(CBS12) — A huge law enforcement presence is at the Lake Worth Beach corridor The scene is near Military Trail and Clemens Street Only a few blocks from 10th Ave and Lake Worth however our CBS12 photographer tells us there are several streets blocked off — A costly crime is impacting at least three high schools in Palm Beach County The incidents involve scoreboards at the schools but WPTV has learned it's not the actual scoreboard the thieves want the crooks actually want what's inside of them at least three schools confirmed with WPTV that they have been the victims of copper wire thefts after their scoreboards were targeted by thieves The schools affected include: Atlantic High School in Delray Beach Joaquín García High School in the Lake Worth Corridor and Royal Palm Community High "It's definitely surprising," Chris Crawford who has called the Lake Worth area home for decades He told WPTV that he doesn't know why someone would do this "I don't know if it's people coming from a different area and doing that but people need money for different things," Crawford said "It's not OK; it's not the right way to go about things if they need money." the cost of copper has spiked in recent years "Aluminum is about 50 cents per pound in scrap compared to copper which is about $5 per pound in scrap," said A1 Industries Vice President John Chalhoub He believes that the copper thieves can often be very strategic "There are two different types of copper: dirty copper and clean copper," Chalhoub said WPTV reached out to the School District of Palm Beach County about the incidents "Palm Beach County School Police and local law enforcement agencies are actively investigating recent incidents involving property theft on some of our campuses," said the Palm Beach County School District in a statement The district also added that they are working to prevent further crimes the School District of Palm Beach County is taking steps to prevent these types of property thefts in the future This includes installing additional security measures and increased patrols of our campuses." Experts say protecting the metals can be challenging as thieves often try to work around safeguards The school district asked if you see anything suspicious on a school campus please contact the Palm Beach County School Police at 561-434-8700 Deputies made nearly 100 traffic stops across major roadways in Palm Beach County Saturday as part of an Occupant Protection Enforcement Operation another was taken to a trauma center after being struck by a vehicle near Woodlands Middle School in Lake Worth on Thursday afternoon The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) confirmed the initial details "Right now all I can confirm is that two students were struck by a possible semi." Captain Thomas Reyes with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue later told CBS12 News that the crash occurred at around 4 p.m with the other being taken by ambulance to a nearby trauma center PBSO is asking motorists to avoid the area of Lyons Road between Lantana Road and Lake Worth Road while authorities handle the scene The message goes on to say that many students saw the deadly incident that transpired and that it could be first time their child is witnessing the death of someone school counselors and school psychologists will be available on campus Friday Principal Kuras said if a student needs emotional support they can dial 211 to reach the 211 Helpline for Palm Beach and Treasure Coast More details will be provided when it becomes available (CBS12) — A woman allegedly claimed to be a deputy while attempting to make off with over $1,300 in health and beauty products and household items hidden in reusable bags from a Lake Worth Corridor Publix The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) said that on February 3 deputies responded to a Publix located at 7745 Lake Worth Road after receiving a report from the store manager about a shoplifting The store manager told deputies that she saw Yazmin Smith taking multiple reusable bags from the store she secretly stuffed these bags with a variety of health and beauty products The probable cause affidavit says that witnesses saw Smith attempt to conceal the bags behind a Hallmark display before continuing to shop she pushed her shopping cart towards the front of the store offering assistance and asking if she needed help checking out Smith allegedly claimed she was a deputy with the Broward County Sheriff's Office the report stated that she proceeded to bypass all points of sale with two full shopping carts confronted Smith at the exit to prevent her from leaving The affidavit notes that Smith insisted that the items in her bags were hers from before she entered the store surveillance footage confirmed that she did not enter with any bags Smith stole an estimated amount of $1,315.29 and has now been accused of grand theft and impersonating a law enforcement officer Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. 