I speak to the community regarding the closing of 60th Street North. We have been adversely impacted by the closing of this street. Remember those words.
Did anyone who does not back up to 60th Street get notice the road was closing? No! Please get involved by contacting the appropriate people to help us get this situation resolved. I will provide you with the phone numbers to allow your voice to be heard. Now is the time to stand together. We have one year to address this; don’t wait. I can’t fight by myself. If we stand together, we have a better chance of success.
Indian Trail is not the place to be heard. Indian Trail is the entity that offered to have the road closed to settle the lawsuit without getting input from the surrounding community and how it would impact them. They have not stood up for the interest and safety of the people. They have been presented with petitions, letters and all opposing issues but did nothing.
We received a scare tactic by Indian Trail suggesting improvement culvert installation in July 2005. In essence, it created bridges over our canal to open all roads from 60th Street to 64th Place North. Our canal dead-end streets would be opened from 180th to Mandarin. This was voted down at a special meeting at the Indian Trail office.
We’ve been told by Indian Trail that GL Homes would be putting in a bridge at 180th to 60th. It is documented at the Sept 14, 2016 meeting at Indian Trail by GL Homes that they will not be putting a bridge to connect 180th to 60th, but rather west of 180th at the elbow of the paved 60th road by 190th. Also, per Scott Kelly from the West Palm Beach mayor’s office, that will never be allowed to happen. Indian Trail’s representatives will have to stop taking that stance now since they all heard it themselves.
The judge that made the final decision in the Garrity vs. WPB lawsuit was not advised that people did not know about the closure west of Mandarin and how it would adversely impact the community. Two schools were added to the area after the lawsuit started. The judge should know that Indian Trail did not perform its duties for the safety of the people and, along with the attorneys, did not inform all parties effected by the closure of the road. Without adequate information, the judge was not aware of the entire situation before he made his judgment. The only thing that needed to be adjusted on the lawsuit was to leave open the strip of road from Mandarin to 180th, which allows enough room for the road and the M Canal widening.
There are three original remaining property owners west of Mandarin involved in the lawsuit, and they settled financially for property lines lost, when surveyed go to the end of the swale grass at the dirt road edge. One person lives east of the canal and has access to Mandarin; one wants the road open. They were paid for their loss, and also got a road closure. Why are we, the community, paying for it again, and more than likely a threat again by Indian Trail to add culverts opening our roads from 180th to Mandarin?
We are also being forced to drive illegally due to school traffic at Tangerine and 180th. We now have multiple safety issues. We need to have connectivity through 60th Street.
Please call West Palm Beach Utilities Attorney Nancy Urcheck at (561) 822-1350. Contact the correct people and get involved, since numbers speak. We need communication with the judge, because Indian Trail did not do anything to prevent the closing.
You can contact the department in charge of Palm Beach County traffic control at 180th, Tangerine, etc. by contacting County Engineer George Webb at (561) 684-4018, 2300 N. Jog Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33411 or (561) 684-4000 or eng-actioncenter@pbcgov.org. You can also contact Assistant City Administrator Scott Kelly, P.E., at (561) 822-1400, Mayor’s Office, City Administration, 401 Clematis Street, Second Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 or sdkelly@wpb.org.
Sheryl Sample, The Acreage
