Susan and Ozzie won a prize
Valentine Basket of treats
Yesterday, the Lake Worth CRA put out a Press Release. An excerpt from the release states that the Consortium had rehabilitated or constructed ninety-seven (97) housing units, composed of seventy three (73) homes for sale and twenty four (24) rentals, while acquiring sufficient properties to output an additional fourteen (14) properties over the next couple of years. The grant also was able to provide for much needed City infrastructure including new water, sewer and gas lines and sidewalks where previously none existed.
"The CRA's signature project, the Arts Lofts, is now complete. These for-sale units contain up to 2650 sq ft of livable space which includes a downstairs work studio and an upstairs living area in the heart of downtown Lake Worth." You have to be a poor, struggling artist, I think.
"Further, the Consortium was able to facilitate the upcoming development of a 55-unit affordable, green building rental development, not only to help alleviate the area's need for safe, affordable rental housing, but to use land which has long been vacant and underutilized property on one of the City's Gateways. Collectively, the Consortium has removed approximately one hundred (100) foreclosed properties from the County's backlog, putting as many as one hundred forty two (142) housing units back on the tax rolls, while affecting a total of one hundred sixty six (166) properties, greatly exceeding its goal of one hundred (100) housing units and thirty (30) land banks". See PR
So, last night's presentation and public information meeting, after the fact, on la Joya Village was a celebration of sorts. Many CRA members as well as staff were there as well as the principals involved in the project/development. I noticed where they weren't sure what to call it--project or development. La Joya village, if you recall, is the soon to be built project/development on the railroad tracks on 6th Avenue South and S. F Street in Lake Worth.
When talking to Allan Schnier the developer/principal of Realtex who is out of Boca Raton, he said that they would do background checks on all those wanting to rent in the project/development and it would have on-site management. I don't know what the background check will entail. It could be nothing more than a PBSO check. At least that might keep out the drug dealers. I asked him if they would pay ad-valorem taxes for the property and he ensured me that they will be paying ad-valorem. He also said that renters could possibly make $80,000 a year. I challenged him on the "poor" element of that.
As far as rental projects/developments are concerned, a citizen of Lake Worth said, "They establish and maintain a rental/management office that has the ability to screen prospective renters, run background and credit checks, manage and monitor on-site activity; they have the economy of scale to contract for the routine and not-so-routine repair and maintenance of the property; they create a budget with reserves for repair/replacement/maintenance. These are all of the things that aren’t being done by absentee landlords of single-family rental houses and duplex/triplex units throughout the city." If you consider those aspects, they are all pluses. I asked the developer how many people were allowed in a 3 bedroom apartment. He told me six but they were not going to allow a bunch of non-family members be a part of that count. Don't know how that one works.
"In addition, attractive rental developments have significantly greater setbacks from the road with berms/plantings/decorative fences or walls acting as an attractive buffer from the road as well as greater green/open spaces/ponds, etc. within the property. The absence of those elements and the location on the tracks screams low income. I guess if one is low income, one doesn’t “deserve” any better. It also appears that, just like Hammon Park, these residents don’t deserve elevators.
A slab porch is not a porch in my book but what does it really matter—who would want to sit on any “porch” 10’ from 6th Avenue S sucking up vehicle fumes?
The third floor is not stepped back, so my guess is that the plan is to approve this project before the LDRs are passed, or that language will be removed from the LDRs when they are passed, or this project will get a variance."
Whether we are pro or con for a rental development/project on the railroad tracks in Lake Worth in the poorer area of our city, we're getting it under the pretense that poor people deserve "luxurious" rental units with impact glass and new appliances and their own laundry. This is right out of the liberal government spending playbook. Right now they are waiting for their permitting and will break ground possibly in August and be finished in one year.
I was asked by the chair of the CRA what else can you do with that property? I can think of many things, but when you are concentrating on spending ALL of the NSP2 Grant on time, there wasn't much else. Almost forgot...the developer will have an artist's studio on the ground level facing 6th Avenue South. It fits right in to the CRA's LULA theme.
Now we all can wait and see if the CRA's spending of all this money has made any difference to Lake Worth and its slum and blight problem that has escalated beyond imagination.
14 comments:
Just wonderful. more low-income rentals. Lake Worth is already plauged with 60% rentals. 6th Avenue south is already a traffic death trap.Putting living areas by a railroad trac makes no sense. These places will trashed by thier new tenants within 6 months.Welcome to Dunbar village,south.What a huge mistake for Lake Worth.