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Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video (CBS12) — Here are the stories with the most viewed photos from this week (CBS12) — While illegal arcade busts were becoming a common sight in 2023 they have been fewer and farther between this year – until Wednesday That’s when deputies from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) showed up at Panda arcade who were identified as Jinquan Lin and Jing Guo Yang were each booked on a counts of racketeering and illegal gambling along with members of the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) were on hand as slot machines were wheeled out The investigation that led to the raid actually started more than a year ago “They were very well aware that they were already being reported as conducting illegal gambling,” IRCSO Captain Joe Abollo said We will not tolerate these types of arcades that are bring just poison into our community.” Read full story here (CBS12) — A 25-year-old motorcyclist was left in critical condition after a crash on Lantana Road in Lake Worth Corridor The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) crash report stated that on Saturday the motorcyclist was speeding eastbound on Lantana Road near South Jog Road when a driver in a Lincoln attempted to turn left into the Pinewood Square shopping plaza Officials stated that the motorcycle collided with the front left side of the car at the intersection causing the motorcyclist to be thrown from his bike The 25-year-old man was transported to Delray Medical Center with critical injuries Read full story here (CBS12) — Video surveillance was released of a man fleeing a crime scene after he was accused of robbing an employee at Mulligan's Beach House The Vero Beach Police Department (VBPD) released the surveillance video on Monday after officers arrested Sederick Upton for the crime on Oct According to the Vero Beach Police Department (VBPD) officers responded to Mulligan's Beach House at 1025 Beachland Boulevard where one of its employees fell victim to a robbery The victim told officers she was handling money from the business in a closed-off area when a black man wearing a mask broke into the office Officers say the suspect pointed his gun at the victim and proceeded to make several threats while also demanding cash The officer alleges the suspect proceeded to bind the victim's hands and feet with shoelaces and continued to make threats toward the victim if she didn't stay quiet Read full story here the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said it dismantled a drug trafficking operation The investigation primarily focused on seven-time convicted felon Alphonso Guice Detectives identified a significant drug operation at a house on South 51st Street and other controlled substances were being handled detectives executed a search warrant for the house Body camera video captures the moment HCSO investigators discovered eight people in the home,27 pounds of cannabinoids and multiple structures on the property used for drug-related activities Read full story here (CBS12) — A pedestrian died early Wednesday morning after being struck by a SUV while crossing a main road in Greenacres the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office explained Its crash report indicated the Lake Worth man was crossing in the middle of the block and went in front of the SUV Read full story here Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video. President Donald Trump makes a major sports announcement. The announcement comes amid reports Washington, D.C. will host the 2027 NFL Draft. WATCH25-year-old motorcyclist in critical condition after collision on Lantana Roadby Sophie Pendrill you can still cruise along Downtown Lake Worth Beach and find free public parking — usually with a 4-hour time limit But rising demand for parking and a lack of available spaces could force visitors and residents to pay The long-time free parking perk along Lake and Lucerne Avenues could soon end as city commissioners consider a paid parking plan and a possible garage for areas with the high parking demand During a Dec. 3 commission meeting Lake Worth Beach Mayor Betty Resch said it could be a huge change for residents "We know this is going to be a jarring piece of news for residents," said Resch "because they’re not used to having to pay." The considerations are part of an update to a 2018 study that recommends boosting downtown street parking availability and generating millions in revenue READ MORE: $500,000 grant boosts Black history museum project, revitalization in West Palm Beach community an outside consultancy firm working with the city It suggests lower fees with longer limits in off-street areas and causing overflow into surrounding neighborhoods,” the report explained “We recommend reducing the current 4-hour time limits in the Lake and Lucerne corridor (from J to M Streets) to 2 or 3-hour time limits with fees to ensure appropriate turnover of spaces for the area with the highest parking demand.” Commissioner Sarah Malega wants to expand the plan beyond downtown — and add more ADA parking spaces electric vehicle charging stations and a resident decal parking system not just from Dixie Highway to Federal Highway the same thing with the resident parking," Malega said "When you have small houses that have 15 people living in them There’re on the roads and you can’t get down the street." The updated 2024 plan also includes discussion surrounding a 4-level parking garage on S K St that could provide a total of 268 parking spaces “almost doubling the City’s remaining off-street parking supply,” according to the report The City operates paid parking meters at the beach The experts recommend expanding the beach program to include the downtown area — $3.00/hour for on-street parking rates for the Lake/Lucerne corridor (172 spaces) and $2.50/hour for various side streets (308 Spaces) enforcement would take place 7 days/week from 9AM-9PM Lake Worth commissioners said they will seek public input before finalizing plans Editor's Note: This story has been updated to an earlier omission in the District 4 race A fulltime city manager to do that work would help The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommends