from the Stanton period. She turned down a settlement in the range of about $3 million since she was confident (ha!)) in the city's numbers. From the article:
"The settlement gives refunds to all of the partners except Palm Springs, which has been withholding a portion of its payments because of the disputed charges. If the agreement is approved by Palm Springs officials, the village would pay $52,708 to Lake Worth Utilities.
Payments to sewer system partners will be made using money from reserves. They include: $222,299 to Lantana; $262,406 to Palm Beach; $58,639 to Atlantis; $58,028 to Palm Beach State College; $34,631 to South Palm Beach; and $8,753 to Manalapan.
Lake Worth sued the regional sewer partners in 2010, claiming they failed to make payments as required, particularly for the “renewal and replacement” fund used to cover costs associated with maintaining sewer lines, lift stations and the East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility, the plant where the sewage is treated.
The dispute was handled through the government conflict resolution process outlined in Florida law and led to a state audit. The audit found vague contract terms, inconsistent cost calculations and poor record keeping by Lake Worth Utilities."
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Abraham-Hicks
"Many people are wanting to fan your flames of discomfort, because they believe that "you're either with us or against us; if you don't stand in the same disgust and horror that we are all standing, then you are not with us." It's hard for people to understand that you can not agree with them — and not be against them. That you could be for something without being against something else."
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
One of the points made at the 2/20 joint meeting...
Well, guess what - this picture was taken from the corner of South Ocean Breeze (O Street) and Lake Avenue. It was taken while the banner on the building was up. You can't see it now - that is my point. The existing buildings block view of the empty, vacant and unused hotel already regardless of what would be there in the future. So, pick another argument to hang your hat on...
"What if" Presentation by Steven Fett from the University of Miami - Part I
William Waters, the city's Director of Community Sustainability, tapped the expertise of the University of Miami Architectural Department and had Steven Fett prepare a series of "what ifs" for the various lots prone to possible redevelopment east of Federal Hwy. These were prepared for the joint Planning and Zoning, Historic Resource Preservation Board meeting of 2/20. I will prepare each over time to post here, but we will start out with the western lot at the Gulfstream property since it has seemed to garner the most attention.
It is important to look at the assumptions and all are situations where the development is "maxed out" according to the new code requirements contained in the city's proposed land development regulations. To be clear - the only buildings that could be built to 65 feet would be hotels of 50 or more units - any office or condominium building would be limited to 45 ft. The prospect that each of these lots would be developed with at least a 50 room hotel stretches the imagination, but this shows what the extreme would be under the proposed code. A conservative analysis it is. It is also important to realize that this would happen gradually over time, with the various properties finding an opportunity, governed by market forces. It is not likely that the three or four bank related properties would be redeveloped any time soon.
This would be in the event 65 ft. were allowed east of Federal, as included in the current version of the city's comprehensive plan.
It is important to look at the assumptions and all are situations where the development is "maxed out" according to the new code requirements contained in the city's proposed land development regulations. To be clear - the only buildings that could be built to 65 feet would be hotels of 50 or more units - any office or condominium building would be limited to 45 ft. The prospect that each of these lots would be developed with at least a 50 room hotel stretches the imagination, but this shows what the extreme would be under the proposed code. A conservative analysis it is. It is also important to realize that this would happen gradually over time, with the various properties finding an opportunity, governed by market forces. It is not likely that the three or four bank related properties would be redeveloped any time soon.
From Friday night's dedication ceremony at the Lake Worth beach...
I am pleased that the official proclamation from the city includes the fact that the former building was demolished - telling it like it is...or was.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Editorial: Reject plan to reduce height limits in Lake Worth | www.palmbeachpost.com
Mr. Marra sees the light through the fog. There is a strong rational argument for a "no" vote on the height issue and he highlights the key points in this editorial. Click title for link.
Friday, March 1, 2013
I submitted a nomination today...
...to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the Gulfstream Hotel to be placed on the 11 Most Endangered List for 2013. This is an annual list of historic properties around the United States that face some sort of threat. The following is the nomination I submitted. The list is announced in May of each year. The deadline just happened to be today.
