The annual "King Tides" of September and October 2019 once again forewarned the City of West Palm Beach of the future danger of sea-level rise along its highly valued eight-mile shoreline fronting the Lake Worth Lagoon.
City street crews are very aware of flood hazards along Flagler Drive. They are on the front line of the environmental battle - posting street flooding signs on Oct. 1 to warn motorists of the pending danger at four locations, and clearing the city's overburdened storm water drains that are often unable to keep pace with the combination of rain and high tides.
However, for a coastal city facing a future of sea-level rise within its tidal estuary, the issue is strangely muted at City Hall, especially when developers present their high-rise condominium and hotel projects for Flagler Drive. The street is within a designated FEMA flood zone and county hurricane evacuation area.
In April 2012, the city released its comprehensive "Rethink Paradise: The West Palm Beach Sustainability Action Plan" as a 123-page blueprint to use when facing a variety of future environmental issues. The action plan correctly states (on Page 4), "The city is within the front line of climate change impacts such as sea-level rise and increased hurricane intensity."
"One of Florida's greatest threats associated with a changing climate is sea-level rise," the report continues (on Page 7). "There can be a devastating effect on our built environment, including water and sewer infrastructure, coastal erosion leading to property loss, and salt water intrusion into our drinking water supply."
A consensus of estimates by NOAA and the 2015 "Unified Sea-Level Rise Projections for Southeast Florida" predict higher water levels of up to one foot by 2030 and three feet by the year 2060.
In the seven years that have elapsed since the release of "Rethink Paradise,' coastal development has accelerated while solutions to the sea-level rise problem remain elusive.
The City Commission approved the 25-story "Bristol" condominium built on infill land extending into the Lake Worth Lagoon. It was followed in succession by the high-rise "La Clara" (2018) and "Forte" (2019) waterfront projects along South Flagler Drive.
Developers currently have their sights on redevelopment of the Currie Park Corridor along North Flagler Drive. Currie Park also happens to be the city's last best hope of creating a true green space buffer against future storm surge and high tides east of Flagler.
The Galveston and Richmond Models
Progressive cities facing the threat of climate change have opted for two alternative approaches to negate the impacts of sea-level rise. Like many Florida coastal cities, Galveston, TX, has suffered from the ravages of hurricane storm surge and flooding. This included the devastating Hurricane of 1900, the deadliest storm in U.S. history.
Galveston is meeting future storm surge threats by "armoring" its coastline with a massive 10-mile seawall capable of holding back tidal flooding. It is a solution also used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent inland flooding along Lake Okeechobee.
Richmond, the capital of the State of Virginia, is intersected by the James River, one of the state's historic tidewater estuaries. The city's solution to river flooding is limiting development along its banks. Parks and green spaces front nearly 50 percent of the waterway within the city limits.
The use of development setbacks and green spaces along flood-prone waterways is gaining popularity nationwide as a means of preventing future damages to a city's infrastructure from sea-level rise.
In West Palm Beach, renovation of the downtown waterfront, with its elevated seawall, benefited the Clematis business district by creating a community green space that also serves as a flood barrier. Most of the remainder of Flagler Drive lacks this protection.
City staff is hopeful that improvements to its storm water drainage system in 2020-21 will be enough to meet the short-term challenge of sea-level rise in its coastal neighborhoods.
In the City of West Palm Beach, "Rethink Paradise" will require additional long-term actions and not just words to protect residents from sea-level rise in the future. For those still doubting the urgency of this issue, just remember two words - Hurricane Dorian.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
NOTE: Additional articles archived below and in "Older Posts."
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Friday, August 9, 2019
Local Lawmakers Push for New State Capital Site
In 1824 the site of Tallahassee was selected by city delegates from St. Augustine and Pensacola as a compromise location halfway between their two cities for the new capital of the U.S. territory of Florida.
If one local lawmaker has his way, history may repeat itself 195 years later with a proposal to move Florida's state capital and offices to the geographic center of Florida (i.e. Orlando area). A bill will be brought before the 2020 session of the Florida Legislature.
State Sen. Kevin Rader (D-Delray Beach) introduced the bill (SB 112) on Aug. 6 requiring the Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis of Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct a study regarding the relocation of the state capital to "Central Florida". The agency would submit its economic findings to Florida Legislature by Dec. 15, 2021 for further consideration.
The proposed legislation was referred to the Florida Senate's Government Oversight and Accountability Committee on Aug. 16. If passed by the Legislature, the "Capital Relocation Study" will include evaluations of the following four elements:
The journey from Palm Beach County to Tallahassee averages a seven-hour drive via the Florida turnpike, I-75 and U.S. 27. Commercial airline flights between the PBI and Tallahassee airports are routed through Atlanta.
Local lawmakers, lobbyists and citizens have long complained about the length of the trip to attend sessions of the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee. If Orlando becomes the new state capital in the future, it would be linked to South Florida by both AMTRAK and Brightline's high-speed rail service.
How Tallahassee Became Our Capital
Tallahassee was built over the ancient Appalachee native American village of "Anhaica". The town and adjacent mound site was briefly occupied by Spanish conquistador Hernando Desoto in 1538-39. Anhaica became the capital of "Appalachee Province" during most of the Spanish colonial period.
The Spanish Appalachee missions near Anhaica were the western terminus of Florida's "El Camino Real" (the royal road), a trail cleared in the 1680's which became the main transportation network connecting Spain's Franciscan mission system with St. Augustine.
During the late 18th century, the current site of Tallahassee was occupied by the Seminole tribe. The place name Tallahassee translates to "old town" in their Muskogean dialect. The town was sacked by Gen. Andrew Jackson during the First Seminole War in March 1818.
In November 1823, Pensacola delegate John Lee Williams wrote, "Doctor Simmons (the St. Augustine capital commission delegate) has agreed that the site should be fixed near the 'old fields' abandoned by the Indians after Jackson's invasion..."
Territorial Gov. William DuVal, backed by a U.S. Army regiment, arrived at the chosen site of the capital. He notified the local Seminole chieftain, Neamathla, that he would have to move his nearby village of "Cohowotochee" to a reservation east of Tampa Bay.
A simple log cabin in Tallahassee became the capital of the Florida territory in 1824. Tallahassee remained the capital when Florida was admitted to the union as a slave state in 1845.
Both the Orlando area and the Palm Beaches were included within thinly populated "Mosquito County" when Florida became a state. Today, the population center of Florida has shifted south of Tallahassee, initiating requests by state lawmakers to move the capital to Central Florida.
(c.) R. I. Davidsson, 2019.
*Note: See additional articles below and archived in Older Posts.