voters elect Carla Blockson to the District 2 seat and re-elect District 4 Commissioner Reinaldo Diaz in hopes of taking Lake Worth Beach in a better direction This is not Blockson's first rodeo. This contest between Blockson and incumbent Christopher McVoy marks the third time the two have faced each other for the right to represent Lake Worth Beach's District 2 voters should make sure Blockson wins the race After considering her position on the city's chief issues the Post Editorial Board believes right now she's the better choice Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsements for March 11 municipal elections she has served on the Lake Worth Beach's Community Redevelopment Agency and as chair she has overseen several grants and key projects along the city's Dixie Highway corridor -- including the proposed Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts she would bring a pro-business approach to the dais in support of attracting more commercial development to boost city tax revenue and make the city more of an attraction She'd also work to improve traffic congestion along 10th Avenue North in her northwest district Commissioner McVoy is the district's current commissioner His status quo-stance on the city manager's position strikes the board as counterproductive voters should choose Blockson for the District 2 seat Incumbent Lake Worth Beach Commissioner Diaz represents the city's southeast quadrant which includes Lake Worth Beach's only oceanfront tract The Post Editorial Board recommends voters re-elect him to another term with the following caveat: Lake Worth Beach needs a full-time city manager a task the next city commission must address sooner rather than later has tried to bring administrative changes to City Hall in hopes of putting the city in a better position to address ongoing legal and development issues He has also been thrust into the ongoing immigration controversy threading the needle in protecting the city's growing Hispanic population continuing to attract revenue from Tallahassee while abiding by punitive state deportation laws and federal dictates Diaz would like to establish a more effective growth policy that would put the city in a better position to review and track ongoing projects Still, the commissioner's take on leaving Jamie Brown, Lake Worth Beach's current public works director, to somehow balance that job with working as the city's "interim" manager, is well, troubling. Diaz believes Brown is doing a better job than his predecessor that the commission removed in 2024 So start the process that leads to Brown being hired to the job on a permanent basis There are many projects that need a full-time city manager's attention including the city's long unused pool that sits near the beach in the commissioner's district but the Post Editorial Board believes that Diaz's performance to date makes him the better candidate in the race 49 an owner of a water mitigation and mold remediation company is the fourth candidate in this race LAKE WORTH BEACH — Lake Worth Beach won’t look like Delray Beach or West Palm Beach in 10 years The city has a plethora of available storefronts and undeveloped land that will become new housing restaurants and other amenities in the next decade The challenge will be developing in a way that matches the character of the city “The feeling that you have riding around is very similar as it was in the ’Body Heat’ movie,” Waters said referring to the William Hurt-Kathleen Turner thriller from 1981 Residents still walk down the street and know most everyone The city still feels like a small coastal community “The neighborhood strength is one of the biggest strengths of Lake Worth,” Waters said “And the downtown needs to be a healthy neighborhood The city needs to create new demand for the downtown storefronts Waters hopes the city will reach 50,000 residents in the next 10 years The bump would help the city build new restaurants But it will also require as many as 7,000 units to be built over that same time period Nine projects have already been approved for building permitting The housing will add 1,500 of the needed units a 230-unit apartment complex opening next year The units sold well and the owner is building another apartment building across the street The city also hopes to develop 4,500 units at the available spaces at the Tri-Rail station and coastal link stations throughout the city “None of us think achieving 7,000 more residential units of a variety of kinds is unachievable.” The city is looking at the east side differently than the west side Lake Worth Beach’s current height restrictions on downtown buildings limit condos and other developments to 65 feet “I don’t think that the community at this point is open to much more than that,” Waters said “So that the downtown doesn’t get overwhelmed they want to push the density west of Dixie.” East of Dixie could see lower-scale housing that complements the historic districts and west of Dixie could see a two-block radius that could be more developed Development along Dixie Highway needs to become more mixed-use “Sort of in line with what West Palm is doing,” Waters explained “I don’t want to say it’s a Rosemary Square.” But he envisions small planned developments reminiscent of the West Palm Beach city center There are 20 vacant lots that will be developed in the coming years Some owners are asking as much as what the land in the Norton Museum and Belvedere Road corridor is going for “which is already going crazy,” Waters said “We’re working with those people to be a little bit more reasonable in what they’re asking for.” But prices will come down as the land sits there The city also needs to look at new ways to fund amenities As the electric utility continues to remove its investment from the general fund revenue will become more and more important The city had to cut more than $800,000 from payroll this year and finances will likely get tighter Commissioners have argued that a community pool and redeveloped beachfront could bring new life to the city One of the proposed designs for a new waterfront pool included a beach bar and restaurant in the existing space Public-private partnerships could be a way to fund expensive new amenities A hotel with a pool could also do well at the beach Fla.-- Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday evening unanimously approved a site west of Lake Worth Beach for the county’s second homeless resource center At the Lewis Center donation center you’ll find Uwe Naujak celebrating the approval of the site Naujak is the Resource Coordinator for Homeless Coalition He says six years ago he held another title Naujak was able to get a spot at the Lewis Center which gave him the resources to look for a job “It took me 650 job applications to find a job,” he said More than a dozen stories like his were shared at a meeting of Palm Beach County commissioners Tuesday Dozens of formerly homeless people encouraged commissioners to approve the site for a new homeless resource center “We’re really looking for a mixed use environment and we feel that’s what we found here along the Lake Worth corridor,” a staff member said Staff recommended that the 19,000-square-foot building be built west of Lake Worth Beach at 3680 Lake Worth Rd Some people dressed in red didn’t agree saying a homeless center near their small neighborhood would cause problems They’re driving now they’re coming in and out of our street late at night It’s important that I don’t feel jeopardized by a public building on the corner of my street,” one homeowner said The center is modeled after the Lewis Center on 45th Street in West Palm Beach The goal is to help get more homeless people into housing “This thing it does work it saved my life because I didn’t have a place to go,” one man said County commissioners have approved a Lake Worth Road development that will include a small hospital, a large medical-office building and a 127-room hotel despite complaints from Summer Chase residents that their intolerable traffic issue will only worsen The commission was sympathetic to their calls for a traffic light at Cypress Isle Way and instructed staff to work with the Florida Department of Transportation to see if one could be installed they are to see what other safety improvements could be undertaken But Summer Chase residents are skeptical that anything will come of the directive as they noted that the county engineer’s office has agreed for years with FDOT that there is not enough traffic to justify a traffic light “It does not make sense to ask the county engineer to intervene on our behalf when it has all along fought our effort to get the traffic light," said Bob Sosnowski County engineering officials told commissioners that the conditions for a traffic light are quite detailed and must be met and the 221-single family unit development does not meet the requirements At issue for the senior development is that residents have difficulty getting in and out of their community due to traffic congestion on Lake Worth Road And the project will add even more traffic to the roadway that cannot adequately handle existing traffic testified at the commission hearing on June 22 that she sometimes has to wait more than five minutes to make a right out of Summer Chase West-bound motorists on Lake Worth Road will not allow homeowners to exit as cars back up on Cypress Isle Way Neal then must cross over three lanes of highway to make a U-turn to go east on the highway County engineer representatives suggested they drive farther west on Lake Worth Road to make the U-turn Sosnowski called the suggestion "ridiculous." a commute that should take 15 minutes sometimes takes 45 minutes noting: "I leave an hour early to get to my school said the developer is within his rights to build the project on a 9-acre parcel It could have been nearly 50% greater than its 108,808-square-foot design that resulted in locating structures closer to Lake Worth Road A pedestrian network has been provided throughout the project The site is located on the south side of Lake Worth Road and west of Hooks Road It is currently used for agricultural/equestrian purposes Sosnowski said he was disappointed with the 6-1 vote in favor of the developer and especially with the district commissioner for refusing to support “the residents who asked for her help.” Summer Chase residents have made their dissatisfaction known to her “We made it clear to her that we were not happy,” said Sosnowski She said the county needs to realize that it is causing major issues by allowing overdevelopment to occur noting: “We need to ensure that the infrastructure exists to handle these projects before we approve them that is not the case with this project and it has not been the case for years now.” The developer contends that the variety of proposed commercial uses will serve the needs of the surrounding community and provide employment opportunities It is also compatible with other projects in the Lake Worth Road corridor One road linked nearly half of Palm Beach County's most dangerous intersections in 2022 The builder argues that “the area has recently transitioned from a rural area that once housed polo fields to a suburban area with a variety of housing