WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Top Stories - Abandoned home becomes neighborhood dumping ground

This appeared as a follow-up story to a problem Lake Worth property on South E Street. What is frustrating is that there was not a response from the city and the reporter vowed to check back to see if the city's administration - or anyone - has addressed the issue. I know that it is a complicated one, but where is the city's response in social media in answer to this inquiry?  It is not a flattering picture to have as the lead story at 6 p.m. Click title for link. 

There are solutions here that may not be the responsibility of the city. Let's keep that in mind too.

Pictures of and around the FEC Freight Depot

The south end of the building, the one current targeted for re-use as an artist workshop as described in the recent Palm Beach Post article, has a covered open area.

The building is difficult to get to. You can see it from East Coast Street but can't get there. It is just west of the tracks and best accessed off of South F Street, but you have to use one of the numbered streets to get close to it.

It was built in the mid 1920s to accommodate shipments of building supply materials to fuel the building boom that was on at the time.

 This is the most interesting facade, but still a plain and utilitarian building. 

There was this small memorial at the edge of the gravel and the grass along the right-of-way. It is dated 7/26/13. Anyone recall the circumstances?

 

The area immediately surrounding the building is a mix of run down industrial and residential structures. Not the garden spot of the world in its current state, but it does have potential.

Boynton to discuss old high school lawsuits | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Different city, place, names and property, but something brings this to deja vu all over again. Click title for link to article. A key part of it appears below:

“The city made a commitment to do something which is in the eyes of many a wonderful thing to do,” Sales said, adding that just because the commission had new members who were not around when plans for the old school site were debated should not mean the board can now say “so sad, too bad” to the project days before the developer was set to break ground.
In the second lawsuit, where Boynton Old School Partnership LLC is asking the court to reverse the zoning decision which ultimately eliminated the project, court records show the city has filed a request for mediation.

So noted...

From the West Palm Beach city website...

This is the graphic they use above whatever announcement is current on their News Page. The one here happens to be about the Mayor addressing the 45th Street Flea Market. There was a shooting there recently. The graphic shows six different Internet based platforms that the city uses to reach out to its residents. It actually is missing one since the city uses YouTube quite regularly too.

Pay Parking Back in Effect on Downtown Surface Lot at L Street and Lucerne...

This is how many people were taking advantage of the space this past Sunday afternoon. The lot is owned by Lucerne Holdings, LLC.

Council to hear coastal financing ideas | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

The Town of Palm Beach is weighing options on how to finance coastal protection and beach re-nourishment projects. They are playing with different formulas depending on whether a property is oceanfront and trying to gauge who benefits from the work.The $85 million number is near what Lake Worth is considering for general infrastructure improvements. Click title for link to the Shiny Sheet article. The Town Council will be discussing this tomorrow, Tuesday, at 1:30 p.m.

Realtors tout international sales, but fight over insurance could come back | The Florida Current

We heard this from Jack McCabe last Friday on High Noon in Lake Worth, at least the part about foreign buyers playing heavily in the real estate marketplace. Do you think they have a point here? Click title for link to article.

“Floridians should not be financially responsible for the property insurance needs of homeowners who live out of the state or country. To continue to require all Floridians, including Florida’s business community, to subsidize homeowners property insurance for these individuals is unfair and unjust,” said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida, a business lobby that's part of the coalition.

We need a solution to bike storage downtown...

I don't think that our Foxtail Palms and Live Oaks appreciate the abuse. But there are no other alternatives right now

This is a common scene any day of the week. These pictures were taken on a Sunday.

Glassworks, foundry would anchor Lake Worth’s art district | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

This is a great project and will help to solidify the city's arts branding efforts. It also blends well with our historic profile as it represents part of the boom period from the 1920s. This was an FEC warehouse that was to be used to store building materials - making the boom possible. However, the end of that era came soon after this depot was built. This is from the Lona O'Connor article and click title for link.

The warehouse, built in the 1920s, was a station on the FEC railroad line. In 1972, Dennis Thies and Bruce Mills bought the building and used it as a beer distribution center. They donated the building at 1105 Second Ave. S. to the city in 2011. Its appraised value at that time was $535,000.
The gift came with some costs, however. Removing it from the tax rolls costs the city about $3,000 a year in lost property taxes and assessments, based on collections for the 2010-11 budget year. It costs about $35,000 a year to maintain the warehouse.