If one local lawmaker has his way, history may repeat itself 195 years later with a proposal to move Florida's state capital and offices to the geographic center of Florida (i.e. Orlando area). A bill will be brought before the 2020 session of the Florida Legislature.
State Sen. Kevin Rader (D-Delray Beach) introduced the bill (SB 112) on Aug. 6 requiring the Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis of Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct a study regarding the relocation of the state capital to "Central Florida". The agency would submit its economic findings to Florida Legislature by Dec. 15, 2021 for further consideration.
The proposed legislation was referred to the Florida Senate's Government Oversight and Accountability Committee on Aug. 16. If passed by the Legislature, the "Capital Relocation Study" will include evaluations of the following four elements:
- The study would review the "ease of travel" to the current and proposed state capital sites for members of the public.
- Total cost of travel to and from the state capital for members of the Legislature during interim meetings and legislative sessions.
- The costs of relocating the state capital building, Florida Supreme Court, offices of the Governor and Cabinet, and the legislative branch to Central Florida.
- The negative economic impact of moving the state capital on the City of Tallahassee and Leon County.
The journey from Palm Beach County to Tallahassee averages a seven-hour drive via the Florida turnpike, I-75 and U.S. 27. Commercial airline flights between the PBI and Tallahassee airports are routed through Atlanta.
Local lawmakers, lobbyists and citizens have long complained about the length of the trip to attend sessions of the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee. If Orlando becomes the new state capital in the future, it would be linked to South Florida by both AMTRAK and Brightline's high-speed rail service.
How Tallahassee Became Our Capital
Tallahassee was built over the ancient Appalachee native American village of "Anhaica". The town and adjacent mound site was briefly occupied by Spanish conquistador Hernando Desoto in 1538-39. Anhaica became the capital of "Appalachee Province" during most of the Spanish colonial period.
The Spanish Appalachee missions near Anhaica were the western terminus of Florida's "El Camino Real" (the royal road), a trail cleared in the 1680's which became the main transportation network connecting Spain's Franciscan mission system with St. Augustine.
During the late 18th century, the current site of Tallahassee was occupied by the Seminole tribe. The place name Tallahassee translates to "old town" in their Muskogean dialect. The town was sacked by Gen. Andrew Jackson during the First Seminole War in March 1818.
In November 1823, Pensacola delegate John Lee Williams wrote, "Doctor Simmons (the St. Augustine capital commission delegate) has agreed that the site should be fixed near the 'old fields' abandoned by the Indians after Jackson's invasion..."
Territorial Gov. William DuVal, backed by a U.S. Army regiment, arrived at the chosen site of the capital. He notified the local Seminole chieftain, Neamathla, that he would have to move his nearby village of "Cohowotochee" to a reservation east of Tampa Bay.
A simple log cabin in Tallahassee became the capital of the Florida territory in 1824. Tallahassee remained the capital when Florida was admitted to the union as a slave state in 1845.
Both the Orlando area and the Palm Beaches were included within thinly populated "Mosquito County" when Florida became a state. Today, the population center of Florida has shifted south of Tallahassee, initiating requests by state lawmakers to move the capital to Central Florida.
(c.) R. I. Davidsson, 2019.
*Note: See additional articles below and archived in Older Posts.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
'Wedding Cake Building' Earns Historic Status
The 1925 Alfred H. Wagg Corporation Building - commonly called the "Wedding Cake Building" - officially became a downtown West Palm Beach historic landmark on July 15.
The West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously approved the designation of the Wagg Building, located at 215 South Olive Avenue, as a municipal landmark property on the city's "Local Register of Historic Places" during its regular meeting.
The Wagg Building is a five-story Mediterranean Revival-style commercial building, designed by the local architectural firm of Harvey and Clarke, and built by contractor J.S. Wilson. The building was dedicated in March 1926 during a ceremony hosted by its civic-minded owner, Alfred Hoppock Wagg II, and served as the headquarters for his real estate and development company during the 1920's land boom era in Florida.
The office building earned the nickname of the "Wedding Cake Building" from its intricate molding and unique exterior detailing. The architects used the University Building in Salamanca, Spain, as a model and inspiration for the Wagg Building.
In its recommendation for approval as a city landmark, city staff reported, "Specifically, the building is at least 50 years old, it is associated with events that have made significant contribution to the broad patterns of the city's history, it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction..."
The Legacy of Alfred H. Wagg in West Palm Beach
Alfred H. Wagg, II was born Aug. 1, 1886 in New Jersey. He was the son of the Rev. Dr. Alfred (1861-1941) and Sara H. Jeffrey Wagg (1864-1943). Both his father and grandfather, John Wagg, were born in Burslem, England. They emigrated to America in the 19th century and served as pastors of Methodist congregations in New Jersey during most of their adult lives.
Alfred Wagg the younger departed from the family's ministerial tradition. After graduating from Dickinson College, he began a business career in New York City as a realtor and developer. His Amsterdam Development and Sales Company was one of city's leading real estate firms prior to World War I.
As a child he visited West Palm Beach with his parents. After a extended illness in New York, he returned to the Palm Beaches to recuperate as a seasonal winter resident in 1917. Wagg decided to make it his permanent home.
Wagg established his development company in West Palm Beach at a time when South Florida was experiencing its post-World War I land boom. The corporate slogan he used in local newspapers to promote his real estate projects was "We sell the Earth."
He developed the "Central Park" neighborhood in West Palm Beach. Wagg also promoted real estate sales in Briney Breezes, Loxahatchee Groves, Lake Park, Clewiston and residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Port of Palm Beach. True to his family tradition, he also financed the construction of a Methodist chapel on Garden Avenue in West Palm Beach.
The most ambitious of his many development projects was the "Estates of Palm Beach," a 125-acre subdivision extending from the Lake Worth Lagoon west to Dixie Highway. Today, the neighborhood, located just south of the Palm Beach Canal, is known as "College Park".
Profits from his real estate projects allowed the construction of the Wagg Building beginning in 1925 for $200,000. The developer resided in a Spanish Revival-style home on Brazilian Avenue in Palm Beach. He also owned a mansion called "Driftwood Manor" on Long Island.
Wagg served a two-year term in the Florida Senate beginning in 1926. He was reelected by the voters for a full four-year term, representing West Palm Beach in the Florida Legislature, from 1928 to 1932.
After retiring from state politics in 1932, he was selected as the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He also held an honorary title as a "commodore" in the Palm Beach Yacht Club.
The Great Depression not only crashed the stock market, it crushed the real estate market in Palm Beach County. The 10-year land boom became a bust for persons employed in the local real estate industry.
