Yes this is true, there are plans for the Royal Palm Beach Village Council to vote on a special exception to allow a 5,982-square-foot, 20-pump Race Trac gas station operating 24 hours a day at the entrance to the village on the northwest corner of Southern Blvd. I have lived in Royal Palm Beach since 1979 and never would I imagine that such an awful structure would be considered for our neighborhood, and yet if the council approves it on Oct. 15, this may be what you will see when you approach our village.
This huge gas station structure will change the entire character of our community. It will destroy the safety of our neighborhood and devastate the property values. Royal Palm Beach Blvd. is a dangerous road; it has the worst traffic congestion in the village and has even been rated a level of service D.
But there is a choice; this is not the way that it has to be. The council, with your help, can make a better decision. They can opt to purchase this entrance property and develop it into an outstanding entrance to our neighborhood with such improvements as a fountain and complementary sculptures.
The village has the financial resources. You, the taxpayers and voters, added $62 million with the sale of the water utility to the county, and just now $35 million from Lennar on the Crestwood property, to your village financial portfolio. The council has constructed and maintained fountain features in Veterans Park and Commons Park. They can do the same to create a gateway of quality and integrity on this corner. I ask that you help to tell the council what you would like to see at your doorstep and with your money at the Oct. 15 council meeting.
This option is a win for everyone: the citizens, the village image and the owner of the property, who gets his value while serving the best interests of his community.
Martha Webster, Royal Palm Beach
Editor’s note: Ms. Webster is a former member of the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.