What is the CRA's reason for not honoring the proposed LDR's by stepping back the upper floor? The CRA is a city agency that should show respect for the zoning code that the commission and city staff are preparing to approve. If we can't expect compliance from the CRA, why should we expect it from profit-driven developers?
has the 6th Avenue project been underdeveloped ot vacant for 10-15years.
Too bad lynn's "ideas" are without value as noboby with ability and financing agrees with her.
Traffic counts on this stretch of 6th Ave are too low for most retailers, other than neighborhood uses.
At least we have several properties that the noisemakers can no longer complain about.
You claimed that you could think of many better things to do with that property. Name one.
Lynn, Please Divide the 23M spent by the #of houses, rental units and or property by 37K.
I'd love to see some of that math.
How about total salaries taken from the 23M too. Beautiful Idea's to help but cost v. results has to be considered.
Plus the power of unelected & unaccountable people w/a lotta $$$ in control. Sure, these ones are great, what about the next ones? Checks and Balances. Gov MUST be accountable to the people!
Actually, the Railroad Tracks make perfect sense! The city and the TOD Plan (Transportation Oriented Development) that ALL cities (Google: "Ca declares war on suburbia") are FORCING into Comp plans/LDR's, drive development there w/a goal to take US out of our cars. (Before you laugh, ride I-95 and tell me what all the new poles and camera's are doing at each exit? Then I will send you the 10.2009 FL report on VMT or Vehicle Miles Traveled.) Even Jay Leno a few months back opened up w/this new "VMT" thing. He pretty much said instead of tracking US, we needed to track our tax dollars the same way to see where it goes.
No, it has not been vacant for 10 to 15 years. It was the former Pugh pool company business of a few years ago. Back in 2008, it was said, The CRA board suffered from an ‘infusion of delusion’ …a form of blight that causes mature adults to act like teenagers at the mall with a new credit card. Did they actually think they could blow taxpayer’s money on stupid things and not be held accountable for it? The answer, as it turned out, was YES.
Just who in almighty hell said that the land did not attract retailers. We know that. Who said that a retailer had to be there? Who said that a residential rental project had to be there? The CRA. What else could they do with all that money? They wanted this property for 5 years. In five more years the place will be one hell of a mess. La Joya my azz. This neighborhood thinks it has troubles now. Wait a few more years. LMAO
Poor struggling artist for the Lofts you say? NOT. $120,000 is a lot of money for a poor struggling anyone.
Here's the Article about TOD
California Declares War on Suburbia
Planners want to herd millions into densely packed urban corridors. It won't save the planet but will make traffic even worse
"In short, to discourage automobile use."
"The love affair urban planners have for a future ruled by mass transit will be obscenely expensive and would not reduce traffic congestion."
"State and regional planners also seek to radically restructure urban areas, forcing much of the new hyperdensity development into narrowly confined corridors."
"Southern California Association of Governments wants to require more than one-half of the new housing in Los Angeles County and five other Southern California counties to be concentrated in dense, so-called transit villages"
"If the planners have their way, the state's famously unaffordable housing could become even more unaffordable."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303302504577323353434618474.html
Love this line from the article-The love affair urban planners have for a future ruled by mass transit will be obscenely expensive and would not reduce traffic congestion.
Remind you of anyone?
yea, one person, that guy Wes who put up the dui video of himself in handcuffs. Unreal but the real schmiel. Lynne, I think you out bluffed him. ain't politics great?
I went to the linked article in the Wall Street Journal.
There are many similarities between Lake Worth and San Francisco. Density is not one of them.
In SF, you have double stacked highways that are still parking lots spewing out noxious fumes and in constant gridlock.
Palm Beach County's attempt at heading this problem off before it becomes a problem should be looked at as forward thinking.
Yes People are leaving California, but not because of their mass transit system. It's taxes, cost of living and congestion.
Read the whole article.
They are talking about requiring building at 20 units per acre "as opposed to 4 units per acre".
There are tons of 1/4 acre lots left in Lake Worth? Doesn't that equal unbar sprawl?
Is there such a thing as a happy medium?
I like how you spelled your name wrong, with the "e" on the end, nobody will know its you talking to yourself. hahahaha
Yes, and I am everyone who posts here, anonymous. Even your post can be attributed to me. LOL. One big smashing job I do herE, anonymous. Write the blog, post to myself, wow wee.
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