The Alfred Wagg Development Company became a victim of the business downturn. He was forced to sell his interest in the Wagg Building in a foreclosure sale. Wagg also sold his home in Palm Beach.
Alfred Wagg died July 1, 1937 from a cerebral hemorrhage while visiting Syracuse, NY. He was just 50 years of age. Both Wagg and his widow, Emma, were buried in the Hillcrest Memorial Park cemetery in West Palm Beach.
After many changes of ownership, the Wagg Building was acquired by Neil Seidman, the vice president of a cell phone tower company based in Boca Raton. He began restoring the Wagg Building to its original historic beauty four years ago as both a business opportunity and labor of love.
The designation of Wagg Building as a city landmark assures the community that the "Wedding Cake Building" can be admired for its architectural uniqueness for many years to come.
*NOTE: See additional articles below and archived in Older Posts.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
The West Palm Beach City Commission unanimously approved the designation of the Wagg Building, located at 215 South Olive Avenue, as a municipal landmark property on the city's "Local Register of Historic Places" during its regular meeting.
The Wagg Building is a five-story Mediterranean Revival-style commercial building, designed by the local architectural firm of Harvey and Clarke, and built by contractor J.S. Wilson. The building was dedicated in March 1926 during a ceremony hosted by its civic-minded owner, Alfred Hoppock Wagg II, and served as the headquarters for his real estate and development company during the 1920's land boom era in Florida.
The office building earned the nickname of the "Wedding Cake Building" from its intricate molding and unique exterior detailing. The architects used the University Building in Salamanca, Spain, as a model and inspiration for the Wagg Building.
In its recommendation for approval as a city landmark, city staff reported, "Specifically, the building is at least 50 years old, it is associated with events that have made significant contribution to the broad patterns of the city's history, it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction..."
The Legacy of Alfred H. Wagg in West Palm Beach
Alfred H. Wagg, II was born Aug. 1, 1886 in New Jersey. He was the son of the Rev. Dr. Alfred (1861-1941) and Sara H. Jeffrey Wagg (1864-1943). Both his father and grandfather, John Wagg, were born in Burslem, England. They emigrated to America in the 19th century and served as pastors of Methodist congregations in New Jersey during most of their adult lives.
Alfred Wagg the younger departed from the family's ministerial tradition. After graduating from Dickinson College, he began a business career in New York City as a realtor and developer. His Amsterdam Development and Sales Company was one of city's leading real estate firms prior to World War I.
As a child he visited West Palm Beach with his parents. After a extended illness in New York, he returned to the Palm Beaches to recuperate as a seasonal winter resident in 1917. Wagg decided to make it his permanent home.
Wagg established his development company in West Palm Beach at a time when South Florida was experiencing its post-World War I land boom. The corporate slogan he used in local newspapers to promote his real estate projects was "We sell the Earth."
He developed the "Central Park" neighborhood in West Palm Beach. Wagg also promoted real estate sales in Briney Breezes, Loxahatchee Groves, Lake Park, Clewiston and residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Port of Palm Beach. True to his family tradition, he also financed the construction of a Methodist chapel on Garden Avenue in West Palm Beach.
The most ambitious of his many development projects was the "Estates of Palm Beach," a 125-acre subdivision extending from the Lake Worth Lagoon west to Dixie Highway. Today, the neighborhood, located just south of the Palm Beach Canal, is known as "College Park".
Profits from his real estate projects allowed the construction of the Wagg Building beginning in 1925 for $200,000. The developer resided in a Spanish Revival-style home on Brazilian Avenue in Palm Beach. He also owned a mansion called "Driftwood Manor" on Long Island.
Wagg served a two-year term in the Florida Senate beginning in 1926. He was reelected by the voters for a full four-year term, representing West Palm Beach in the Florida Legislature, from 1928 to 1932.
After retiring from state politics in 1932, he was selected as the president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He also held an honorary title as a "commodore" in the Palm Beach Yacht Club.
The Great Depression not only crashed the stock market, it crushed the real estate market in Palm Beach County. The 10-year land boom became a bust for persons employed in the local real estate industry.
The Alfred Wagg Development Company became a victim of the business downturn. He was forced to sell his interest in the Wagg Building in a foreclosure sale. Wagg also sold his home in Palm Beach.
Alfred Wagg died July 1, 1937 from a cerebral hemorrhage while visiting Syracuse, NY. He was just 50 years of age. Both Wagg and his widow, Emma, were buried in the Hillcrest Memorial Park cemetery in West Palm Beach.
After many changes of ownership, the Wagg Building was acquired by Neil Seidman, the vice president of a cell phone tower company based in Boca Raton. He began restoring the Wagg Building to its original historic beauty four years ago as both a business opportunity and labor of love.
The designation of Wagg Building as a city landmark assures the community that the "Wedding Cake Building" can be admired for its architectural uniqueness for many years to come.
*NOTE: See additional articles below and archived in Older Posts.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Time to Establish School Board Term Limits in PBC
Term limits for the Palm Beach County Commission were established in 2002, following a successful ballot referendum and majority vote by county residents, to two four-year terms or a maximum of eight years in public office.
The County Commission's transition to term-limited government has worked well with little or no disruption of services to the people. It is now time for the Palm Beach County School Board to follow the Commission's path and institute term limits.
Two identical bills have been introduced to the Florida Legislature in 2019 (HJR 229 and SJR 274) to achieve this goal. If the joint resolution is approved by the Legislature this year, the measure would appear on the 2020 ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment limiting local school board members across the state to eight years in office.
The proposed amendment to Article IX of the Florida Constitution reads, "A person may not appear on the ballot for reelection to the office of school board member if, by the end of his or her current term of office, the person will have served, or but for resignation would have served, in that office for eight consecutive years."
If approved by the voters of Florida, the revised constitutional amendment would have a commencement date of Nov. 3, 2020.
The Florida Constitutional Reform Committee advocated for proposed school board term limits in 2018. However, the Florida Supreme Court blocked it from the state ballot due to a dispute in the wording of a secondary issue included in the initiative.
Palm Beach County is one of seven charter counties in Florida that have adopted term limits for its commissioners. Supporters believe democracy is best served when more citizens have an opportunity to participate in elective government. Long-term incumbency by powerful career politicians discourages public participation by new office seekers.
There are currently five members of the Palm Beach County School Board serving more than eight years. Dr. Debra Robinson has been a member of the board since the year 2000 and was reelected four times. Board members Marcia Andrews and Karen Brill were first elected in November 2010. Their current terms expire in November 2022.
The current School Board chairman, Frank Barbieri, has served three terms as its chair. He was first elected in 2008 and been a board member for 11 years. Chuck Shaw also has served since 2008.
