The need for a “town center” was top of mind for a solid majority of Westlake residents who attended a Strategic Planning Community Engagement Meeting held Saturday, May 24 at the Lodge at Westlake Adventure Park.
“We need a town center that encompasses shopping and dining,” said one woman who received instant support from many of the 50 or so residents in attendance.
“I still hope to be alive to take our golf cart to the town center,” added another woman, who has lived in the 55-and-older Cresswind development for four years. “But I’m not assuming it will be done in our lifetimes.”
Session moderator Dale Sugerman of the International Institute for Leadership Development encouraged residents not to give their names so that they could feel comfortable speaking freely. No video or livestream of the meeting was allowed, though an audio recording was made.
“I’m quite disappointed,” said another woman, adding that she is “tired of having to drive 30 minutes” for the sort of amenities she desires. “We need more upscale dining opportunities with outdoor seating.”
One recently arrived resident of the Woodlands neighborhood said she feels “misled” by promises, and she was not the only one to voice that view.
“We were promised a whole downtown,” added a Cresswind resident.
And it’s not only about shops and restaurants. Other residents suggested the “town center” should include a hotel with a pool, an amphitheater and a city hall.
The city hall “needs to be built as soon as possible, so residents know where to go,” said one woman.
Minto Communities USA is the primary landowner and developer in Westlake, which was incorporated in 2016. Cresswind is a 55-and-older Kolter Homes development.
The session was the second leg of a four-stage process being conducted by Sugerman, a veteran municipal manager and longtime adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University. He holds a master’s degree in urban administration from the University of Missouri and a doctorate in conflict resolution from Lynn University.
“I was not surprised by a single thing I heard,” said Sugerman, who already had engaged in one-on-one discussions with members of the Westlake City Council as the first stage of the process. He also watched recordings of council meetings.
The question for council members will be, “What can the city council do to effectuate the development of a town center?” said Sugerman, whose job it is to boil down the residents’ comments into specific requests.
The session was dominated by members of the Cresswind neighborhood. Attendees were overwhelming white and split about evenly between male and female.
Sugerman said he was happy with the turnout, while acknowledging that the makeup of the crowd could skew the results of the session toward the interests of an older, more settled and financially secure demographic. Westlake has marketed itself as a lower-cost haven for young families and public sector workers, such as teachers, firefighters and members of law enforcement and health services, plus active-duty members of the military and veterans.
However, it is not his role to “balance” views across demographic lines, Sugerman said, but to present the council with the requests he is given by those residents who make the effort to involve themselves in the process.
Westlake residents will have another chance to air their views when the council meets for a two-day workshop June 20-21 beginning at 9 a.m. at a location yet to be determined.
The day-long sessions will mostly be for council members to brainstorm about the city’s future, Sugerman said.
However, there will be time set aside for public comment on both days.
Under Florida’s strict Sunshine Law, council members rarely have a chance to discuss issues outside of formal council meetings. Workshops, such as the one to be conducted by Sugerman, are an exception.
The final step in the process will be for Sugerman to produce a report. He’s being paid $9,775 for his work.
At the same time, the council has hired the engineering firm Chen Moore and Associates for $135,840 to develop a new comprehensive plan for the city.
Officials have said the projects go hand in hand.
Other requests and comments from the May 24 community meeting include the construction of a youth sports complex, increased speed limits on roads, adding more law enforcement and emergency call boxes around the community, and creating a comprehensive safety plan.
Others would like to create a “food hall” like Grandview in West Palm Beach, develop a means of public transportation both within Westlake (such as trolleys) and for workers without vehicles to reach the community, improve street lighting and develop a medical complex in connection with the existing ER at Westlake, which is an extension of Wellington Regional Medical Center.
Several of the comments had to deal with the relationship between the City of Westlake and the Seminole Improvement District (SID), which provides most of the city’s infrastructure and has its own taxing powers. Speakers suggested eliminating the perceived conflict of interest with Kenneth Cassel serving as both city manager and SID manager, perhaps even consolidating the city and SID.
Speakers also wanted Westlake to communicate better with the public and to become “more proactive than reactive” in dealing with Minto, while gearing up for the time, at least several years away, when the developer is no longer a major factor in the community.