11 Most Endangered Nomination Form 2013
PART I
Contact Name: Wes Blackman
E-mail: wesblackman@gmail.com
Name of Place: Gulfstream Hotel
Location: Lake Worth, Florida
Date Submitted: 3/1/13
PART II
Please write a short paragraph explaining why this place should be listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2013 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places (250 words):
Response: The Gulfstream Hotel (1925) is a 6-story, 135 room landmark hotel in Lake Worth, Florida, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel occupies the most prominent piece of land in downtown Lake Worth – directly on Lake Avenue, one of a pair of main east/west streets through the city. According to the Statement of Significance contained in the National Register nomination, it is a “rare survivor among resort hotels built during the 1920s Land Boom era.” While the hotel is relatively unchanged since its beginning, it has been closed for business since late 2005. It is currently in foreclosure proceedings with little impetus on the side of the owner or the lender to resolve the issue. The room size and layout of the hotel is functionally obsolete and, in order to function with an economically viable business model, the historic hotel would have to be paired with a new development on the large empty lot on the western side of the property. The city's voters are facing a referendum on the ballot in March, 2013 which would limit height in the downtown area to 45 ft. thus reducing the economic viability of any future sensitive redevelopment of the western side of the property. The referendum is likely to pass. Having the Gulfstream Hotel appear on the 11 Most Endangered List would send a wake-up call to the community about the possible peril the hotel may face. Besides possible demolition-by-neglect given the tropical climate and prolonged closure, likely uses could include a group home, an assisted living facility and the like. Its legacy as a destination hotel would be lost forever.
Provide a brief description of the project including its significance and the threat it faces, what are the specific reasons the place would be of interest to the public? (300 words)
Response: The Gulfstream Hotel enjoyed life as a destination resort for many years. It is representative of the 1920s Florida Boom architectural period and is built in the Mediterranean Revival style. It is one of few such hotels in south Florida that have survived into the 21st Century. It is one of the city's few individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places and was listed as a National Trust for Historic Preservation hotel during its last operation as a hotel. During the middle part of the last century, it was part of a group of hotels that would share staff during the changing seasons with northern hotels. Guests and staff would migrate from one to the other, following the change in seasons and more temperate weather. This sort of resort model has disappeared for a number of reasons, but the main building remains essentially unchanged physically. For the past thirty or so years, the building has been owned by many different parties, is currently in foreclosure and has been out of operation since 2005.
Coincidentally, Lake Worth is celebrating its Centennial this year and it is indeed ironic that its iconic historic hotel sits empty and is not providing a place for tourists to stay in a town that was built for the tourism trade. Including the Gulfstream Hotel on the 11 Most Endangered List would send a “wake-up call” to the city and surrounding communities about its plight and would rally support for more aggressive preservation efforts – including the re-establishment of hotel operations there. It might also combat a “no growth” philosophy that severely restricts building heights on the hotel's nearly vacant western half of the property. Any new development on that side of the property would have to provide parking for the existing historic hotel and parking for amenities or rooms that would be part of a new building.
PART III
Describe the nature and urgency of the threat (200 words)
Response: The historic Gulfstream Hotel has been closed for the past 7 years with no immediate prospect of opening. Deferred maintenance is already taking its toll with an empty pool now an attractive nuisance and code violation, balustrades are beginning to crumble and there is water damage inside the 1925 era building from roof leaks and plumbing problems. It will take more than turning the lights on to re-establish a hotel use for the building. Prior to closing, variances were issued by the city to allow for an expanded kitchen area and moving the pool to the second floor. These efforts were stymied by near-by residents who appealed the Historic Preservation Board's decision and it was overturned – leaving the refurbishment of the hotel in a legal limbo. The current situation with the lender does not lead one to believe the foreclosure will proceed quickly and is currently blocking the sale of the building to another party. Documentation of this situation is available through a recent local news story. Besides the deterioration of the structure, it is looking more and more as it might eventually fall in the hands of a non-profit, non-tax paying entity that would run an assisted living facility or a group home – further stifling the local economy and damaging the city's historic downtown.
Describe potential solutions to the threat (200 words)
Response: Education in the form of an awareness of the plight faced by the historic property is needed so that residents of Lake Worth understand the importance of the Gulfstream Hotel in the city's development. This is especially true as the city celebrates its centennial year. Great public awareness by your organization placing the Gulfstream Hotel on the 11 most endangered list would motivate the community to look at realistic, non-reactionary alternatives to save the historic building and re-establish a hotel operation on the property. Currently, the public sentiment is that they value the hotel, but the public is not being realistic about what it would take to save this property and restore its role in the local economy. Pressure could also be put on the lending consortium and current ownership to conclude the foreclosure so the property could be placed in the hands of an owner with more resources to address the situation and benefit the community. After all, this is one of the few individually designated local historic resources that is on the National Register.