Let''s all admire Lynn Anderson's Photoshop expertise again...

Everything is coming up lollipops and rainbows on her blog due to Domestic Violence Awareness Month - and the fact that the media spotlight shined on her handiwork.

Click here for help if you are in a threatening domestic situation. Don't know if they have a special section that applies to this kind of threat. It's all purple lights at Lynn's condo.

Urban art installation or Adult Playground - Thomas Heatherwick's 'Spun' installation in Southbank Centre Square, London

Photos from yesterday's bike trip to the 1928 Hurricane Mass Grave site...

Bill and I were looking for a place to ride to yesterday that would be a bit longer than our usual bike ride. So we decided to head north into West Palm Beach, go through downtown and head towards the Northwood area. We had heard of a WPB city park that honored the victims of the flood caused by the 1928 hurricane over Lake Okeechobee. You can read a little bit about it here.

I can tell you that it was a little off-putting to see a CRA redevelopment sign at the southwest corner of 25th Street and Tamarind Avenue. It had been there a while too since Mayor Frankel's name was on it and few of the current city commissioners. In the background of the sign, there is a general map of the area called Coleman Park, of which this burial site is a part.

Here is some other signage at that corner indicating where you are and what the park is about. If you go there by bike from Lake Worth, it ends up being around a 20 mile round trip. We took Flagler Drive there and back - going through the downtown for a quick errand. There is some on street parking if you want to drive there.

If you do bike there, go with someone and don't prattle around too much. As Bill was taking some of these pictures, a homeless man who had sort of set up camp under one of the small pavilions there told him to "Be careful. Someone in this neighborhood would shoot you for that bike your riding." Sage advice.T

As you walk around the park, there are various monuments and the feeling is solemn, much like a cemetery. It is general well-kept, with only some normal maintenance items needing some attention.

The area above, closest to 25th Street was separated from the rest of the area. There wasn't much explanation as to why, but you got the idea that was the place where most of the bodies were buried at the time.

There are various markers as you pass the corners where the monuments are commemorating those that lost their lives during this tragic historical event.

I wonder what is in this time capsule. We have some time to wait before it is opened. This is right next to the state historical maker. The site made it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This was after a long period of indifference shown for the site.

Above is the actual historical marker which tells the grim story of the hurricane and its aftermath. Below, you get a sense of the size of the area.

I was surprised how much land was devoted to it. All in all, a nice weekend bike ride.

Joe Negron Calls for Feds to Turn Over Control of Lake Okeechobee | Sunshine State News

Some of the upshot from the Florida "fly-in" to Washington, D.C. this week. A good summary of what went on. This from the article, click title for link.

Speakers from South Florida governments and environmental organizations testified in support of restoration projects that will redirect the overflow from the lake. A few residents, given time to speak, pushed for the federal government to acquire agricultural land south of the lake where the overflow could be stored and cleaned before it reaches the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., defended the farmers, ranchers and sugar growers south of the lake, saying they have reduced pollutants from exiting their land.
Negron, one of four state legislators who spoke during the session, pitched his idea for the state to take control of the lake, saying the intent is to have more consensus from different state agencies before releases are made.
"The Army Corps of Engineers has been running this project for decades; they have failed, and they need to be replaced with those of us in Florida that we can vote for or against and people that have our best interest at heart," Negron said.

Man Uses 'Water Bike' To Commute Across San Francisco Bay & Hudson River

Cool - reminds me of our raft race. Not sure how time effective this is, but hey. Click title for link and check out the video.

Revisionism reaches the podium...

First, listen to the entire video from the September 3, 2013 City Commission meeting where Lynn Anderson responds to questions regarding the Complete Census Count Committee. Note the following statements by Ms. Anderson.

At approximately 51 seconds in this video she says, "A bill was not necessary to submit by this contract arrangement." She then goes on to say that Rachel Smithson created a PowerPoint presentation on the Complete Count Committee's efforts, and then she left the city. The impression is left that the PowerPoint was never formally presented to the City Commission. I have asked for a copy of it and no one is able to find one now. I will keep you posted if I hear differently.

Then at 1:56 of the video Ms. Anderson repeats again "There was no bill. It wasn't necessary."

