BOCA BOTANICAL BROUHAHA

While both the Boca Raton Botanical Gardens and the Boca Raton Parks & Recreation Board endorse use of a 25-acre site next to the city’s new western library, a disagreement involves the location.

The Assoiciation wants to put it on a section of the developing de Hoernle Park between Yamata Road and Spanish River Boulevard, but the Board says that loation was never the board’s intent.

Association President Ann Wood responded to a letter from Recreation services Director Micky Gomez, citing the text of a vote she said was taken by the Parks & Rec Board on August 3, 2005, which she says the board supports the project and specifies the 25-acre site “situated near Spanish River Boulevard and adjacent to the library on the north side of the T-Rex sit.” She stated that, “We were surprised that none of the six carryover members from that board put on record that he previous board did unanimously recommend it to the City Council… there was no ‘gross misrepresentation’ in our petition wording,” and she asked for an apology for the accusations in Gomez’ letter, which said the board members “are obviously dismayed with this gross misrepresentation.”

Wood said that last month the association started a petition drive to “indicate to the City Council that we have the support of the community for the gardens. We believe that with enough signatures, the council will agree to designate the land for the gardens and lease it to us…. Since our plan has been so widely supported by the people, but thwarted over the past two years by city staff, we have chosen the appropriate channel as outlined in the city charter – a petition initiative.” The association had held off it’s drive because the property was part of the package offered to Scripps when the city was trying to woo the California-based biomedical research to South County, but it has now been assigned a site in Jupiter, and the association hopes to lease the property.

Wood wrote Mayor Steven Abrams that the association will hold off on submitting it’s petition, “to allow time for a mutually beneficlal arrangement to be concluded to develop the gardens in the southern section of the Countess de Hoernle Park, and has presented the mayor with a “join development” program that would require each side to contribute to the creation of the garden for which a conceptual plan has already been developed by a landscape architect.

Palm Beach County studies slightly larger cut in property taxes

A proposal to cut property taxes by 2% has been upped to a proposal to cut by 3% bby Commissioner Mary McCarty, with residents with homestead exemptions having no change in their county tax bills. The 3% tax rate cut would offset the rise in property values, with homeowners paying $4.30 for every $1000 in assessed values instead of the current $4.45.

Public hearings on the budget are set for July with voting in September. The 2006 budget was $3.9-billion; the 2007 budget calls for a $4.3-billion spending plan.
With a 21% spike in property values, about $100-million in extra revenues was created, even after McCarty’s proposed tax rate cut. Property value growth is expected to slow in 2007 due to a softened real estate market.

The Economic Council of Palm Beach County submitted a letter saying the tax rate reductions being discussed aren’t enough, considering the county has benefited from a soaring real estate market in recent years.
A 9% property tax cut was voted on for Broward County, although new projects proposed there might eat deeply into that tax cut.

Magen David Adom Admitted to Red Cross - Red Cross President speaks at St. Andrews Country Club

American Red Cross Chairwoman, Bonnie McElveen-Hunger, told an audience of American Friends of Magen David Adom at St. Andrews Country Club recently, “We are working to assure the implementation of MDA. We must right the wrong of discrimination against MDA.”

When a vote was taken by the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland in the past week, the International Red Cross welcomed both the Magen David Adomand the Palestin Red Crescent Society to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. After the vote, she said, “We are extremely pleased that… MDA is now an equal partner with the 184 other national societies.”

The MDA has been rejected by the International Red Cross for more than fifty years. She noted that since 1948, when Israel gained statehood, the American Red Cross has fought for international recognition of MDA as Israel’s equivalent to the Red Cross, and has withheld $45-million in dues to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, since May 2000.

McElveen-Hunter said that the success of the conference in Geneva was due in large part to a memorandum of understanding and agreement on operational arrangements between MDA and the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Both societies have committed themselves to taking concrete steps to improve humanitarian conditions in these areas.

PALM TRAN GETS STATE & NATIONAL AWARDS

C'MON ABOARD!!!

The 33-year old PalmTran Tri-Rail system continues to be heavily subsidized as Palm Beach County has about 2000 sq ft of real estate to traverse.

The state award was based on the “para-transit” connections, to address the needs of seniors along with disabled and handicapped persons. The Community Transportation Association of America award was for fixed route and para-transit operations, for innovative and creative service to the community along with its responsiveness to customers and community needs.

The CTAA highlighted “the many programs PalmTran offers to the community, the improvement and growth in these programs, and the hard work of the PalmTran Service Board… recognized the strong relationship PalmTran has developed with its customers and the continued efforts of Palm Tran’s staff to improve service, according to Chuck Cohen, PalmTran Executive Director. He continued, “this award recognizes that freedom of mobility that Palm Tran Connection provides to seniors and disabled residents.

PalmTran runs 7 days a week excluding holidays, serving mpre than 3500 bus stops and provides more than 7-million rides per hear. Buses arfe equipped with wheelchair ramps and automatic stop announcement systems. Surveillance cameras and bike racks are on buses. There is also door-to-door service.

CONSTRUCTION PLANNED IN WEST BOCA includes private school, retail center, assisted living

The Board of County Commissioners will hear plans for new construction at the southeast corner of Yamato Road and US 441, at a zoning hearing today (6-22-06). Earlier this month the Zoning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of the application of Vangard Development Corp. for Land Design South, Inc. 15 acres of land would be rezoned to a multiple use development district. To the west across 441 is Boca Greens Country Club. The application is on the consent agenda for today.