Term limits are like a cup of fresh water, used to prime the pumps of our democracy with new leaders and ideas.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
The County Commission's transition to term-limited government has worked well with little or no disruption of services to the people. It is now time for the Palm Beach County School Board to follow the Commission's path and institute term limits.
Two identical bills have been introduced to the Florida Legislature in 2019 (HJR 229 and SJR 274) to achieve this goal. If the joint resolution is approved by the Legislature this year, the measure would appear on the 2020 ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment limiting local school board members across the state to eight years in office.
The proposed amendment to Article IX of the Florida Constitution reads, "A person may not appear on the ballot for reelection to the office of school board member if, by the end of his or her current term of office, the person will have served, or but for resignation would have served, in that office for eight consecutive years."
If approved by the voters of Florida, the revised constitutional amendment would have a commencement date of Nov. 3, 2020.
The Florida Constitutional Reform Committee advocated for proposed school board term limits in 2018. However, the Florida Supreme Court blocked it from the state ballot due to a dispute in the wording of a secondary issue included in the initiative.
Palm Beach County is one of seven charter counties in Florida that have adopted term limits for its commissioners. Supporters believe democracy is best served when more citizens have an opportunity to participate in elective government. Long-term incumbency by powerful career politicians discourages public participation by new office seekers.
There are currently five members of the Palm Beach County School Board serving more than eight years. Dr. Debra Robinson has been a member of the board since the year 2000 and was reelected four times. Board members Marcia Andrews and Karen Brill were first elected in November 2010. Their current terms expire in November 2022.
The current School Board chairman, Frank Barbieri, has served three terms as its chair. He was first elected in 2008 and been a board member for 11 years. Chuck Shaw also has served since 2008.
Term limits are like a cup of fresh water, used to prime the pumps of our democracy with new leaders and ideas.
(c.) Davidsson. 2019.
Monday, May 14, 2018
WPB Downtown Development: Inconvenient Truth
Build a high-rise Manhattan-style skyline of 25-story residential and office towers, then place it over a low-rise Copenhagen-modeled transportation network of narrow roads, reduced street parking, enhanced sidewalks and bike lanes with more trolleys, and the end result is the downtown vision of the future for the City of West Palm Beach.
Many residents of West Palm Beach don't share the city's vision. They fear the city's pending downtown development and mobility plans ignore many realities and inconvenient truths concerning commuting patterns, demographics, climatic issues and lifestyle choices. Their two main concerns are overdevelopment and traffic gridlock.
After a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Mayor Jeri Muoio hired the Danish Gehl Studio in 2016 to design a series of pilot projects for the city. The services of Alta Planning and Design was then contracted to draft a "Mobility Study" for the downtown.
The city also completed a downtown parking study and citywide bicycle routing grid. In combination these studies formed the blueprint for the city's future development strategy. The Mobility Plan was approved May 21 by the City Commission.
The cornerstone of the city's downtown redevelopment is the planned creation of a "Okeechobee Business District" surrounding the most congested corridor in West Palm Beach - Okeechobee Boulevard. It includes a 25-story office tower, wedged in behind the historic First Church of Christ Scientist, proposed by the Related Companies.
After negative public reaction, the City Commission rejected the project by a 3-2 vote in 2017. However, in the City of West Palm Beach, development projects seldom die a permanent death, they are just revised. With new elections come new opportunities for developers and city planners.
In her May 12 "Insider" newsletter, Mayor Muoio advocated for the approval of the Mobility Study recommendations, and "asked city staff to explore reviving the creation of the Okeechobee Business Disrict to better regulate development patterns and transportation demand."
Just three days later, the West Palm Beach Planning Board narrowly passed the city's staff recommendation, 3-2, to create the new downtown business district. The OBD proposal once again advanced to the City Commission for final approval.
At its June 18 meeting, the City Commission reversed its 2017 decision and approved the OBD, 5-0, on first reading.*
The mayor's stated goal is "by creating a downtown where people live and work we would take cars off the road in our city and, thus, reduce vehicular congestion."
It is a noble quest, but when it comes to downtown development, the devil is always in the lobbyist's details. Here are the inconvenient truths city planners have yet to address and resolve:
Inconvenient Truth No. 1: Better Mass Transit Needed
Urban centers like New York and Copenhagen have efficient underground subway systems to transport workers and customers throughout their cities from outlying communities. West Palm Beach lacks this service, and with sea level rise in South Florida, it is not an option.
West Palm Beach depends on the county's Palm Tran bus service as an alternative to a subway system or the automobile. City trolleys serve the immediate downtown area. Neither is an attractive or popular option for commuters since only 3.2 percent use public transit, according to U.S. Census 2016 "Commuting Characteristics" for the city.
Tri-Rail as a north-south commuter rail service has so far failed to impact these dismal mass transit usage statistics. Brightline will only assist commuters from Fort Lauderdale or Miami in the future.
Another inconvenient truth is 60.2 percent of resident workers have a place of employment outside of West Palm Beach. This outflow is not addressed in the Mobility Study. The city "hopes" downtown developers will provide future jobs where people live.
Hope is eternal. So are unresolved traffic congestion issues during rush hours.
Inconvenient Truth No. 2: The Bristol Parking Case Study
When the City Commission approved the 24-story Bristol condominium on the Lake Worth Lagoon, the developer's lobbyists assured city planners that adequate parking would be provided for residents and there would be no traffic problems. Wrong.
Even though the building is still under construction, the developers determined the original parking plan for the condo is inadequate. The Bristol will lease a second parking garage on property owned by Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU), west of Flagler Drive.
The garage will be built on a site that was used for affordable student housing on campus. In order to pass city zoning regulations, the project will include an "office" to quality the garage as a business.
Ironically, city staff recently recommended reducing internal parking space requirements for several downtown residential projects. The assumption is fewer spaces will be needed for cars since residents will live, work and walk downtown.
The inconvenient truth is new high-rise condominiums and apartment complexes do not reduce demands for downtown parking. In fact, they may increase parking needs for the building's service providers, staff, caterers, caregivers, visiting family members and guests.
The City of West Palm Beach "hopes" this is not true. Hope is eternal.
Inconvenient Truth No. 3: The Old and Infirm Live Here Too
The ongoing mantra, repeated at the mayor's office and by city planners, proclaims West Palm Beach is a youthful city with a median age of 39.6 years. As a result, walkability and bicycling could soon replace dependence on automobiles downtown.
However, this also means half of the population is over the age of 40, and 10.3 percent of residents of all ages are disabled, according to the U.S. Census. A total of 22,789 citizens are over the age of 62.