types and numerous commercial uses to meet the needs of existing and future residents as the area continues to transition away from agriculture and into a suburban community.” Housing in Palm Beach County: Residents are snatching up the latest workforce units A new high school will open in the fall near the Lake Worth Road and Lyons Road intersection Cleveland Clinic has plans to build a hospital and a large medical office building in the area as well Already under construction adjacent to the project is a 284-unit multifamily development that will also have 26,707 square feet of space for businesses such as retail stores and restaurants Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today County commissioners made it clear Wednesday that there are limits to how far developers can go to use workforce housing bonuses to increase the density of their projects The commissioners ruled that DR Horton was asking for too much when it sought a nearly 80% increase in the number housing units at a proposed development west of Lake Worth Beach near the intersection of State Road 7 and Lake Worth Road. It marked the first time that a developer lost a bid to obtain bonuses for workforce housing and the transfer of development rights Following an emotional two hours of testimony the commissioners sent a clear message to the homebuilder: “You are asking for too much.” More: State Road 7's future: Royal Palm Beach to study how retail strip may change More: Three developers make second pitches for massive projects west of Boynton, Delray More: Controversial GL Homes' plan that clears way for more homes in Ag Reserve passes step Residents of Legend Lake Estates convinced county commissioners that DR Horton should not be permitted to build two “sardine-can” developments adjacent to their homes on one-to-two-acre lots.  They mounted a month-long campaign to block two DR Horton developments They collected 650 signatures on petitions opposing the plans The less dense development, Amber Woods was granted a postponement at DR Horton’s request Both developments are located near the intersection of Lake Worth Road and State Road 7 transfer of development rights bonuses were part of equationCommissioner Melissa McKinlay said it is wrong to allow 199 housing units (Amber Woods) on just 36 acres of land That breaks out to 5.5 dwelling units an acre Current zoning restricts development to one home per acre DR Horton was asking for a zoning change to raise the figure to three homes per acre and then with the bonuses the number would have increased to 5.5.  McKinlay also said she had concerns of the impact on area schools that are already overcrowded.  the builder could build 108 units on the site. "I will not support anything more than that,” she said Commissioner Mack Bernard called the199-unit development “out of character” for the area Commissioner Robert Weinroth cast the only vote in support of the Amber Woods project He said the workforce housing it would create is sorely needed argued the Lake Worth Road corridor has changed over the years justifying a change in the zoning to permit greater density But resident after resident said the two developments would impact their quality of life noting that they moved into Legend Lakes because it offered one-acre to two-acre lots And HOA President Paul Boerstler said that DR Horton failed to give its recommendations any serious thought “They were not interested in doing any type of density reduction,” he said “They gave us lip service only.” would be built on Lake Worth Road about .2 miles east of State Road 7 It would have consisted of 66 townhomes and 133 zero-lot homes is on a site on the east side of State Road 7 near the Lake Worth Road intersection Its density is nearly double that of Amber Woods — 137 dwelling units on 14 acres DR Horton is expected to return with a different proposal for Legend Lake Center that would have fewer homes The rejected Amber Homes development can be revived but DR Horton would need to submit a new application a long-time resident of Legend Lakes Estates who helped lead the effort to oppose the DR Horton projects said residents were very pleased that the commissioners listened to their concerns “This would have destroyed our development,” he said Coppedge said that the publicity in The Post may have played a role in the decision to block the developments “We needed to make people aware of what was planned and without the publicity that would not have happened,” he said A homebuilder's plan to build 336 housing units near the intersection of State Road 7 and Lake Worth Road is getting strong pushback from area residents DR Horton wants to build two separate developments in close proximity of each other: Current zoning restricts DR Horton to just one unit per acre More: Traffic jams block Atlantic Avenue near Terra Nova development west of Delray Beach More: West of Boynton, county wants some residents to help pay for road widening - here's why DR Horton wants to raise the number of permitted dwelling units from one per acre to three per acre at Amber Woods and to five per acre at Legend Lakes It also wants to use the county’s workforce housing and transfer development rights programs to add even more units DR Horton will be able to build five units to the acre at Amber Woods and 10 units to the acre at Legend Lakes Center Will over-development create 'sardine-can communities'?Scott Coppedge a long-time resident of the 251-unit Legend Lake Estates development argues that “sardine-can communities” on 52 acres of land are “wholly incompatible with other residential developments within a three-mile radius it