This article, originally published by Al Zucaro on BocaWatch.org, is preserved for historical purposes by Massive Impressions Online Marketing in Boca Raton.
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BocaWatch commentator Jack McWalter is back to discuss a major development project in Boca Raton: Midtown. Recent rezoning has residents questioning the project to ensure it is done correctly and is not another repeat of an over-developed Downtown Boca.
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As a native of Florida for 60+ years, I ask you, why must development be done? Just because a developer proposes something, it doesn’t mean it has to be done but it does mean that here. Boca is recreating New York, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago but there is no real mass transit here like there is in those cities. People have to use their cars and governmental agencies make up nonsense about what the traffic impact will be for a new development. The real joke is that developers are no longer are responsible for infrastructure improvements as a result of the impact of their development thanks to state legislators.
Why can’t those 50 acres be a park? People move here for the better quality of life which is being systematically removed by all the development.
As for Military Trail, I worked on Yamato Road in 2015 and it used to take me 35 minutes to go 6 miles on Military Trail during rush hour. Something was wrong then and it will be even worse once all these developments go in. Are they going to widen Military Trail to 4 lanes? I wouldn’t count on it.
Another question, who are the developers targeting with rental units from $1500 – $4000 or townhomes from $300K? The wages down here do not support the housing costs but I know they will get that money. People will load themselves up with debt to live here with a declining quality of life.
I agree Boca is or was a beach community which is now. Econong a high rise City with this overdevelopment and traffic. I ve been here 46 years and the last 10-15 yrs Boca has deteriorated with all the Condos apartments hotels etc. The Mayor and some of the council members have no regard for what the citizens want and only care about what the developers want. When is there going to be a change or is it too late. ?Bigger and higher is not. better. Maybe in New York or Chicago but not in Boca Raton.
It seems no matter how often the residents object or how many meetings we attend, the “powers that be” move ahead and do whatever they wish, without taking the opinions of the residents into consideration. It is discouraging to think that developers have some kind of ‘under the table” connection., but how can we think otherwise. This midtown proposal is unbelievable and unthinkable and serves no one except the developers and those that approve it.
The city like Boca Raton needs higher density. Suburban layout with single use zoning was a historical mistake that does not pay for itself: not enough taxes, complete car dependence, wide highway-style arterials within city limits. Remember that even New York, the densest city in US, has only half the density of Paris. So, more density is better, but it doesn’t address the consequences of single use zoning which is wrong for any town.