The elderly population in West Palm Beach, with its ADA equal access and transportation concerns, is avoided like bubonic plague or Ebola in the city's Mobility Plan. For most citizens in West Palm Beach, dependence on the automobile is a necessity of life.
Once again, Census statistics reveal 86.4 percent of county residents use a car, van or truck daily to get to work or for other uses. Only 3.4 percent of residents walk to work in West Palm Beach. Bicycles are used by 0.7 percent of the city's workforce.
Bike lanes are a nice supplement to city streets, but adequate roads and parking for automobile users downtown is a necessity. Walkability downtown should be available to all, including those groups that require the use of automobiles to reach the heart of the city.
The elderly and disabled "hope" the city is listening to their needs too.
Inconvenient Truth No. 4: The Weather Matters in WPB
New York and Copenhagen are seasonal cities with temperate climates and transportation systems designed to meet their specific needs. West Palm Beach is a subtropical city which many experts believe may soon have a year-round tropical climate.
West Palm Beach averages 62 inches (five feet) of rain annually. The average afternoon humidity level is 61 percent. Tropical downpours limit walkability. So does heat and humidity, especially in summer.
Convincing the public to trade in their automobiles for bicycles downtown in the sweltering heat or rain is a hard sell, but it seems to be the current city policy. When voluntary compliance fails, there is always zoning coercion.
In her "Insider" report, the mayor calls for a requirement "to restrict the amount of parking within the (Okeechobee) corridor to reduce vehicular congestion, and promote walkability and a requirement of developments to seek alternative modes of transportation to lessen the reliance on automobiles."
A more effective solution to "reduce vehicular congestion" is to reject additional 25-story monoliths downtown in the future.
Inconvenient Truth No. 5: The 'Optimum' Isn't Always Best
At the June 13 Downtown Action Committee (DAC) meeting, and repeated verbatim before the Commission, city planners pitched the need for the OBD Ordinance, and by their advocacy served the business interests of downtown developers, the local Chamber of Commerce and elected officials who favor high-density growth.
And once again, during their two-hour DAC presentation, city planning staff pointed out that while new downtown residential units have reached 109 percent of goals set by the city's master plan, business growth as measured by office space lags behind at just over 60 percent of their stated "optimum" level of new development.
Is the 100 percent optimum for business necessarily in the best interests of West Palm Beach residents? Are future 25-story office towers downtown a measure of quality or quantity? The city has yet to prove its case to surrounding neighborhoods.
Despite the promises of economic prosperity promoted by city staff, inappropriately acting as lobbyists, not all downtown development projects live up to the expectations of their planners. When they fail, it is the surrounding neighborhoods that are left with the empty storefronts, crumbling concrete edifices and future urban blight.
West Palm Beach has a poor track record when it comes to long-term business planning. City approval of the Palm Beach Mall turned Palm Coast Plaza, Prospect Place (Sears Town) and Clematis Street into economic deserts during the late 1970's and 1980's.
City support of City Place, while benefiting downtown business renewal, was the final nail in the coffin for the Palm Beach Mall. Likewise, city approval of the "Outlets" on the old Palm Beach Mall site has hurt retail business at both City Place and Clematis Street, as well as the long-suffering Palm Coast Plaza and the Dixie Corridor.
Now the City Commission views the new OBD as the latest economic cure-all. History has proved long-term thinking is in short supply at City Hall. All development projects have good and bad "consequences" with the negative aspects usually expunged during the planning process - but not always.
Profit is the economic force driving the Okeechobee Business District and other downtown development projects. Any developer or politician who says 25-story office towers are built primarily for the well being of the community is selling snake oil cures for future urban problems.
The quality of life in the city's urban neighborhoods matters, and that remains an inconvenient truth for many special interests. Their concerns often outweigh a developer's promises.
(c.) Davidsson. 2018.
*NOTE: Article updated on June 18. See additional articles archived in Older Posts.
Many residents of West Palm Beach don't share the city's vision. They fear the city's pending downtown development and mobility plans ignore many realities and inconvenient truths concerning commuting patterns, demographics, climatic issues and lifestyle choices. Their two main concerns are overdevelopment and traffic gridlock.
After a visit to Copenhagen, Denmark, Mayor Jeri Muoio hired the Danish Gehl Studio in 2016 to design a series of pilot projects for the city. The services of Alta Planning and Design was then contracted to draft a "Mobility Study" for the downtown.
The city also completed a downtown parking study and citywide bicycle routing grid. In combination these studies formed the blueprint for the city's future development strategy. The Mobility Plan was approved May 21 by the City Commission.
The cornerstone of the city's downtown redevelopment is the planned creation of a "Okeechobee Business District" surrounding the most congested corridor in West Palm Beach - Okeechobee Boulevard. It includes a 25-story office tower, wedged in behind the historic First Church of Christ Scientist, proposed by the Related Companies.
After negative public reaction, the City Commission rejected the project by a 3-2 vote in 2017. However, in the City of West Palm Beach, development projects seldom die a permanent death, they are just revised. With new elections come new opportunities for developers and city planners.
In her May 12 "Insider" newsletter, Mayor Muoio advocated for the approval of the Mobility Study recommendations, and "asked city staff to explore reviving the creation of the Okeechobee Business Disrict to better regulate development patterns and transportation demand."
Just three days later, the West Palm Beach Planning Board narrowly passed the city's staff recommendation, 3-2, to create the new downtown business district. The OBD proposal once again advanced to the City Commission for final approval.
At its June 18 meeting, the City Commission reversed its 2017 decision and approved the OBD, 5-0, on first reading.*
The mayor's stated goal is "by creating a downtown where people live and work we would take cars off the road in our city and, thus, reduce vehicular congestion."
It is a noble quest, but when it comes to downtown development, the devil is always in the lobbyist's details. Here are the inconvenient truths city planners have yet to address and resolve:
Inconvenient Truth No. 1: Better Mass Transit Needed
Urban centers like New York and Copenhagen have efficient underground subway systems to transport workers and customers throughout their cities from outlying communities. West Palm Beach lacks this service, and with sea level rise in South Florida, it is not an option.
West Palm Beach depends on the county's Palm Tran bus service as an alternative to a subway system or the automobile. City trolleys serve the immediate downtown area. Neither is an attractive or popular option for commuters since only 3.2 percent use public transit, according to U.S. Census 2016 "Commuting Characteristics" for the city.
Tri-Rail as a north-south commuter rail service has so far failed to impact these dismal mass transit usage statistics. Brightline will only assist commuters from Fort Lauderdale or Miami in the future.
