The most common concern that residents of The Acreage/Loxahatchee have voiced about the proposed West End Crossing plaza is the chance of drinking water contamination.
This controversial project would include a 12-nozzle gas station at the southeast corner of Northlake Boulevard and Seminole Pratt Whitney Road — bordering homes on wells.
Interestingly, at least one person behind West End Crossing could sympathize with worries over the potential threat to the underground water supply.
Brian Seymour, an attorney for the Gunster law firm who represents West End Crossing, said during a public hearing on Feb. 5:
“By the way, I want to be clear. If I lived there, and I didn’t do what I do, I would have this exact same concern. If I lived on a well, I’d be concerned about a gas station anywhere within 10 miles of me. I get that.”
To be fair, Seymour then cited “actual data” and “a lot of science” that he implied would allay residents’ concern about their wells. But in general, the county’s own planners have deemed West End Crossing’s data nonexistent and deemed its justifications inadequate, as detailed below.
“Greedy developers have falsely claimed the area is no longer rural,” Acreage Landowners Association (ALA) president Bob Morgan said. “They are trying to make that claim true using word salads.”
To judge Seymour for yourself, listen to the whole conversation on YouTube. He was responding to comments by Commissioner Bobby Powell Jr. (District 7), which start at the 56:30 mark. Click here to watch it starting at that mark. Seymour begins responding to Powell at 58:05.
To hell with the comprehensive plan?
Drinking water concerns aside, Seymour isn’t the only one who could sympathize with homeowners who don’t want a gas station or a 5,000-square-foot convenience store for a next-door neighbor. Based on the county’s own policies, it is in fact inappropriate to build either type of business next to residential property.
The West End Crossing proposal violates multiple aspects of a county policy known as the comprehensive plan. So the developer behind West End Crossing — a local company called Brock Development Corp. — applied for what is known as a “comprehensive plan text amendment.”
As part of the application process, the county’s own staff planners had to write a report detailing the ways in which West End Crossing fails to conform to the comprehensive plan.
Here are some highlights from that staff report, which is titled “Comprehensive Plan Amendment Staff Report Amendment Round 25-A2“:
- From page 1: “… the proposed high traffic generating use of retail gas and fuel sales and convenience store directly adjacent to existing residential is not consistent with Tier policies that requires the County to protect and maintain the semi-rural residential, equestrian, and agricultural communities by ensuring development is compatible with the scale, mass, intensity of use, height, and character of the community. The applicant has not provided adequate justification and staff does not concur that this amendment is suitable, appropriate, or compatible.” (emphasis added)
- From page E-3: “… there is no data and analysis provided by the applicant to support why the specific proposed high intensity vehicular based uses are suitable and appropriate for this specific site. … The vast majority of parcels along these corridors have been developed residentially, some are vacant, fewer are institutional uses such as school and daycare uses or agricultural uses such as nurseries. In fact significant portions of properties along the south side of Northlake Boulevard have wetlands areas with conservation easements to the South Florida Water Management District.” (emphasis added)
What residents should do now (before it’s too late)
The Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners will vote on West End Crossing on Thursday, Aug. 28. So at this stage in the game, there are only two ways residents can fight it:
- Sign the ALA’s West End Crossing petition by clicking HERE if you haven’t already done so.
- Attend the commissioners’ Aug. 28 meeting and speak your mind during the public hearing about West End Crossing.
To comment in person during the public hearing for West End Crossing, you must attend the commissioners’ meeting.
We ask that you wear a WHITE shirt. We will be sitting together to show solidarity.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. and take place at Palm Beach County’s Governmental Center, which is located at 301 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Go to the commission chambers on the sixth floor, and be prepared to wait while the commissioners address other meeting agenda items.
The meeting will likely go on for the better part of the day, but the only way to know when the commissioners will discuss the West End Crossing agenda item is to sit and wait until they get there. (Yes, sadly, that is the anti-resident nature of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners: In order to participate in the governmental process by speaking for a mere three minutes, you must sacrifice a day of your time.)
Slightly more information, as well as the meeting agenda, is available at https://discover.pbc.gov/pzb/zoning/Pages/BCC-Hearings-Meetings.aspx.
More ways to band together
The ALA is devoted to defending The Acreage/Loxahatchee quality of life, but this grassroots nonprofit organization can’t do it alone. Consider joining forces with us by:
- Becoming a full member ($20/year) or a free member (no cost).
- Following us on Facebook.
- Donating to our cause.
- Becoming a sponsor.