Here are some documents that I was able to collect which address this issue. This is the heading and top of the first page of the contract between the City and Get Counted, LLC:

This is the second page which talks about billing:

Notice under "V. Fees" that the total amount paid would be not-to-exceed $20,000 for "successfully completed and accepted services"... Also note that the City would pay up to $6,000 to cover "event related expenses, including advertising materials, facility reservation fees or other costs directly associated with the event. All such expenses musts have the prior approval by the City Manager."

Then, completely contrary to Ms. Anderson's assertions at the regular City Commission meeting September 3, 2013 , the following language is found under "VII. Billing." I repeat it here for clarity: "CONSULTANT shall submit to the Project Manager for approval an invoice on a bi-weekly basis, along with itemized billing detailing the services successfully completed, prior to receiving compensation. The CONSULTANT shall indicate on the invoice total project costs to date. The Project Manager will approve all or that portion of the invoice which has been successfully accepted by the City." (emphasis added)

Surely there should be a record of this, what some people call a "paper trail", showing exactly what was invoiced, how much and when. No one has seen that yet. It appears Ms. Anderson is saying on behalf of Ms. Karson that it was Ms. Karson's understanding that no billing was required? I guess she just said "Show me the money" and that was good enough? Perhaps she didn't read the contract.

Not that the city wasn't interested in the possibility of some monkey-business. Here is page 3 of the contract.

The City even reserved the right to AUDIT and to "examine all records, papers or documents related to the consultant's performance." Then, where are they, why hasn't anyone seen them and why can't they be produced? And note that "Each and every report, draft, work product, map, record and other document reproduced, prepared or cause to be repaired by the consultant would be the exclusive property of the city." Where is the city's property?

Then we jump to November 15, 2011, at the regular City Commission meeting. Here is the packet for that meeting. Notably, no minutes are posted on the city's website for 2011 and there is no audio available. There is only the abridged version of the packet. Here is the agenda title page:

Note that Item 6 includes an update from the Census Complete Count Committee. Don't miss the fact that this occurs just three months short of two years from the date the contract was executed. It was also conveniently just after the November 2011 election. This is the introduction from Ms. Margolis, who was Assistant City Manager at the time:

You can read the entire item by following the link above. It starts on page 8 of the packet.

And here we have the usual mea culpa that we had come to expect from City Manager Susan Stanton about the whole ordeal:

So, there we have it. I don't know how it could be construed that "...a bill was not necessary to submit by this contract arrangement." Where are they? Why haven't we seen them? Why has revisionism been allowed to jump from a blog to the podium in the City Commission chambers?

Update: We are still looking for that PowerPoint. We are still waiting for an answer to whether or not a PAC received compensation for their attorneys. We are also making sure that anyone currently asking for money to pay attorney fees is denied.

Flagler County Buys 276 Minutes on Electronic Billboard Near Times Square, for $15,000 | FlaglerLive - Your News Service for Flagler County News Palm Coast News Bunnell Flagler Beach Beverly Beach and Marineland

Is this really worth the effort? Seems to be a stab in the dark. This is the 11 second ad. Click title for link to article:

Flagler County is just north of Daytona Beach.

A new chapter for Riviera Beach’s Ocean Mall | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Much of this sounds vaguely familiar. The names and details are different as is the place, but somethings are the same. Click title for link. From the article:

Ocean Mall redevelopment had been a lightning rod for criticism. Angry residents signed petitions in 2006 to repeal a city council vote giving the go-ahead on an ambitious plan: a 99-year lease and a privately financed 28-story hotel and condo complex, as well as the retail space.
A residents’ group sued the council after it refused to allow a citywide vote on hotel height and length of the lease. The city council sued the residents’ group.
Eventually, both measures went on a ballot, and voters ushered in plans for no more than a 50-year lease and a height limit of five stories.

Sen. Warren on the Shutdown and Why Government Matters

Twin Cities' Residents Near Transit Found to Be Happier - Urban Land Magazine

What intrigued me about this article is how they determined whether or not people are "happy." As we know, we are all supposedly "pursuing happiness." But how do you know if you are there? This is what they did in the study. Click title for link to entire article.