Another inconvenient truth is 60.2 percent of resident workers have a place of employment outside of West Palm Beach. This outflow is not addressed in the Mobility Study. The city "hopes" downtown developers will provide future jobs where people live.
Hope is eternal. So are unresolved traffic congestion issues during rush hours.
Inconvenient Truth No. 2: The Bristol Parking Case Study
When the City Commission approved the 24-story Bristol condominium on the Lake Worth Lagoon, the developer's lobbyists assured city planners that adequate parking would be provided for residents and there would be no traffic problems. Wrong.
Even though the building is still under construction, the developers determined the original parking plan for the condo is inadequate. The Bristol will lease a second parking garage on property owned by Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU), west of Flagler Drive.
The garage will be built on a site that was used for affordable student housing on campus. In order to pass city zoning regulations, the project will include an "office" to quality the garage as a business.
Ironically, city staff recently recommended reducing internal parking space requirements for several downtown residential projects. The assumption is fewer spaces will be needed for cars since residents will live, work and walk downtown.
The inconvenient truth is new high-rise condominiums and apartment complexes do not reduce demands for downtown parking. In fact, they may increase parking needs for the building's service providers, staff, caterers, caregivers, visiting family members and guests.
The City of West Palm Beach "hopes" this is not true. Hope is eternal.
Inconvenient Truth No. 3: The Old and Infirm Live Here Too
The ongoing mantra, repeated at the mayor's office and by city planners, proclaims West Palm Beach is a youthful city with a median age of 39.6 years. As a result, walkability and bicycling could soon replace dependence on automobiles downtown.
However, this also means half of the population is over the age of 40, and 10.3 percent of residents of all ages are disabled, according to the U.S. Census. A total of 22,789 citizens are over the age of 62.
The elderly population in West Palm Beach, with its ADA equal access and transportation concerns, is avoided like bubonic plague or Ebola in the city's Mobility Plan. For most citizens in West Palm Beach, dependence on the automobile is a necessity of life.
Once again, Census statistics reveal 86.4 percent of county residents use a car, van or truck daily to get to work or for other uses. Only 3.4 percent of residents walk to work in West Palm Beach. Bicycles are used by 0.7 percent of the city's workforce.
Bike lanes are a nice supplement to city streets, but adequate roads and parking for automobile users downtown is a necessity. Walkability downtown should be available to all, including those groups that require the use of automobiles to reach the heart of the city.
The elderly and disabled "hope" the city is listening to their needs too.
Inconvenient Truth No. 4: The Weather Matters in WPB
New York and Copenhagen are seasonal cities with temperate climates and transportation systems designed to meet their specific needs. West Palm Beach is a subtropical city which many experts believe may soon have a year-round tropical climate.
West Palm Beach averages 62 inches (five feet) of rain annually. The average afternoon humidity level is 61 percent. Tropical downpours limit walkability. So does heat and humidity, especially in summer.
Convincing the public to trade in their automobiles for bicycles downtown in the sweltering heat or rain is a hard sell, but it seems to be the current city policy. When voluntary compliance fails, there is always zoning coercion.
In her "Insider" report, the mayor calls for a requirement "to restrict the amount of parking within the (Okeechobee) corridor to reduce vehicular congestion, and promote walkability and a requirement of developments to seek alternative modes of transportation to lessen the reliance on automobiles."
A more effective solution to "reduce vehicular congestion" is to reject additional 25-story monoliths downtown in the future.
Inconvenient Truth No. 5: The 'Optimum' Isn't Always Best
At the June 13 Downtown Action Committee (DAC) meeting, and repeated verbatim before the Commission, city planners pitched the need for the OBD Ordinance, and by their advocacy served the business interests of downtown developers, the local Chamber of Commerce and elected officials who favor high-density growth.
And once again, during their two-hour DAC presentation, city planning staff pointed out that while new downtown residential units have reached 109 percent of goals set by the city's master plan, business growth as measured by office space lags behind at just over 60 percent of their stated "optimum" level of new development.
Is the 100 percent optimum for business necessarily in the best interests of West Palm Beach residents? Are future 25-story office towers downtown a measure of quality or quantity? The city has yet to prove its case to surrounding neighborhoods.
Despite the promises of economic prosperity promoted by city staff, inappropriately acting as lobbyists, not all downtown development projects live up to the expectations of their planners. When they fail, it is the surrounding neighborhoods that are left with the empty storefronts, crumbling concrete edifices and future urban blight.
West Palm Beach has a poor track record when it comes to long-term business planning. City approval of the Palm Beach Mall turned Palm Coast Plaza, Prospect Place (Sears Town) and Clematis Street into economic deserts during the late 1970's and 1980's.
City support of City Place, while benefiting downtown business renewal, was the final nail in the coffin for the Palm Beach Mall. Likewise, city approval of the "Outlets" on the old Palm Beach Mall site has hurt retail business at both City Place and Clematis Street, as well as the long-suffering Palm Coast Plaza and the Dixie Corridor.
Now the City Commission views the new OBD as the latest economic cure-all. History has proved long-term thinking is in short supply at City Hall. All development projects have good and bad "consequences" with the negative aspects usually expunged during the planning process - but not always.
Profit is the economic force driving the Okeechobee Business District and other downtown development projects. Any developer or politician who says 25-story office towers are built primarily for the well being of the community is selling snake oil cures for future urban problems.
The quality of life in the city's urban neighborhoods matters, and that remains an inconvenient truth for many special interests. Their concerns often outweigh a developer's promises.
(c.) Davidsson. 2018.
*NOTE: Article updated on June 18. See additional articles archived in Older Posts.
Monday, September 18, 2017
Staff Replace Volunteers at Hurricane Irma Shelters
During the Hurricane Irma emergency in Palm Beach County, for the first time 15 shelters were staffed by both paid County Government and School Board employees after community volunteerism failed to provide the human resources needed to provide this service.
In the past, hurricane shelters were staffed by the Red Cross which relies heavily on volunteers in the community. There was a shortage of volunteers to adequately staff shelters when Hurricane Matthew passed offshore in 2016. As a result, Palm Beach County Government and the School District jointly acquired this staffing responsibility in June 2017.
Palm Beach County created a new employee policy, now appearing on its job classification postings. It states, "All employees of Palm Beach County may be requested to work before, during and/or after a natural or man-made disaster or hurricane."
Local governments had less than three months to prepare and train its staff for emergency shelter work when Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 tropical cyclone, made a direct hit on South Florida. The end result was detailed in the Sept. 17 Palm Beach Post article entitled "Shelter Work Angers Palm Beach County Employees."
