The real scoop, whether people like it or not, is that the Palm Beach County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which supposedly set up land use and zoning, and protected areas across the entire county, were never a protection against development that would result in changes to the plan. The changes to the plan, award-winning from 1980, were wrought by the same architects of the “plan” who moved from government employment to private employment. They knew how to undo what they did, and were paid well for it.
While I have always supported the Ag Reserve and always supported keeping the Acreage/Loxahatchee communities rural and agricultural, the greed of the developers, the political ambitions of those who rode and ride the wave, and the ignorance of people, continue the assault that will forever change our localities, our county, our state; our way of life.
Promise a politician jobs, economic growth, increased tax revenue, tourists, pavement and progress, and party doesn’t matter. Who is paying, and who is playing? Who is funding that politician his or her job?
In today’s terms, I don’t support the swap, but after all of these years of opposing, and paying heavily for opposing, I understand that now the Ag Reserve and Acreage/Loxahatchee have supposedly been pitted against one other, even while land use no longer matters and both will ultimately fall, all to the benefit of developers. Why?
The Ag Reserve will be developed. Loxahatchee/Acreage will be developed, and any promise of preserve, protection and limitations will find some means of available change. This because county employees write it so, in the land use plan, which enables changes later, that mean legislative intent, county intent and developer intent.
Hey, the 2,100 acres or so the county paid premium for in the Ag Reserve will still be owned by the residents for protection, right?
Perhaps incorporating Loxahatchee/Acreage will protect things, right? As if new elected officials, gaining new taxing privileges, and new “electoral support” from “constituents” (like the five new voters from Callery/Minto) will improve and protect. Beware.
Patricia D. Curry, The Acreage