Sociologists and psychologists have spent a lot of time figuring out how to turn happiness into something they can count. “I used a scale developed by a psychologist,” says Cao. He asked his respondents to rate on a scale of one to seven how strongly they agreed with statements like “In most ways my life is close to my ideal,” and “So far I have achieved the important things I want in my life,” and “If I could live my life over again, I would change almost nothing.”
Other statements dealt with travel: “I am completely satisfied with my daily travel,” and “When I think of my daily travel, the positive aspects outweigh the negative,” for example.
Most respondents said they were to some extent satisfied with both their travel and their lives. But residents close to the light rail reported being significantly more satisfied with both. The difference was not huge—just a few tenths of a point on Cao’s seven-point scale on average—but it was consistent and clear enough to be statistically significant.
“If you are isolated—if you cannot go where you want to go—that is going to affect your quality of life,” says Cao.
The people who ride the Hiawatha Line also benefit from the ability to do useful things while they ride the light rail, which they could not do if they were driving. “You can use the time to read your paper and talk to your friends,” he says.

 I wonder how "happy" people are on Lake Osborne Drive, particularly Lakeside Gardens?

I want to encourage you...

...to check out today's High Noon in Lake Worth radio show with guests Jack McCabe and Tom Twyford. The two talked about completely different subjects but each have much significance.

Mr. McCabe is a real estate market analyst based in south Florida. He calls the current residential recovery as the beginnings of a bubble that will burst with an onset of high interest rates and inherent weaknesses in the overall economy of the nation and region. He accurately predicted the Great Recession from which we are just emerging.

Mr. Twyford is the President of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club and noted local angler. He talked about water quality in the Lake Worth Lagoon, changes over time and cyclical nature of interest related to water issues in south Florida. He also talked about the legacy of recreational fishing in the area's development.

Each segment lasts about a half hour: McCabe's first and Twyford's second. I am sure these interviews will be of interest.

City Commission Discussion from 10/1/13 Meeting re E.R. Bradley's Restaurant Lease at Golf Course Clubhouse

This is the from last Tuesday's City Commission meeting related to E.R. Bradley's lease at the golf course clubhouse. There was initial concern about the amount of the monthly lease payment ($3,000) and the lack of an escalator clause over the initial ten year term of the lease. The point was made that this location has never proven to be a successful location for a food operation and that this is also seen as helping the golf side of the business for the city. The restaurant will be taking over the large room as their main dining, which could still be rented out for private parties and use of the area where the food operation was before will be the bar area. There was concern over the lack of separate metering for electric, but that was not adopted as part of the final action.

We went by the clubhouse the next day and took these pictures. Work was already underway.

 Above is the new decking material that will occupy the space shown below, with a magnificent view of the Lake Worth Lagoon/Intercoastal.

The area below will be a "Tiki Bar" area. The pavers around the trees are a recent change. The restaurant will likely be named "Bradley's Beach Club."

There is another municipal golf course clubhouse nearby that is under construction right now. In fact, you can see the top of its roof from the Lake Worth clubhouse by looking east toward the barrier island. This is Palm Beach's new two story clubhouse, which is supposed to have a view of the ocean from the second floor. We heard that they too are looking for a restaurant operator and their asking rate for a lease there is $10,000 a month for only about 2,300 square feet of space - at least half of which would have to be kitchen. $15 hot dogs anyone? I guess Palm Beach has to keep out the hoi poloi somehow. Pics below of the Palm Beach Par 3 course clubhouse:

And just to show how far beyond Palm Beach is in its website, check out how it highlights its golf course. Don't miss its live construction cam of the clubhouse.

Town that Mark Zuckerberg built: Facebook employees to get dorm-style housing | Mail Online

And they even come in at four stories! It is one way to provide housing for your employees. Will we see more company projects or towns like this in the future? Click title for link.

Bill Filed to Give Henry Flagler His Own Bronze Statue near State Capitol in Tallahassee | FlaglerLive - Your News Service for Flagler County News Palm Coast News Bunnell Flagler Beach Beverly Beach and Marineland

Not exactly a fan of bronze statues, men on horses, stuff like this. But if anyone deserves one in Florida, Flagler would definitely be high on the list. Click title for link.

Letters: In Delray Beach, CRA and nonprofits were part of... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

The CRA haters here, and there are a few, seem to be more afraid of success than anything else. And, no, we don't want to be another Delray. But we do want to be a better Lake Worth. Click title for link to a letter to the Editor of the Palm Beach Post. Here is a bit of it.

