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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Publisher’s comment:
The merits of a waterfront park at the Wildflower site are no longer in question. In preparing the candidate profile on Armand Grossman, however, YouTube video interviews on the internet from 2016 and 2017 reveal Mr. Grossman’s position on this question; reveal that his vision for the site was a restaurant for the limited at the exclusion to the waterfront of the public-at-large. He goes on to say that residents were wrong; that commercializing the Wildflower site would have been the better outcome; and that Boca Raton has enough parks and no need for another at the Wildflower. Along with revealing this anti-resident bias, his complete misunderstanding of the referendum language is vividly apparent.
One has to wonder how a new Boca Raton City Council candidate running for office expects to win over the voters by telling nearly 28,000 of them that they were wrong in voting to preserve the Intracoastal Waterfront parks for recreational purposes. Good Luck with that!!!!
Al Zucaro
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Narrative:
This article presents some updated information regarding Wildflower Park progress. The tracker graphic included toward the end of this article has been updated accordingly. Past update articles are included for reference in Attachment 1. Following is a brief update discussion on each of the recently completed and remaining open phases.
Passive Park
The park was officially opened on Monday, November 27, 2017 and was temporarily enhanced for Holiday Boat Parade viewing on December 16, 2017.
Waterfront Study
The City’s consultant on the waterfront study, EDSA, presented their report and conceptual master plan at the December 11, 2017 City Council Workshop Meeting. Links to the presentation slides and a video of the presentation can be found on the City web site at:
https://www.myboca.us/civicalerts.aspx?aid=214
EDSA recommends enhancing the downtown waterfront in multiple phases. The first phase focuses on Wildflower Park and the design concept is depicted in the following two figures.
It is our hope that Wildflower Park will be so spectacular that it will be one of the top attractions in Boca. Visitors will be informed by family and friends that they must see the park when in town. TripAdvisor reviews will boost the park into a top position in “Things to do in Boca Raton.”
The City Council has decided that the development of Wildflower Park is the highest priority in the comprehensive waterfront study. As indicated in the progress tracker below, Task 1 – Conceptual Master Plan is now complete and the study is now focusing on Task 2 – Implementation Master Plan. EDSA is scheduled to present information on Task 2 at the February 12, 2017 City Council Workshop Meeting. Task 2 involves implementation details regarding construction, costs, schedules, etc. The City Council must then provide direction to City Staff on how to proceed on Task 2.
The City is still receptive to suggestions from residents on designs, so please submit your ideas to coastalmgmt@myboca.us.
BocaWatch will continue to track and report on the status of Wildflower Park.
Attachment 1 – Prior Wildflower Park Progress Tracking Articles
12/4/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-8/
10/30/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-7/
7/27/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-6/
6/20/2017 – /wildflower-park-tracking-report-progress-at-last/
4/24/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-5/
4/17/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-4/
3/13/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-3/
3/6/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking-2/
2/6/2017 – /boca-raton-wildflower-park-progress-tracking/
1/12/2017 – /wildflower-park-progress-tracking-article/
12/5/2016 – /wildflower-site-tracking-chart/
Boca residents, do me a favor and please CC me on any park suggestions as well. Consider contacting the other members on council also. Thanks.
jrodgers@myboca.us
Arguing that so many Boca voters actually intended to kill the Wildflower restaurant in 2016 sounds like George Bush arguing that so many Boca voters actually intended to vote for Pat Buchanan in 2000.
However, unlike the 2000 butterfly ballot, the 2016 Wildflower ballot appears intentionally worded to deceive unsuspecting voters.
An honestly worded Wildflower ballot would likely result in a different outcome.
Mr. DeLuca…You also miss the point of the referendum. It was not about a restaurant versus a park on the Wildflower site. The referendum was about protecting Intracoastal Waterfront Lands/Parks from commercialization and preserving these land for recreational purposes. I suggest you go back and read the language of the Boca Raton Question on the November 2016 ballot. Voters are smarter than you seem to want to give them credit for….Al Zucaro
Hi Al,
I was fooled after reading the ballot and I have a doctorate degree. Surely a large number of other voters were also deceived. Honestly, how was an average working citizen to know the Wildflower restaurant was even located on city property? And then connect the dots to discovered the true issues intentionally obscured by the ballot’s wording. If the 2016 ballot was honest about its camouflaged intent to kill the Wildflower restaurant and the vote still prevailed, then I would have more respect for a movement that now appears to have intentional deception – albeit wrapped in altruism – at its very foundation.
If Boca voters really want to kill the Wildflower restaurant, then park supporters should have no fear in requiring the city to hold an honest vote using a ballot that clearly sets forth the pivotal issues upon which citizens are deciding.
Mr. DeLuca: Nothing on that referendum could have been any clearer.
Sounds like he wanted a restaurant. I think he deceives only himself. The voters, like me, my husband and my father, knew we were
voting to save our waterfronts from commercialization, especially the Wildflower property.
Thank you Jim and Nancy Hendry, and all those who “SAVED” our waterfront from commercialization.