How hypocritical of Commissioner Shelley Vana to attack Commissioner Jess Santamaria for speaking the truth at a recent meeting of the Palm Beach County Commission.
Commissioner Vana asserts that, contrary to Commissioner Santamaria’s claim, the commissioners do their best to represent the wishes of the constituents. Let’s look at the facts:
How do the residents of Century Village feel about the commission’s approval for development on the neighboring golf course? And what about the folks living in Boca Del Mar, whose lifestyle is also being impinged upon? Both communities have current lawsuits opposing the commission’s decisions concerning development in their communities.
What about the western communities, whose quality of life is under attack from Minto West? Several of these communities, including Royal Palm Beach, have, in fact, submitted resolutions to the commission requesting denial of any increase from Minto West’s originally approved purchase. Do the majority of the commissioners seem to care? The facts speak for themselves with the perpetual 5-2 or 6-1 votes against the wishes of the constituents.
Commissioners representing their constituents? Who does she think she’s fooling?
Arlene Olinsky, Royal Palm Beach
McKinlay’s campaign was a disgrace and an insult to the residents of District 6. She moved into the District to run for the seat and only because she is looking for a job. Her fun is in Tallahassee. You vote for her, District 6 is screwed again!!!!
McKinlay won big time last time for being honest with the voters. This paper’s article from Aug. 15 can’t be any clearer…”While McKinlay has the support of some key West Palm Beach officials, she stressed that she strongly supports the completion of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd.
“I also understand that this district represents part of the City of West Palm Beach, and you can’t completely throw out the concerns of the people that you’re elected to represent,” she said. “There are some folks in West Palm that are concerned about their future water source, and I empathize with them.”
While she supports having an environmental impact study done, she expects the project to move forward.
“I have told the mayor that when the study comes back, we move forward,” McKinlay said. “Either way, we’ve got to have that other access for the residents of The Acreage and Loxahatchee.”
On the planned Minto West project, McKinlay said she was pleased that the developers had come down from their original proposal of 6,500 homes to 4,549 homes, but thinks the proposed 2.1 million square feet of non-residential use is too much.
On that topic, she noted that the state legislature has put the county in a terrible position with its approval of the Agricultural Enclave Act, aimed specifically to benefit the former Callery-Judge Grove property, the dismantling of the Department of Community Affairs and the enactment of legislation a few years ago that gives Minto West the right to incorporate.
McKinlay said it is important for residents to fight to maintain local control in order to avoid the legislature making local decisions.”
Carefully listen to the selected words being uttered by District 6 County Commission Candidate Melissa McKinlay. She is not saying that she would support Loxahatchee and Acreage residents when it comes to stopping the increased homes sought by the builders of Minto West.
Also, listen carefully when she speaks about the SR7 extension to Northlake Blvd. McKinlay favors cutting the road further west INTO the Acreage instead of proceeding on the current planned roadway extension.
Mckinlay doesn’t want to upset the wealthy inhabitants of Ibis (who BTW, sought to be excised from our Western District 6 and included in District 1, but Ibis lost that battle). McKinlay attended a fundraiser in Ibis, plus is endorsed by WPB Mayor Muioi and Commission Keith James, both of whom seek to have the extension go FURTHER WEST INTO and FURTHER DISRUPT the Acreage (sorry, you guys in the Acreage and Loxhatchee just don’t have the $$$$ or political clout as does the hoity-toity of development of Ibis).
But you Acreage and Loxahatchee resident DO have the passion to get out and vote in NOvember!
I am a resident of the Western Communities and my quality of life is not under attack, nor will be with the Minto West Development.
I, in fact along with my neighbors look forward to this project getting underway.