Every city is different, and should be free to innovate and find the best way forward. For Delray Beach, the arts were a path to prosperity and an enhanced quality of life. Many are attracted by the climate created through a progressive partnership with the city, the CRA, the business community, residents and nonprofits. The CRA had the wisdom in Delray Beach to promote the historical and cultural fabric of its past while building a new future.
Delray Beach is a model because we have worked together. To wit, Delray Beach won an All-America City award in 1993 and again 2001, was named The Most Livable Community in America in 1993 and, just recently, Rand McNally and USA Today named Delray Beach the Most Fun Small Town in America. We are the envy of municipalities across America, and the CRA has been an invaluable partner in our success. The collaboration works.

Combo Show - Jack McCabe and Tom Twyford 10/04 by High Noon in Lake Worth | Politics Podcasts

Wes Blackman, host of "High Noon in Lake Worth", is pleased to announce that Jack McCabe of McCabe Research and Consulting, LLC and Tom Twyford, President of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club will join him on this week's show. We'll start with Mr. McCabe who is founder and CEO of his company. He is one of the top national real estate and economic analysts in the nation, living right here in south Florida. We will be chatting about the status of the various sectors of the real estate market, what the forecast is for the future and where Lake Worth fits into the picture. During the second half hour, we will welcome Tom Twyford, President of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Tom has worked for the organization for 26 years. In a volunteer capacity, Tom serves as the current vice-chairman of the Palm Beach County Artificial Reef & Estuarine Enhancement Committee and current president of the Florida Foundation for Responsible Angling (Florida’s Sailfish specialty license tag). We will get his take on water quality in the Lake Worth Lagoon and the impact on fishing over time.

Click title for link to live show between noon and 1 p.m. tomorrow (10/4) or for the archived version after the show airs. Leave questions as comments below.

Rep. Patrick Murphy Talks About Nasty Lake Okeechobee Pollution

Candid talk with Representative Patrick Murphy by the Broward/Palm Beach edition of New Times. The interview happened yesterday, prior to the "fly-in" event in Washington, D.C. this morning. It is an excellent summary of the various projects currently in the planning stages to address the problem. Click title for link. For a summary by Christine Stapleton of the Palm Beach Post regarding the event which happened this morning, click here.

What Prince Charles and his organization are doing for local community sustainability...

Some of the issues addressed by the Prince's organization came up in a recent conversation about the importance of our cottages here in Lake Worth. Many of the techniques used to build those structures and what turned out to be historic characteristics has been lost in the current labor market. There was a suggestion that we look to establish an apprentice program so that current-day carpenters are available who have the skills to rebuild wooden sash windows, for example. The notion of our cottage community could be celebrated in a future festival of some sort where there could be workshops on these techniques. This could happen right here in Lake Worth.

Celebrating Our History: Delray history buff’s legacy to bring marker to Boynton Inlet - The Coastal Star

Nice article in the Coastal Star about a gentleman who sought to honor history and create markers so that others would know what came before. Click title for link. Here is some important history from the article:

Why a historical marker at the Boynton Inlet?
    To remind people that it wasn’t always there, and its arrival changed the area immeasurably.
    The inlet we commonly call the Palm Beach Inlet was dug at the northern end of that island in the mid-19th century and stabilized by 1917. But by the early 1920s, a second was needed to improve water quality and circulation to the south, where both West Palm Beach and Lake Worth dumped sewage into the lake.
    The South Lake Worth Inlet District was formed in 1923 and $225,000 appropriated for the work.
    Dredging began that September, and in August 1924 a concrete bridge was completed to accommodate traffic along State Road A1A while the work continued below.
    And then, at 11:18 p.m. on March 16, 1927, with dozens of spectators watching from the bridge, the Atlantic Ocean met the Lake Worth Lagoon, and Boynton Beach hasn’t been the same since.
    “The coastal tomato and strawberry farms were dying out,” says Ginger Pedersen, the historical society’s vice president. “Saltwater from the Palm Beach Inlet spoiled the farmland, but this inlet gave the area a whole new purpose. We got the whole Boynton Beach fishing village. A lot of men made their living with commercial fishing.”
    And, of course, also the charter boat industry, ferrying tourists in and out of the inlet for day trips.
    “The wives and children would stand on the bridge and wave to their husbands and fathers as they came back through with the day’s catch,” DeVries adds.