will be the end of (unincorporated) Lake Worth as we know it and the beginning of Fort Lauderdale-like over-crowding and mayhem.” Coppedge has been collecting petitions opposing the development DR Horton will appear before the Planning Commission on Friday to seek approval of its plans. Then on May 5 the Board of County Commissioners will have the final say Coppedge also claims the developments will threaten the presence of gopher tortoises destroy a wetlands preserve and create unsafe traffic conditions DR Horton has met with the Legend Lake Estates HOA but President Paul Boerstler said the homebuilder is “simply going through the motions” so it can tell the county that it has “spoken with us.” He said DR Horton refuses to compromise on any issue The agent for DR Horton declined to comment on the statements made by Boerstler and Coppedge Builders can exceed building code units if they include workforce housingTo combat the lack of affordable housing in the region county commissioners have been encouraging builders to set aside some of their units for workforce housing which can only be purchased by buyers with limited incomes the builders are allowed to significantly exceed the number of dwelling units permitted by the county’s building code would consist of 66 townhomes and 133 zero-lot homes It would set aside 26 units for workforce housing That move along with the purchase of transfer development rights (TDR) and the zoning change will result in the builder being allowed to construct the 199-unit project “They are looking to build at six to 10 times the density that is currently permitted,” Boerstler said “And all of those homes are going to abut up against our one- to two-acre lots.” DR Horton is asking for similar relief for the 137-unit Legend Lakes Center the development on the east side of State Road 7 The current land-use designation would permit just four homes on the 14-acre site The current zoning allows for a mostly commercial project on the parcel through the zoning change and the bonuses for workforce housing and TDR DR Horton will be able to place 137 dwelling units on the 14-acre parcel The project will include 24 workforce housing units Boerstler said the region is getting hit with a “double whammy It is one thing to ask for the zoning change but to obtain all of those bonuses on top of that There is also a traffic-safety issue at Legend Lakes Center Coppedge said traffic exiting the property will need to travel north to make a U-turn to go south and will have to cross four lanes to access the U-turn lane That is going to be “an accident waiting to happen,” he said DR Horton argues that “the tremendous amount of development along the Lake Worth Road corridor in recent years has changed the character of the area What was once estate-style residential and agricultural uses are now developments and commercial enterprises of varying densities and intensities It claims that Legend Lakes Center parcel represents “a pocket of underutilized land” and lends itself as a prime location for infill development along this major arterial roadway the attorney for the Legend Lake Estates HOA noting the current owners agreed in 2010 to place “a restrictive covenant” on the parcel to designate its use to a “commercial low” project county planners acknowledge that the bonus densities for both projects will result in a higher density than the surrounding neighborhoods but they say that the density proposed by DR Horton is appropriate for both locations DR Horton argues in submissions to the county that workforce housing is needed to help provide affordable housing to residents who work in the county (CBS12) — A pedestrian was killed in Lake Worth Beach on Tuesday after a collision involving a Brightline train The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) received a report of the collision at 1600 S Dixie Highway around 12:15 p.m The collision resulted in the death of the pedestrian who was pronounced dead at the scene by PBCFR paramedics The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) will be investigating the incident The Palm Beach County Planning Commission approved one and rejected another of the DR Horton housing projects proposed for suburban Lake Worth Beach during a lengthy hearing Friday The Board of County Commissioners will have the final say Wednesday Both projects were strongly opposed by residents of Legend Lakes Estates who packed the meeting wearing red shirts HOA President Paul Boerstler presented a 650-signature petition calling for the Planning Commission to vote against the DR Horton plans on the grounds the proposed developments would be too dense and too intense DR Horton’s agent argued that development in recent years along the Lake Worth Road corridor has changed the character of the area and that more intense developments have been built More: Delray, Boynton community groups object to Kushner warehouse plan near turnpike The Amber Woods project won the Planning Commission's approval It would consist of 199 residences on 36.4 acres along Lake Worth Road about one-quarter mile east of State Road 7 At 5.5 housing units per acre – nearly six times what is permitted under current zoning – Amber Woods would consist of 66 townhomes and 133 zero-lot homes; there would be 26 workforce housing units In order to increase the number of homes permitted DR Horton has asked that it receive bonuses for workforce housing and for the transfer of development rights Workforce housing involves residences that are restricted to residents with limited incomes Too many workers cannot afford to live in Palm Beach County according to several Planning Commission members.   