Is there a local organization already in place working to save the site? Please describe the organization's efforts and how it would take advantage of the increased public attention generated by being listed on the National Trust's 11 Most list (250 words)
Response: There is no formally organized group working to save the site other than a local political action committee called “Friends of the Gulfstream,” formed to defeat the draconian height limitation on the March 2013 ballot which would severely limit redevelopment opportunities. While the public sentiment is favorable in terms of the historic importance of the hotel, it is usually expressed in platitudes but no concrete effort is underway, except for one person nominating this property to be on the 11 Most Endangered list. Being placed on this list would place a national spotlight on the plight of the hotel, the importance of its role for tourism in the state of Florida and attract interested parties in preserving the hotel that have more financial and operational resources than are available locally. It would also serve to educate the public about the need to have realistic and sensitive options for redevelopment of the vacant property which makes up the western half of the hotel property – now essentially a surface parking lot. A reasonable height limit established through local action would allow more opportunities for the long-term preservation and re-establishment of a hotel operation on the property. This would have a community benefit that would create a quality place for tourists to stay that is mainly non-existent within the city of Lake Worth now. Anyone visiting for festivals, visiting relatives or wishing to simply stay in Lake Worth has to find lodging outside the city – sometimes requiring a trip of 10 to 15 miles depending on room availability in the central Palm Beach County area. Those tourist dollars are lost to other, less economically needy communities.
What specific ways can a person (or local preservationist) get involved to help save this place from the threat it faces? (150 words)
Response: An informational and educational campaign is needed to pressure the parties involved and proceed to the final steps of the foreclosure process. A promotional campaign, on a national basis, is needed to find a new owner that would respect the history of the Gulfstream Hotel and have the resources to renovate and operate this historic building as a hotel once again. The local city government needs to enact reasonable zoning regulations that will allow redevelopment of the vacant parcel to the west of the historic hotel building. Having the property placed on the 11 Most Endangered list will end the neglect and apathy that surrounds the Gulfstream Hotel property and bring this beautiful structure back to life again.
11 Most Endangered Nomination Form 2013
PART I
Contact Name: Wes Blackman
E-mail: wesblackman@gmail.com
Name of Place: Gulfstream Hotel
Location: Lake Worth, Florida
Date Submitted: 3/1/13
PART II
Please write a short paragraph explaining why this place should be listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2013 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places (250 words):
Response: The Gulfstream Hotel (1925) is a 6-story, 135 room landmark hotel in Lake Worth, Florida, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel occupies the most prominent piece of land in downtown Lake Worth – directly on Lake Avenue, one of a pair of main east/west streets through the city. According to the Statement of Significance contained in the National Register nomination, it is a “rare survivor among resort hotels built during the 1920s Land Boom era.” While the hotel is relatively unchanged since its beginning, it has been closed for business since late 2005. It is currently in foreclosure proceedings with little impetus on the side of the owner or the lender to resolve the issue. The room size and layout of the hotel is functionally obsolete and, in order to function with an economically viable business model, the historic hotel would have to be paired with a new development on the large empty lot on the western side of the property. The city's voters are facing a referendum on the ballot in March, 2013 which would limit height in the downtown area to 45 ft. thus reducing the economic viability of any future sensitive redevelopment of the western side of the property. The referendum is likely to pass. Having the Gulfstream Hotel appear on the 11 Most Endangered List would send a wake-up call to the community about the possible peril the hotel may face. Besides possible demolition-by-neglect given the tropical climate and prolonged closure, likely uses could include a group home, an assisted living facility and the like. Its legacy as a destination hotel would be lost forever.
Provide a brief description of the project including its significance and the threat it faces, what are the specific reasons the place would be of interest to the public? (300 words)
Response: The Gulfstream Hotel enjoyed life as a destination resort for many years. It is representative of the 1920s Florida Boom architectural period and is built in the Mediterranean Revival style. It is one of few such hotels in south Florida that have survived into the 21st Century. It is one of the city's few individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places and was listed as a National Trust for Historic Preservation hotel during its last operation as a hotel. During the middle part of the last century, it was part of a group of hotels that would share staff during the changing seasons with northern hotels. Guests and staff would migrate from one to the other, following the change in seasons and more temperate weather. This sort of resort model has disappeared for a number of reasons, but the main building remains essentially unchanged physically. For the past thirty or so years, the building has been owned by many different parties, is currently in foreclosure and has been out of operation since 2005.
