As you might expect, development issues are ultimately determined by a city’s elected officials. The development community works very hard to stay in the ear of these officials and spends meaningful dollars to finance the campaigns of these people. It is the developers and land use attorney’s livelihood and it is what they do. That does not make it right.
Meanwhile, residents who object to the loss of “Boca as we know it” have yet to crack the code of a united front to explain in a calm and rational way to their elected officials that they do not like path the City’s development is on. Most residents like new stuff. They also favor progress. What they don’t like is the magnitude, density, and congestion that will follow and then lead to a loss of the character that has made Boca special.
The latest and greatest news is that Boca Raton has been selected as the most livable city in Florida and the 11th in the country! So some might say, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it. This has been the lament of many Boca citizens….”let’s maintain the character and charm that brought us here”…what got us voted #1 in our state. Let’s not give it away!
So maybe it’s time for more citizen involvement and interaction, in a good way, with our City Council/CRA. For those that feel saddened by the loss of character of a city that they have chosen to make their home, not all is lost. Not yet anyway. Our current Council seems to be more receptive to citizen opinions than the prior six years. A friendly email to council members requesting a roll back to the one hundred foot limit and continual engagement with the City is a good start. Attending a CRA or City Council meeting can make for an interesting and informative outing. You could also set the DVR for these meetings and speed through the parts that give you the yawns. Important things that directly affect your quality of life do occur at these meetings. Don’t be caught unaware. Let your voice be heard.
A final point, technology is an ally in disseminating information to a wide range of people in a timely fashion. The BocaWatch website was created for this very purpose. Save it as a favorite and visit it regularly to learn about new issues confronting Boca. Share with your friends and neighbors. Like us on Facebook and Twitter as well. At the end of the day, an elected official may care more about engaged residents who vote rather than a special interest group.
All city contacts are listed on the website under CONTACT INFO. City meetings, dates and times including reruns on Boca TV 20 are listed under AGENDAS. Please use this site as your resource for hot topics, news articles and upcoming and past meetings.
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