is a zoning technique used to protect land such as farmland by redirecting development to an area planned to accommodate it the landowner is compensated by the builder looking to increase the density of a housing project at another location.  The Planning Commission noted that the county adopted policies to encourage both workforce housing and TDRs The argument seemed to resonate with the commissioners Some said people who provide services to county residents deserve to reside in Palm Beach County But the outcome was much different for the 137-unit Legend Lake Center project Commissioner Dagmar Brahs agreed with critics of the project that 10 units to the acre was too much DR Horton proposed to receive bonuses for workforce housing and for transfer of development rights as it did for the project that was approved But the commissioners voted 10-4 to recommend to the Board of County Commissioners that the project not be allowed on the grounds that DR Horton was trying to cram in too many units on 14 acres The rejected Legend Lake Center project would be built on the east side of State Road 7 near the Lake Worth Road intersection Both Amber Woods and Legend Lake Center would abut Legend Lakes Estates a 251-residence development built more than 20 years ago on lots from 1 to 2 acres Residents argued that both projects are incompatible with the low density of their development they noted that the Legend Lake Center project will create a traffic-safety problem Motorists exiting the community would have to make a U-turn on State Road 7 to go south that would force them to cross three lanes of traffic to get to the U-turn lane Boerstler said he was pleased with the denial of Legend Lake Center but was surprised and disappointed with the vote to approve Amber Lakes “It is just wrong to allow this number of units on small parcels,” he said noting he hopes the county commission will listen to residents at the upcoming hearing Wednesday DR Horton’s agent for the developments LAKE WORTH BEACH — Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth Beach has plenty of restaurants and bars Paul and Yulia Coate, residents of Wellington by way of Seattle have planned a summer opening for South Beach Coffee Co That's just a few steps away from the last business – a Starbucks that moved to Dixie Highway in 2018 – dedicated strictly  to java on Lake's eastbound-only corridor More: Black-owned businesses rare in downtown Lake Worth Beach, but couple changing that More: Delray Beach Market: Mega food hall announces opening date More: 'We are seen as the punching bag': County's lone Asian American politician fights back against racism The Coate's coffee shop will be situated in a 1,100-square foot space on the corner of Lake and North L Street close to the eastern end of the downtown entertainment area "It's going to be a good location for coffee," said Paul Coate "There’s not a lot of options in the area but there’s a lot of people and a lot of things going on Before moving to Palm Beach County two years ago, the Coates owned a chain of "bikini barista" coffee stands in the Seattle area, known as Foxy Lady. That led to a reality show on Amazon Prime Video that followed the Coates and their employees A blurb promoting the series includes the line: "With its scantily-clad baristas this steamy coffee house was bound to take off Coate said that the focus of his Lake Worth Beach store will be entirely on the coffee smoothies and other items will also be on the menu White coffee, made by roasting coffee beans at a lower temperature for half of the time as regular coffee and carrying a much stronger jolt "Most people don’t know that the darker the roast the lower amount of caffeine there is in the coffee," Coate said The Coates spent much of the past two years scouting a location for their coffee shop Fort Lauderdale and other areas in Palm Beach County before settling on downtown Lake Worth Beach The building at 600 Lake Avenue was purchased in 2016 for $675,000 by Peters Realty, operated by 20-something sisters Ariana They own 57 properties in Palm Beach County including some prime locations in Lake Worth Beach a gift and novelty shop owned by former city commissioner Andy Amoroso for 24 years The property remained vacant for nearly three years said the decision was made to "hold out for the right fit" despite offers made by other potential tenants "That’s a very pivotal corner downtown.” Peters said “We felt that we needed something that was a draw Substantial renovation and build-out needs to be done before the Coates can open Paul Coate said the brand "South Beach Coffee Co." was chosen with an eye towards expansion "You can put a South Beach Coffee in the Midwest and everybody knows what South Beach is," he said will be the only business of it's kind on Lake Avenue there are a couple of other coffee shops nearby including the popular Common Grounds Brew and Roastery on South J Street Coate said downtown Lake Worth Beach is big enough for more than one coffee shop there's usually a coffee shop 10 feet from each other," he said The Wellington Village Council agreed to move ahead with a $257,000 engineering consulting contract to get things moving with a roundabout at busy Lake Worth Road and 120th Avenue South That makes possible a timeline to get the project built by December 2026 rather than waiting for a possible $1.5 million grant that might not see the roundabout constructed until 2029 “As much as I’d like to get grant money for this I don’t want to push this out three more years,” Mayor Michael Napoleone said this is an intersection that is highly used