GL Homes land swap final vote still leaves Palm Beach Post readers with doubt | Letters

Our readers' letters are not necessarily the opinions of The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board.

Land swap questions unanswered

I would like to point out to Palm Beach County Commissioners and the public that getting a water reservoir to work correctly is hard work. The Indian Trails Grove-Exchange “Swap” water reservoir project has not been properly vetted. There has been no thorough analysis to verify and quantify the benefits. What guarantees will be provided to Palm Beach County regarding performance of the water project? The City of West Palm Beach has been asked to be a partner on this project. They have raised questions that need to be answered before approval and should be raised by our Palm Beach County Commission.

Linda Smithe, Jupiter is executive committee chair of the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group.

Our View: Editorial: GL Homes wins Ag Reserve 'land swap' vote; so much for preservation.

Ag Reserve swap shows developers' power

With an initial vote in support of a large housing project in a protected area, the majority of the Palm Beach County Commission is following a nationwide propensity for what singer Joni Mitchell famously called in one of her songs, “pave paradise, put up a parking lot.” On May 3, the board voted 5-2 to grant a Privately Initiated Text Amendment to allow GL Homes to swap land from outside the Ag Reserve to add to development rights for its project on a 682-acre site across US Highway 441 on the west side of Boca Raton. A final decision is expected on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Opponents of the project fear the swap would set a precedent for other developers to build in the reserve, to the point of destroying it. Critics who see the GL Homes proposal for the Ag Reserve as lacking a good rationale believe that the project's progress in the approval process is another example of development forces succeeding in buying valuable property by using the pressure of persistent well-funded campaigns on local government.

Sondra Levin, Boca Raton

Ag Reserve 'swap' good for Palm Beach County

As chief executive of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County, I strongly support GL Homes' innovative land swap proposal, which will provide hundreds of new housing units for essential members of our community, including our workforce, seniors and developmentally disabled adults. This forward-looking initiative has the potential to usher in positive and lasting changes, significantly benefiting Palm Beach County.

GL Homes' proposal perfectly aligns with our organization's mission and overall vision of creating a world where everyone has a place to live. Unfortunately, skyrocketing home prices in south Palm Beach County have made the community unaffordable for many teachers, healthcare workers and first responders. Moreover, the GL Homes plan includes support for various organizations such as Jewish Family Services and Jewish Association of Residential Care, which offer housing solutions for our most vulnerable residents.

I have seen firsthand the positive impact that well-planned residential projects can have on communities. The GL Homes proposal, with its multi-faceted approach to community betterment, presents an exciting opportunity for collaboration and growth. I encourage our county commission to vote in favor of this plan's potential to make a tangible difference in the lives of our neighbors and continue building a stronger, more inclusive community for all.

Jennifer C. Thomason, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Palm Beach County

More: Mega builder GL Homes wants to swallow up more of protected Ag Reserve for development

Aren't there better deals than GL Homes'?

I’ll start by saying that I’m strongly opposed to the plan allowing GL Homes to destroy the Ag Reserve by performing a land swap whose benefits to the area are suspicious at best. Shame on the five commissioners who have voted for it thus far, even though the plan presented lacks hard data, any real details or even a good deal in general for the taxpayers. Perhaps the commissioners were promised a street in their name?

But if the five are going to give GL Homes what they want, shouldn’t they have at least put the bid out to other developers? The land swap may not be the best deal they can get as other builders are surely salivating on getting some of that sweet Ag Reserve land. Again, I’m firmly opposed to any kind of building in the Reserve, but if it’s going to happen, shouldn’t the commissioners try to get better than what GL Homes if offering?

Ed Colantoni, Boynton Beach

Vote for homes devastates master plan

Re the GL Homes’ land swap proposal in the Ag Reserve, and the way the current county commission is dealing with it by ignoring the master plan: Commissioners may argue that the master plan needs to be updated from time to time and they are right. The problem is the current commissioners are not only turning a blind eye towards the master plan, they are intentionally ignoring the recommendations of the county staff who are saying "no" to the land swap.

The galling thing about the swap is that every one of these commissioners knows, or should know, that GL Homes is not the best of neighbors, and they are “buying” the commissioner’s votes. A park here, land for a temple there, a water project, land for a school or community center — the commissioners only see tax revenue and growth, ignoring the environmental issues, and those citizens who can’t see beyond their front doors fail to understand that the associated costs, like new fire and rescue, police and trash removal,, water usage, and additional traffic will far outweigh the alleged “positives.” Growth is inevitable. Uncontrolled growth is not. The short term positives offered by GL Homes, which are not a given, will be far outweighed by the negatives that are certain to follow.

Bruce Brodsky, Boynton Beach

The Palm Beach Post is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. Please send your views to letters@pbpost.com or by mail to Letters to the Editor, The Palm Beach Post, 2751 S, Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach 33405. Letters are subject to editing, must not exceed 200 words and include your name, address and daytime phone number. We only published names and cities with the letters.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Post readers sound off on GL Homes Ag Reserve swap