In June the parcel for the development of the Yamato Courty MUPD was separated from an adjacent piece of land where a development called the Hamptons PUD will be created and an additional two acres has also been set sied for the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Wastewater Pump Station No. 9 North.

Plans for Yamato Court show 45,846 sq ft of commercial retail space, to include a 4000 sq ft financial institution with 2 drive-up lanes, a 14,820 sq ft pharmacy and 20,026 sq ft of general retail sales in four separate buildings. There will be 1000 sq ft in a pedestrian plaza and a 5000 sq ft restaurant. Included would be a 2-story 70,000 sq ft private school for 300 students along with a 19,859 sq ft congregate living facility also made up of 4 buildings. The county’s engineering department estimates that the proposed project will generate 3,105 vehicle trips per day. Five letters were received from the public in opposition to the applications, primarily due to traffic concerns and the loss of a portion of the park site.

The Commission’s recommendation says, “Subject to the required landscaped buffers and the recommended conditions of approval, (county) staff does not anticipate any adverse impacts to the surrounding properties from t request.” Thirty-four conditions were added for the project, including one that prohibits outdoor lighting at the school except for nighttime security lighting.

FAU Trustees Expected to Approve Lease for New Hospital

Florida Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees is expected to approve a lease with Boca Raton Community Hospital that will pave the way for a new teaching hospital on the university’s Boca Raton campus when Trustees meet on June 28th. Approval is also needed from the Florida State Cabinet. The campus is pictured above.

Boca Raton Community Hospital would pay FAU $21.1 million over 10 years to lease land for a new teaching hospital on the school’s main campus, with an option to try to buy the land after all lease payments are made and requires the hospital to work with FAU’s new four-year medical program. The hospital’s lease would be for 68 years, which is the remainder of the 99-year master lease that FAU has with the state and could be renewed when FAU renews its master lease. The property’s estimated value is about $29-million, and FAU agreed to take less because of the benefit to FAU of having a teaching hospital on its campus. The hospital’s rent would help pay for multi-level parking garages at FAU that would take up less space than lots on the ground, but would be more expensive to build.

The medical facility will become a teaching hospital for interns graduating from FAU’s medical program and will continue to provide medical care for residents of the community and the local area.

A 550-bed hospital would be built on 38 acres of vacant land in the southeast section of the Boca Raton campus along Glades Road, with construction scheduled for completion by 2011, according to FAU President Frank Brogan.

SENIORS vs. CRIME OFFICE opens in BOCA

The Florida Attorney General created a program for an office of Seniors vs. Crime in 1989, and the office has opened this past week at the Mae Volen Senior Center at 1515 W. Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton.

Seniors vs. Crime offers free and direct assistance to seniors who have been targeted for specific crimes based on their age. A Senior Sleuth volunteer is assigned to the individual case in an attempt to resolve each situation. All criminal cases are turned over to the proper law enforcement agency for appropriate action. This program allowed seniors to become involved not only in their own protection, but also that of fellow citizens.

“The Senior Sleuths program is well-known around the state and can serve as the Attorney General's eyes and ears, volunteer, or actively assist in consumer protection investigations. These crime fighters have been responsible for recovering more than $4 million for seniors who were the victims of con artists,” according to Attorney General Charlie Crist. "Senior Sleuths volunteers are providing important assistance to the crime fighting effort," said Crist. "Unethical businesses and individuals may believe that their senior target is helpless when, in fact, these citizens may be working for the Attorney General." More than 3000 Volunteers work in storefronts.

"This is an important partnership among Boca Raton police, the Attorney General's office and the Mae Volen Center," said Mayor Steven Abrams, who was among those attending. "Fraud and abuse - especially toward the elderly - is particularly prevalent. It is important to have a program to educate seniors and recover the money they lost from being scammed."Also present were Interim Boca Raton Police Chief Jim Burke; Commander Maria Maughan, head of the police department's Family Services Bureau and Al Payne, deputy regional director of the program.

The Seniors vs. Crime office at Mae Volen will be open and staffed during regular business hours.For information about the program, call 1-800-203-3099.

20 BOCA RATON SCHOOLS RECEIVE A GRADES

Mayor Steven Abrams said, "In recruiting bio-tech companies, a great selling point is to say all our schools are A-Rated. I regularly visit city schools and regularly observe first-hand how hard our students and teachers work towards this."

20 Boca Raton public schools received A grades, one (Olympic Heights) fell one point short of an A, and none were C,D, or F. The Palm Beach County school district is the only large urban district in Florida to receive this distinction.

Grades are abased mainly on how well students perform on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment test (FCAT).

BOCA FESTIVAL DAYS COMING SOON…

Raising more than $200,000 last year from participating organizations, the 35-year old festival is held in August, a traditionally “slow” month for sales. Organizer is the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, who is also the promoter.

The Festival’s feature event run by Wine & All That Jazz, will be held Friday, August 11th from 6-8 pm at the Boca Raton Resort & Club’s Mizner Center. August 1, the 2nd Annual Splash of Gold Fashion Show will be held at the Marriott Boca Raton at Boca Center. Proceeds benefit education. Many local restaurants will be hold activities connected to the Festival. For more information, call 561-395-4433.