In truth, situations faced by county employees, many saying they were "forced to volunteer," were as dire at a few shelters as reported in the newspaper article.
The unresolved social problems in our community followed the 17,000 evacuees into the confinement of emergency shelters. They included but were not limited to unsanitary conditions, medical and mental health issues, drug abuse, sexual misconduct, petty theft, vandalism and antisocial behavior.
Palm Beach County Commissioners praised the work of county staff who served the public during the emergency at their Sept.26 meeting.*
When Servitude Replaces Volunteerism
Hurricane Irma was not the first example of county staff used as surrogate workers when community volunteerism failed during a crisis. It was during the infamous 2000 "Hanging Chad" Presidential Election that the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections reported a shortage of trained volunteer poll workers.
Palm Beach County Government employees continued to fill precinct vacancies in the 2002 and 2004 elections. Today, many county workers voluntarily provide this public service.
County employees received a minimum of four hours of training by the Supervisor of Elections before serving as poll workers. However, several staff reported receiving less than one hour of emergency shelter instruction prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
Requiring county employees to leave their homes, families and children during a natural disaster to staff emergency shelters for several days is more than a routine job description. It is a sacrifice and a hardship. It is public servitude, not volunteerism.
If disaster staffing becomes mandatory in the future, then Palm Beach County needs to provide its employees with the same level of specialized training, labor and safety protections at assigned emergency shelters that they receive in their workplaces. County staff are a valuable resource that deserve nothing less.
(c.) Davidsson. 2017.
*NOTE: Article updated on Sept. 27. See additional articles below and in Older Posts.
In the past, hurricane shelters were staffed by the Red Cross which relies heavily on volunteers in the community. There was a shortage of volunteers to adequately staff shelters when Hurricane Matthew passed offshore in 2016. As a result, Palm Beach County Government and the School District jointly acquired this staffing responsibility in June 2017.
Palm Beach County created a new employee policy, now appearing on its job classification postings. It states, "All employees of Palm Beach County may be requested to work before, during and/or after a natural or man-made disaster or hurricane."
Local governments had less than three months to prepare and train its staff for emergency shelter work when Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 tropical cyclone, made a direct hit on South Florida. The end result was detailed in the Sept. 17 Palm Beach Post article entitled "Shelter Work Angers Palm Beach County Employees."
In truth, situations faced by county employees, many saying they were "forced to volunteer," were as dire at a few shelters as reported in the newspaper article.
The unresolved social problems in our community followed the 17,000 evacuees into the confinement of emergency shelters. They included but were not limited to unsanitary conditions, medical and mental health issues, drug abuse, sexual misconduct, petty theft, vandalism and antisocial behavior.
Palm Beach County Commissioners praised the work of county staff who served the public during the emergency at their Sept.26 meeting.*
When Servitude Replaces Volunteerism
Hurricane Irma was not the first example of county staff used as surrogate workers when community volunteerism failed during a crisis. It was during the infamous 2000 "Hanging Chad" Presidential Election that the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections reported a shortage of trained volunteer poll workers.
Palm Beach County Government employees continued to fill precinct vacancies in the 2002 and 2004 elections. Today, many county workers voluntarily provide this public service.
County employees received a minimum of four hours of training by the Supervisor of Elections before serving as poll workers. However, several staff reported receiving less than one hour of emergency shelter instruction prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
Requiring county employees to leave their homes, families and children during a natural disaster to staff emergency shelters for several days is more than a routine job description. It is a sacrifice and a hardship. It is public servitude, not volunteerism.
If disaster staffing becomes mandatory in the future, then Palm Beach County needs to provide its employees with the same level of specialized training, labor and safety protections at assigned emergency shelters that they receive in their workplaces. County staff are a valuable resource that deserve nothing less.
(c.) Davidsson. 2017.
*NOTE: Article updated on Sept. 27. See additional articles below and in Older Posts.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Vandals, Mayor Decide Fate of 'Rebel' Monument
As the unrestrained partisans of intolerance continue their war on America's past by defacing historic memorials across the United States, the twice vandalized and desecrated Confederate monument in Woodlawn Cemetery was removed from its pedestal Aug. 22, 1917 and placed in storage.
West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio ordered the monument removed from the cemetery on Aug. 21 after vandals desecrated the memorial for a second time over the weekend. The mayor said she has "lost her patience" with the ongoing issue. The monument was hauled away from the Woodlawn Cemetery the following day.
Once located within the cemetery's crossroads was a 10-foot high vertical block of marble with a Confederate battle flag - the "Stars and Bars" - etched into the memorial to the Old South.
In 1941, the United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated the monument in Woodlawn Cemetery. For more than 70 years, the memorial kept vigil over the 20 former Confederate soldiers buried in the city's graveyard. It was the only monument placed to honor Civil War veterans in Palm Beach County.
An inscription on the monument reads, "Forever now, among the immortal dead where dust belongs to glory's dreamland, sleeps the fair Confederacy..."
The City of West Palm Beach was facing the same dilemma as Charlottesville and other cities across the South. What do you do with aging memorials to the old 19th century Confederacy in a diverse 21st century America?
While Woodlawn is a public cemetery operated by West Palm Beach, the monument is privately owned and maintained. It was dedicated on public land with the permission and approval of the city.
Supporters say the monument is sacred to the memory of the buried Confederate war dead. Opponents say it is reminder of the bad old days of slavery and succession from the Union.
In a statement released to the news media on Aug. 21, Mayor Muoio said, "We have asked them to remove their monument, they have not done that, so we are going to remove it for them. We will put it in storage for them and they can take it, do whatever they wish, but not on public property."
City staff removed the red paint from the defaced monument as part of its policy of swift response to criminal gang tagging. The main gate to the cemetery was locked late in the afternoon.
The mayor has publicly stated her belief that edifices such as the Confederate monument are symbols of hate, and wanted the sponsoring organization to voluntarily relocate the memorial. She has not denounced the illegal defacing of a Civil War veterans monument with graffiti as an act of intolerance.
One name tagged on the monument with red paint was "Antifa". Antifa is a far left-wing anarchist movement of self-described anti-fascist, anti-capitalist activists using "direct action" to achieve their goals.
One example of Antifa "direct action" was the defacing of Atlanta's Piedmont Park "Peace Memorial" last month by mistake. In their zeal to cleanse the nation of historic monuments, Antifa failed to read the inscription on the plaque.
Anarchists and rage mobs recently have defaced monuments honoring St. Junipero Serra, the Apostle of California; Christopher Columbus, George Washington, General Robert E. Lee and the official World War II memorial. Not even Abraham Lincoln's monument in Washington, D.C., has escaped the defilers of U.S. historic sites.
