The City of West Palm Beach has filed a 72-page list of “exceptions” with the South Florida Water Management District that could again delay the State Road 7 extension from 60th Street North to Northlake Blvd.
After a May 1 ruling by an administrative judge agreeing with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) attorneys on all issues related to the plan for the extension, which connect to Northlake near the Ibis Golf & Country Club, West Palm Beach had 15 days to dispute the findings with the SFWMD.
FDOT then filed a 12-page response to the city’s document.
In the wake of the city’s filing, Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter said, “I think this was expected. I don’t see it as a blow. I’m actually optimistic.”
The SFWMD has 90 to 180 days in which to review both filings and decide whether to grant a permit, according to a source. The SFWMD did not respond to a request for information regarding the process in time for this story.
If the SFWMD issues a construction permit, that decision can be challenged in the Florida Court of Appeal.
Baxter, whose District 6 would be one of the areas most impacted by the SR 7 extension, said therein lies her reason for optimism.
In the 132-page ruling by Administrative Judge Francine Ffolkes, “she covered her bases so completely, I’m hoping the Court of Appeal won’t even take it up,” Baxter said.
Indian Trail Improvement District President Elizabeth Accomando agreed that the city’s filing with the SFWMD was unsurprising. “But it is disappointing,” she said. “All the residents in the western communities need that connection.”
ITID encompasses some 110 square miles and approximately 50,000 residents west of the current SR 7 and the planned extension. The extension would be a major help in easing traffic headaches in the semi-rural district, Accomando and many others have said.
ITID Supervisor Richard Vassalotti called the city’s decision “irresponsible.”
With attorneys’ fees for the years-long battle over SR 7 estimated in the millions, Vassalotti said, “It’s a waste of West Palm Beach taxpayer dollars. My goodness, the city has a homeless problem right downtown on Clematis Street. They could be using the money for that.”
Vassalotti also noted that the city’s refusal to let the issue go forces FDOT to pay attorneys’ fees as well.
“And those are state tax dollars. Our tax dollars,” he said.
West Palm Beach and FDOT hired outside legal counsel — meaning attorneys who are not government employees — to argue the case.
Attempting to further delay the extension “hurts all the surrounding communities,” Vassalotti said. “It hurts everyone.”
The long-running battle over the roadway centers on possible pollution of and alleged ecological damage the road could cause to the Grassy Waters Preserve, from which West Palm Beach draws much of its drinking water. However, four lanes of Northlake have run through the preserve for years. Many SR 7 advocates say that West Palm Beach is appeasing a wealthy and well-connected enclave that does not want the traffic nearby.
FDOT had planned to start the project in 2023 but pushed the start date back to 2029 while awaiting the outcome of the seven-week trial that was spread over two years with 30 witnesses.
FDOT projected the construction cost in 2023 to be approximately $87 million. With the 2029 start date, the projected cost is more than $130 million.