Coincidentally, Lake Worth is celebrating its Centennial this year and it is indeed ironic that its iconic historic hotel sits empty and is not providing a place for tourists to stay in a town that was built for the tourism trade. Including the Gulfstream Hotel on the 11 Most Endangered List would send a “wake-up call” to the city and surrounding communities about its plight and would rally support for more aggressive preservation efforts – including the re-establishment of hotel operations there. It might also combat a “no growth” philosophy that severely restricts building heights on the hotel's nearly vacant western half of the property. Any new development on that side of the property would have to provide parking for the existing historic hotel and parking for amenities or rooms that would be part of a new building.
PART III
Describe the nature and urgency of the threat (200 words)
Response: The historic Gulfstream Hotel has been closed for the past 7 years with no immediate prospect of opening. Deferred maintenance is already taking its toll with an empty pool now an attractive nuisance and code violation, balustrades are beginning to crumble and there is water damage inside the 1925 era building from roof leaks and plumbing problems. It will take more than turning the lights on to re-establish a hotel use for the building. Prior to closing, variances were issued by the city to allow for an expanded kitchen area and moving the pool to the second floor. These efforts were stymied by near-by residents who appealed the Historic Preservation Board's decision and it was overturned – leaving the refurbishment of the hotel in a legal limbo. The current situation with the lender does not lead one to believe the foreclosure will proceed quickly and is currently blocking the sale of the building to another party. Documentation of this situation is available through a recent local news story. Besides the deterioration of the structure, it is looking more and more as it might eventually fall in the hands of a non-profit, non-tax paying entity that would run an assisted living facility or a group home – further stifling the local economy and damaging the city's historic downtown.
Describe potential solutions to the threat (200 words)
Response: Education in the form of an awareness of the plight faced by the historic property is needed so that residents of Lake Worth understand the importance of the Gulfstream Hotel in the city's development. This is especially true as the city celebrates its centennial year. Great public awareness by your organization placing the Gulfstream Hotel on the 11 most endangered list would motivate the community to look at realistic, non-reactionary alternatives to save the historic building and re-establish a hotel operation on the property. Currently, the public sentiment is that they value the hotel, but the public is not being realistic about what it would take to save this property and restore its role in the local economy. Pressure could also be put on the lending consortium and current ownership to conclude the foreclosure so the property could be placed in the hands of an owner with more resources to address the situation and benefit the community. After all, this is one of the few individually designated local historic resources that is on the National Register.
Is there a local organization already in place working to save the site? Please describe the organization's efforts and how it would take advantage of the increased public attention generated by being listed on the National Trust's 11 Most list (250 words)
Response: There is no formally organized group working to save the site other than a local political action committee called “Friends of the Gulfstream,” formed to defeat the draconian height limitation on the March 2013 ballot which would severely limit redevelopment opportunities. While the public sentiment is favorable in terms of the historic importance of the hotel, it is usually expressed in platitudes but no concrete effort is underway, except for one person nominating this property to be on the 11 Most Endangered list. Being placed on this list would place a national spotlight on the plight of the hotel, the importance of its role for tourism in the state of Florida and attract interested parties in preserving the hotel that have more financial and operational resources than are available locally. It would also serve to educate the public about the need to have realistic and sensitive options for redevelopment of the vacant property which makes up the western half of the hotel property – now essentially a surface parking lot. A reasonable height limit established through local action would allow more opportunities for the long-term preservation and re-establishment of a hotel operation on the property. This would have a community benefit that would create a quality place for tourists to stay that is mainly non-existent within the city of Lake Worth now. Anyone visiting for festivals, visiting relatives or wishing to simply stay in Lake Worth has to find lodging outside the city – sometimes requiring a trip of 10 to 15 miles depending on room availability in the central Palm Beach County area. Those tourist dollars are lost to other, less economically needy communities.
What specific ways can a person (or local preservationist) get involved to help save this place from the threat it faces? (150 words)
Response: An informational and educational campaign is needed to pressure the parties involved and proceed to the final steps of the foreclosure process. A promotional campaign, on a national basis, is needed to find a new owner that would respect the history of the Gulfstream Hotel and have the resources to renovate and operate this historic building as a hotel once again. The local city government needs to enact reasonable zoning regulations that will allow redevelopment of the vacant parcel to the west of the historic hotel building. Having the property placed on the 11 Most Endangered list will end the neglect and apathy that surrounds the Gulfstream Hotel property and bring this beautiful structure back to life again.
Scammers posing as electric bill collectors in Lake Worth
As if we didn't have enough to worry about. Not the city's fault and it seems like they are handling it well. Click title for link. BEWARE WHAT YOU ARE TOLD OR ASKED TO DO AT THE DOOR (this goes for ballot measures too)
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