The West Palm Beach Police responded to the first report of Confederate monument vandalism at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 10. It was investigated as a "Criminal Damage to Property" incident. They received the second vandalism call at 4 p.m. Aug. 19, according to the police blotter.
Under state law, "Injury or Removal of a Tomb or Monument (F.S. 872.02)," vandals can be charged with a third degree felony for "willingly destroying, mutilating, defacing, injuring or removing any tomb, monument, gravesite or burial mound..."
It was never investigated if the mayor herself committed a felony by removing a private cemetery monument without the approval of the owner. State law requires the City Commission to hold a public hearing before a monument can adversely be removed from a cemetery.
To many political extremists, even a maximum $5,000 fine for a third degree felony is not an adequate deterrent to prevent their acts of vandalism. Historic monuments located outside of a cemetery have even less legal protection in Florida
The police are currently investigating the two monument vandalism incidents, but no suspects have been charged with the criminal act. Meanwhile, an historic Civil War memorial was permanently removed from its pedestal at Woodlawn Cemetery. Both the mayor and vandals achieved their objective.
'With Malice Toward None...'
As the future fate of historical monuments, made unpopular by revisions of history, is debated in cities across the nation, perhaps it would be wise for people of good will on both sides of the issue to consider the words of Abraham Lincoln during his Second Inaugural Address.
About one month before the end of the Civil War and his future martyrdom, the Great Emancipator said, "With malice toward none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and for his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and all nations."
There was no such public discussion or compromise in West Palm Beach. In West Palm Beach, historic monuments are removed from public view by executive order of the mayor, in violation of state law, and with the unsolicited support of the vandals who deface them.
The fate of the Civil War monument continues to be known only to the mayor and a select few in city government three years later in the year 2020.
Hopefully, elsewhere in 21st century America, citizens will work together without malice and in the spirit of charity to resolve the issues that divide us, with peaceful compromise instead of violent confrontation and cowardly acts of lawlessness.
(c.) Davidsson. 2017
*NOTE: The article was updated in 2020. See additional articles below and in Older Posts.
West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio ordered the monument removed from the cemetery on Aug. 21 after vandals desecrated the memorial for a second time over the weekend. The mayor said she has "lost her patience" with the ongoing issue. The monument was hauled away from the Woodlawn Cemetery the following day.
Once located within the cemetery's crossroads was a 10-foot high vertical block of marble with a Confederate battle flag - the "Stars and Bars" - etched into the memorial to the Old South.
In 1941, the United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated the monument in Woodlawn Cemetery. For more than 70 years, the memorial kept vigil over the 20 former Confederate soldiers buried in the city's graveyard. It was the only monument placed to honor Civil War veterans in Palm Beach County.
An inscription on the monument reads, "Forever now, among the immortal dead where dust belongs to glory's dreamland, sleeps the fair Confederacy..."
The City of West Palm Beach was facing the same dilemma as Charlottesville and other cities across the South. What do you do with aging memorials to the old 19th century Confederacy in a diverse 21st century America?
While Woodlawn is a public cemetery operated by West Palm Beach, the monument is privately owned and maintained. It was dedicated on public land with the permission and approval of the city.
Supporters say the monument is sacred to the memory of the buried Confederate war dead. Opponents say it is reminder of the bad old days of slavery and succession from the Union.
In a statement released to the news media on Aug. 21, Mayor Muoio said, "We have asked them to remove their monument, they have not done that, so we are going to remove it for them. We will put it in storage for them and they can take it, do whatever they wish, but not on public property."
City staff removed the red paint from the defaced monument as part of its policy of swift response to criminal gang tagging. The main gate to the cemetery was locked late in the afternoon.
The mayor has publicly stated her belief that edifices such as the Confederate monument are symbols of hate, and wanted the sponsoring organization to voluntarily relocate the memorial. She has not denounced the illegal defacing of a Civil War veterans monument with graffiti as an act of intolerance.
One name tagged on the monument with red paint was "Antifa". Antifa is a far left-wing anarchist movement of self-described anti-fascist, anti-capitalist activists using "direct action" to achieve their goals.
One example of Antifa "direct action" was the defacing of Atlanta's Piedmont Park "Peace Memorial" last month by mistake. In their zeal to cleanse the nation of historic monuments, Antifa failed to read the inscription on the plaque.
Anarchists and rage mobs recently have defaced monuments honoring St. Junipero Serra, the Apostle of California; Christopher Columbus, George Washington, General Robert E. Lee and the official World War II memorial. Not even Abraham Lincoln's monument in Washington, D.C., has escaped the defilers of U.S. historic sites.
The West Palm Beach Police responded to the first report of Confederate monument vandalism at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 10. It was investigated as a "Criminal Damage to Property" incident. They received the second vandalism call at 4 p.m. Aug. 19, according to the police blotter.
Under state law, "Injury or Removal of a Tomb or Monument (F.S. 872.02)," vandals can be charged with a third degree felony for "willingly destroying, mutilating, defacing, injuring or removing any tomb, monument, gravesite or burial mound..."
It was never investigated if the mayor herself committed a felony by removing a private cemetery monument without the approval of the owner. State law requires the City Commission to hold a public hearing before a monument can adversely be removed from a cemetery.
To many political extremists, even a maximum $5,000 fine for a third degree felony is not an adequate deterrent to prevent their acts of vandalism. Historic monuments located outside of a cemetery have even less legal protection in Florida
The police are currently investigating the two monument vandalism incidents, but no suspects have been charged with the criminal act. Meanwhile, an historic Civil War memorial was permanently removed from its pedestal at Woodlawn Cemetery. Both the mayor and vandals achieved their objective.
'With Malice Toward None...'
As the future fate of historical monuments, made unpopular by revisions of history, is debated in cities across the nation, perhaps it would be wise for people of good will on both sides of the issue to consider the words of Abraham Lincoln during his Second Inaugural Address.
About one month before the end of the Civil War and his future martyrdom, the Great Emancipator said, "With malice toward none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and for his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and all nations."
There was no such public discussion or compromise in West Palm Beach. In West Palm Beach, historic monuments are removed from public view by executive order of the mayor, in violation of state law, and with the unsolicited support of the vandals who deface them.
The fate of the Civil War monument continues to be known only to the mayor and a select few in city government three years later in the year 2020.
Hopefully, elsewhere in 21st century America, citizens will work together without malice and in the spirit of charity to resolve the issues that divide us, with peaceful compromise instead of violent confrontation and cowardly acts of lawlessness.
(c.) Davidsson. 2017
*NOTE: The article was updated in 2020. See additional articles below and in Older Posts.
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