Photos: Limo Cycle hopes to bring party to Daytona Beach

A group of people were chatting about this as a possibility here. This is a rolling "party bus" where patrons peddle while imbibing. This provides the horsepower and the torque. Hopefully there is a designated "steerer and braker." Interesting concept - click title for link.

Reps. Trey Radel and Patrick Murphy are hosting a fly-in in Washington, DC for Florida officials and constituents to discuss what can be done about the harmful Lake Okeechobee freshwater releases. 10/3/13

Lake O discharge killing Lake Worth Lagoon | Reef Rescue - Coral Reef Blog

Check this blog post from Reef Rescue. Click title for link. Also note the following:

Special Presentation: Freshwater Discharges to the Lake Worth Lagoon

October 29, 2013

10:30 am

Palm BeachCounty

Board of CountyCommissioners Workshop

PBC Governmental Center

6th Floor Commission Chambers

301 N. Olive Avenue

West Palm Beach

For more information contact PBC ERM at (561) 233-2400

Public Comment and Commission Reaction from last night's City Commission Meeting 10/1/13

Commissioner Comments from last night's meeting (10/1/13)

The first part, where former Commissioner Retha Lowe and chair of the city's Sister City board is at the podium, includes the Commission's reaction to her suggestion regarding disbanding the board. She said that for the past 5 months she has been the only one to attend meetings. She was interested in being appointed to another board. The Mayor reminded people that board applications are taken throughout the year now and is not done annually anymore. The Commission decided not to prepare an ordinance to sunset the Sister City board at the present time.

The rest of the video here is important to listen to as a lot of dates and details are given about coming events in the city.

Pagans Gather in Moss Bank Park for Anti-Fracking Ritual | Earth First! Newswire

Trending on the Earth First! Newswire. Click title for link.

WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Top Stories - Neighbors upset over filthy, abandoned Lake Worth home

This segment appeared on last night's Channel 12 news broadcast. Striking evidence of our code enforcement problems. Results of years of mismanagement and apathy. Click title for link.

Proclaiming National Customer Service Week...

This took place at the start of last night's City Commission meeting (10/1/13) as the first presentation. When I saw this on the agenda, I thought it odd knowing the reputation of the city's utility customer service department. It was always incomprehensible to me how this sort of situation was thought to be such an "intractable" problem. Remember all the hand-wringing and shoulder shrugging of previous Commissions and administrations about how to address this problem? And it really was a serious problem as that is the city's "front door" and the first experience residents may have with the city.

I will have to visit there when I get my beach decal permit, which are now being sold at the City Hall Annex building. I'll take some pictures of the changes that City Manager Bornstein describes at the end of this video. Take his challenge - go there to see and experience the changes yourself.

E.R. Bradley’s to open restaurant at Lake Worth’s golf course | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Lona O'Conner's take on the action from last night's meeting regarding our new restaurant at the Lake Worth Golf Course clubhouse. I think it is a great thing and will be doing a post which includes video of the discussion from the City Commission meeting, pictures of the existing clubhouse restaurant pictures from the outside taken yesterday, along with some other pictures and commentary. Click title for link to the Palm Beach Post article.

Town launches updated website | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

You really must check out their new website. Notice the "Follow us on Twitter" tab on homepage. Pretty impressive. I tend to think that the "new" Lake Worth website is being treated like the Emperor's Clothes. We all know that it could be so much more for a lot less, but few are willing to admit it. And what about the search function and the other fixes that were acknowledged as being needed? Lake Worth, the city of, needs its own official Facebook page at a minimum.

State agency hasn't filed legal challenges against any local growth decisions since 2011 | The Florida Current

This article is not about HB 537, the law that made referenda related to Comprehensive Plan changes, map amendments, etc. "null and void" retroactively to June 2011. This is more of a status report about the changes initiated in 2011 which eliminated the Department of Community Affairs and created the Department of Economic Opportunity. The state has had a difficult time trying to determine their role in the review of local comprehensive plans. It seems that continues to be the case. Click title for link.

Interesting video from the Convention and Visitors Bureau