Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAboutApril 1994CURRENTS The Official Newsletter of • of April 1994 STATE CHOPS DOWN TREE BILL Both the Florida House and the Senate failed to take action on the Town's proposed bill to permit the replanting of Australian pines along AIA, effectively killing the bill. A statewide ban on the planting of the pines required the Town to seek special permission from the legislature to replant them. Although the Gulf Stream Historic Highway Committee expected a tough fight, the failure of the legislature to act on the bill still came as a disappointment. Both of the bill's sponsors, Ron Klein in the House and Mark Foley in the Senate, diligently tried to move the bill forward. While there are a number of reasons the bill failed, the primary one appeared to be concern that its passage would open the door to replanting the pines in other areas, where they may cause harm to the environment. In addition, it is an election year, and a number of larger issues including the budget and health care took up most of the legislators' time. As a result, few legislators outside of our area were willing to take the time to learn more about our bill. TOWN DECIDES ON ANNEXATIONS At their meeting on March 11, the Town Commission voted unanimously not to pursue the annexation of any of the unincorporated properties northeast of the current Town limits. After several months of study and input from Town residents, the Commission concluded that annexation of the properties would not be in the best interest of the Town at this time. Chief among the Commission's concerns was a belief that most of the properties in the area were too dissimilar in terms of building size and use to those already in In light of the bill's failure, the Historic Highway Committee now will consider what other options are available. These include trying to get a bill passed next year, selecting a new tree to plant along AlA, or concentrating solely on trying to save the remaining pines. Members of the Committee include Chairman Jeanne Breazeale, Vice Chairman Mary Windle, Secretary Kim Tiernan, Linda Bryan and Cynthia Neeves. The Committee would very much like the support and involvement of additional people who have the time and interest to dedicate to this important project. If you would like to help, please come to the next meeting on May 10, at 9 a.m., in the Town Hall or call the Town Hall for more information. The Town extends its thanks to the Committee, our legislative sponsors and Mary Baruch of the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation Office for all of their hard work. Gulf Stream. Properties in the area included a motel, a time share, a restaurant and high-rise condominiums. At the same meeting, the Commission endorsed a proposal to annex a vacant 7 -acre parcel owned by the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) situated just north of Place An Soleil. When annexed, the site will be preserved as permanent open space between Place An Soleil and areas to the north. The site will be used occasionally to store spoil generated by the periodic maintenance dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway; however, no permanent improvements are planned. Efforts are underway to formally annex the site and make the necessary comprehensive plan and zoning changes. Given the complexity of slate planning laws, final action on these matters is not expected until fall. Questions about the project should be directed to Mr. Harrington at the Town Hall. HURRICANE SEASON BLOWING IN Once again, hurricane season is just around the corner. Help us help you in case disaster strikes: Be sure the Police Department has an up-to-date record on you and your properly. By taking a few minutes now to complete the form enclosed with this newsletter, lives and property could be saved were a disaster to strike. It is crucial the Police Department have this information for both seasonal and year-round residents if our disaster procedures are to operate effectively. If you have any questions, please contact Chief Robert Schultz between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 278-8611. TURN IT OFF! SAVE WATER - AND MONEY Although we have had two lucky years with average or above-average rainfall levels, water conservation is still a major concern for the Town and state. Ironically, the increase in rainfall has not lead to a decrease in water use in the Town. In fact, water use actually has increased. A 1992 study shows that most of Gulf Stream's water is used for irrigation. While irrigation is necessary, broken or improperly set irrigation systems are not. And these are a major source of wasted water. To help save water - and help prevent high water bills - please do the following: • Check to see that your irrigation system's timer is set in accordance with the following Town restrictions: a. Properties with odd addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Properties with even addresses may water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. No watering is permitted on Fridays. b. Watering is permitted only during non - daylight hours. HOME OFFICE REGULATIONS TO CHANGE The Town Commission has directed that regulations be drafted for home offices and home occupations. In an age of personal computers, and fax machines, the Commission viewed the current blanket prohibitions on all home offices as unnecessary and noted they are frequently violated. Work on the ordinances has just begun. However, occupations that do not involve outside employees, on- site sales or service, or large inventories probably will be permitted, while those that do involve these activities will continue to be prohibited. The Commission expects to take action on a final ordinance within the next three months. Questions or comments should be directed to the Commission members or Mr. Harrington. TASK FORCE ATTACKS ZONING CODE Charged by the Town Commission to strengthen and clarify existing Town codes, the Zoning Code Task Force has mapped out a strategy to address current and future development issues facing the community. The three primary areas they will address include: a survey of existing home styles and site characteristics such as landscaping and driveways; development of a design guidelines manual with words, pictures and drawings; and changes to the Zoning Code. Work on these tasks will progress throughout the summer and fall with final action expected by the end of the year. Residents are welcome to attend all Task Force meetings but are strongly encouraged to attend the presentations on June 9 and July 21 to give their input while the work is still underway. Additional presentations will be made in the fall as the work is concluded. Members of the Task Force include Chairman Chip Wilson, Vice Chairman Fritz Devitt, Alan Armour, C. The above restrictions include systems using wells but do not include watering with a hose. • Follow the basic watering schedule recommended by lawn and gardening experts: three days per week at no more than 20 to 30 minutes per zone. Excessive watering not only damages grass and bushes, but it also promotes the growth of water -tolerant weeds. • Consider installing a rain switch, which will shut off your irrigation system when it rains. The Town recently installed switches on all of our systems, and we expect to save a great deal of water and money. Our savings will be reported in future newsletters. • If a gardener or lawn service handles your irrigation system, pass this information along to them. Many lawn services are not aware of these restrictions and may be costing you money. This fall, the Town hopes to start a number of new water conservation programs. In the interim, we can all do our part by following the above guidelines. For more information, please contact Mr. Harrington at the Town Hall. Joan Orthwein, and Sammy Winston. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend all Task Force meetings. Please contact the Town Hall for the meeting dates or any of the Task Force members with any comments or suggestions you may have. LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE Hey! Where is everybody? The Town Library, small as it may be, has been awfully quiet lately. Tucked inside the Town Hall, the Library is open on non - holiday weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Recent donations to the Library include several recently published hardback novels and a set of Architectural Digest issues dating back to 1977. The set is a gift from former Town resident Charles Hallock. Donations such as these are always welcome, provided we have space. Not only would we love residents to make use of our Library, we also need volunteers to help catalog our new books. If you have library experience, we would greatly appreciate any time you could give. For more information, please call Rita at the Town Hall.