Should county commissioners force taxpayers to pay for developer’s ideas for a population explosion in western Palm Beach County?
Minto knowingly bought enclave-limited land in the center of the central western communities and county government has an award-winning Comprehensive Land Use Plan public policy, resolutions from surrounding communities and petitions from affected residents to support enclave limits and oppose known impacts.
So, why did five “public servants” (whom the affected voters can’t elect) give Minto gifts of more population and taxpayer-funded infrastructure than the public planned to pay for and set legal precedence for big sugar and other landowners to get the same? The longstanding “Eastward Ho” initiative, the Urban Service Area boundary and comprehensive plans of the people of the central western communities and surrounding cities are killed, and developer’s plans can become law overnight?
The people of Palm Beach County must know the costs and impacts of this drastic change to county law and planning. Water supplies, farming and built and natural environments must be protected to support future generations. “Open space” must be in legal perpetuity as in pre-established linked conservation easements for new and existing systems of the Northern Everglades Natural Areas (NENA). Public servants must obey the public.
Rita Miller, The Acreage
