The extension of 60th Street North along the northern boundary of the City of Westlake, south of the M Canal, could be an important piece in the municipality’s transportation and economic infrastructure, Councilman Gary Werner said Wednesday, Feb. 7.
“I think it would be very significant,” said Werner, who is by profession a city planner. “It would relieve traffic on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. It would be important for the economic growth of the city… for residents to get to other commercial areas and for people outside the city to get to commercial areas in Westlake.”
Werner’s comments came after a Westlake City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at which attorney Tara Duhy, representing Minto Communities USA, briefed council members about ongoing negotiations between the city’s largest developer and Palm Beach County.
The discussion centers on who will build the 2.7-mile stretch of 60th Street North between Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, which runs north and south through the center of Westlake, and 140th Avenue North in The Acreage. And when will it be built?
The extension of 60th Street, which is a Palm Beach County road, has long been part of county’s plans, but the start of construction still could be years away, District 6 County Commissioner Sara Baxter has said, even though she has made it a priority in her agenda.
Minto may be ready to take on the construction, especially since an October partial ruling by Circuit Court Judge Richard L. Oftedal that the developer has no inherent right to access roads in the adjoining Indian Trail Improvement District. A final ruling by Oftedal is expected soon on the effort by Minto and the Seminole Improvement District, which provides most of Westlake’s road infrastructure, to connect to 140th Avenue North near Persimmon Blvd.
The ruling could leave Minto owing the county as much as $18 million as part of the developer’s original proportionate share agreement, if the developer cannot soon create an east-west link for the community.
If the county would prefer to collect the “prop share” money in the form of a 60th Street construction project, said Duhy, “That’s certainly something we’d… work with them on.”
So far, she said, “It has been a positive conversation… We’re excited as always to create more connectivity for the city and good infrastructure for the county.”
However, some residents with homes that will back up to the extension already are expressing concerns. In the Hammocks neighborhood, a committee has been formed to make sure residents have a voice in the process.
Al Nuh, a member of the committee, told council members that residents are not opposed to the road but are concerned that it will “kill property values” if the northern-most homes in the Hammocks, the Meadows, the Pines and the Woodlands are not protected from the visuals of an open roadway, noise and light pollution.
“People paid good money for those houses,” he said. “They want some protection.”
That protection would include installation of a significant berm, possibly a protective wall and dense greenery, Nuh said in a Wednesday e-mail to the Town-Crier.
Werner said he understands the concerns but, “I have full faith in Minto based on the quality of the [city’s existing] roads. I think Minto would want to do that in this instance as well.”
Meanwhile, parts of the existing 60th Street from 140th Avenue North to State Road 7 remain dirt.
Duhy did not dismiss the possibility that paving those areas might also be part of the project, saying that the scope of work is still under discussion.
She also pointed out that in Palm Beach County, developers building roads to county specifications, then turning them over to the county for ownership and maintenance is not unusual. In fact, that is what Minto did with part of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in Westlake.
In other business:
- The council appointed Lisa D. Barron, Anita S. Kaplan and Krystal Lexima to the city’s revamped Education Advisory Board.
- The council also heard about two upcoming community events.
The city’s first annual 5K Run will be held Saturday, March 16 at 7 a.m. Race headquarters will be at Westlake Adventure Park, located at 16610 Town Center Parkway North.
Westlake’s second annual SpringFest will be held Saturday, March 23 beginning at 10 a.m. along Kingfisher Blvd. There’ll be an Easter egg hunt, a petting zoo, a face painter, vendors, food trucks and, of course, an appearance by Mr. Bunny.
For more information on these events, visit www.westlakegov.com and click on events.
- The council passed proclamations declaring February Heart Health Month and Black History Month.
- Vice Mayor Greg Langowski has been appointed to the National League of Cities 2024 Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Federal Advocacy Committee. He was appointed for a one-year term.
As a member of the committee, Langowski, who is an aide to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, “will play a key role in shaping NLC’s policy positions and advocate on behalf of America’s cities, towns and villages.”
The residents who bought the homes along 60th street knew before buying that there would be a road there in the future. I was given that information in writing and it was on the community plan. That’s exactly why I did not chose a northern border lot.