Land swap would benefit many residents of Ag Reserve area | Opinion

Over the past several months, I have heard a great deal about the GL Homes “land swap” proposal, which will be voted on next week by the Palm Beach County Commission. As President of the West Boca Community Council and a 40-year Palm Beach County resident, I support the proposal.

Furthermore the West Boca Community always prioritizes the input of our member communities before endorsing any proposal. We've received overwhelmingly positive feedback for the GL plan from the residents of West Boca, who will be the most impacted by the new community. They agree that the proposal represents the best solution for the entire county.

In essence, GL Homes is proposing to build a new active adult community on land it owns in South County, while decreasing the number of homes it will build on its Indian Trails Grove property in North County. In return, GL is offering an array of countywide benefits.

More: Reject GL Homes 'land swap' and preserve what's left of the Ag Reserve | Editorial

Here's an overview of what the GL Homes proposal provides for Palm Beach County:

Agriculture

GL will deed 745 fully-leased acres of land to Palm Beach County, which the County can maintain for agriculture, in perpetuity. Meanwhile, the 425 acres of agricultural land GL Homes will build on in is not similarly controlled, so this is a major win for County agriculture.

Open Space

GL will deed a total of 1,800 acres to the County for agriculture, a water project, and the new District 6 Family Park. Offset by GL Homes’ new active adult community, the County will receive approximately 1,300 acres of net open space.

Ag Reserve Water Quality

Many farms, including those in the Ag Reserve, dump dirty water into canals after rain events. However, residential development, such as the community GL proposes in South County, includes lakes to hold and treat water before it enters the canal system. Consistent with government regulations, this new community will improve water quality by reducing pesticides and herbicides discharged into canals.

Water Project and the Environment

GL will build a transformational water project on its land in North County that will enhance water quality in the Lake Worth Lagoon, Grassy Waters Preserve, and the Loxahatchee River. This project has been desired by the County for years. Oddly, many of those who are now opposed to the water project were in favor it when it would have cost our taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

Workforce Housing

South Palm Beach County desperately needs affordable housing options for our Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach workforce. The addition of 277 workforce housing units will be a game-changer for our local businesses, first responders and teachers. This is one of the most important factors cited by residents who support this proposal.

Palm Beach County Tax Base

West Boca contributes a considerable amount of real estate taxes to Palm Beach County, and the new luxury active adult community will provide an even higher tax base in perpetuity. We hope these tax dollars will be allocated to West Boca for our parks, maintenance and roads.

Public Civic Land

Palm Beach County needs land in South County for parks, fire stations and more, but not at an exorbitant cost. The GL proposal involves deeding 45 acres to the County, at a market value exceeding $20 million, and this will be done at NO COST to taxpayers.

Private Civic Groups

The proposed swap provides fully developed land to private groups for a synagogue, day school, and community with senior housing and housing for developmentally disabled adults. These are important community needs.

Recently, I’ve received numerous calls and emails from those who “support the swap.” We believe this is a turning point for Palm Beach County, which will result in clean water, workforce housing, community benefits…and more agricultural land. It’s a win-win for Palm Beach County.

I hope the Palm Beach County Commission agrees and approves this vital proposal.

Sheri Scarborough is president of the West Boca Community Council.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Vote for the Ag Reserve land swap and its Palm Beach County benefits