and it is in desperate need of some sort of better traffic control than just a four-way stop sign… I’m for getting this resolved as quickly as we can.” Design options yet to be determined could include a four-way or five-way roundabout which could ultimately cost $4 million or more The village is budgeting for an amount in that range “We have the [grant] application in,” Village Engineer Jonathan Reinsvold said “We can certainly withdraw it and move forward A Local Agency Program (LAP) grant could help defray the village’s cost in the long run but waiting for an answer there could also set back the schedule A contract approved 5-0 by the council assigns $257,457 to Mock Roos & Associates to provide engineering consulting services related to roadway Roundabouts guide traffic around a central island relying on yield signs around the circle as opposed to traffic lights or multi-way stop signs The idea is to move vehicles along and avoid static back-ups as much as possible More roundabouts could be coming to the 120th Avenue corridor They will probably include one less than a quarter of a mile away That would manage traffic around the entrance to a new 42-home Pulte Homes development Council members also took a moment to mourn another death in the community that of a Wellington High School student in a medical emergency that began on campus The gubernatorial appointee and uber-lobbyist based in Coral Gables planned to sell the land right away He insisted he didn’t intend to build the 15 mansions, 330 condos and marina that public filings indicated he did.   unlike any other section of the lagoon.  Word emerged that he was negotiating to sell the site to the county for preservation. But that was then and this is now.  A group of landowners including Barreto has been back in court suing Riviera Beach to pave the way for development. They contend the city’s zoning law that designates the area for preservation was improperly adopted.  the head of Florida’s most prominent wildlife protection agency is working to make a buck either by destroying wildlife habitat or bumping up its resale value to soak taxpayers anxious to preserve it.  A county official says Baretto et al dropped out of the sale talks a couple of months ago.  The county is always looking for opportunities to buy out owners of submerged land “We weren't able to come to any terms.”    Barreto invested $425,000 in his 19-acre site, just south of John D in 2016 and filed a plan in 2018 with the South Florida Water Management District to build mansions private docks and a few hundred condos.  After the district said the project would not win approval without extensive measures to mitigate environmental damage, his firm, Government Lot 1 moved in Palm Beach Circuit Court to eliminate the need for approvals from any state agency.  The Everglades Law Center intervened in that re-opened 1990 case on behalf of nonprofit Lake Worth Waterkeeper to block the project. That case has fallen silent since we last wrote about it.  amended and refiled this past June, Barreto’s Government Lot 1 and landowners Fane Lozman and Daniel Taylor, joined to fight the area’s protective zoning. Lozman and Taylor have long maintained they have the right to develop the land which stretches out into the lagoon from the western shoulder of A1A Barreto told The Post at the time that he, Lozman and Taylor should be allowed to develop their sites though. "This approach would improve the likelihood that the taxpayers do not become saddled with an enormous financial obligation the owners develop a portion of the property in a manner that allows their financial expectations to be realized and some of the property being dedicated to conservation."  said the submerged land along that strip of A1A was zoned for housing but that the city improperly downzoned it If the city wants to turn that land into a park "they are welcome to inverse-condemn the property and take away the zoning Lisa Interlandi, executive director of the Everglades Law Center disputed that the issue has anything to do with preservation of property rights The area has been designated for natural preservation since long before Barreto she said. That land-use designation trumps city zoning she said. “There’s no other lagoon area with better seagrass than this and we’re going to build on that? I don’t think so,” she said.  Audubon and others who have spoken up to preserve this expanse of the lagoon should be heeded by all regulatory agencies with authority over these waters the chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission LAKE WORTH BEACH -- The peak of the drug overdose crisis in Lake Worth Beach may have passed but city officials say the issue remains a problem especially along the South Federal Highway corridor the city commission voted unanimously last month to amend its chronic nuisance ordinance It now allows for action against property owners that pile up calls to service for law enforcement or fire rescue “to assist an individual who displays the symptoms of an overdose of a controlled substance.” The amendment states that two or more overdose-related calls within 30 days or three or more calls within six months for emergency services could prompt the chronic nuisance process by the city’s code enforcement staff The primary focus of the beefed-up ordinance is “irresponsible” property owners who run sober homes or quasi-sober homes the city’s deputy director of community sustainability >> LAKE WORTH BEACH READERS: Sign up for The Post’s weekly Lake Worth Beach newsletter here “Some of the worst ones are on South Federal Those are the ones that we are trying to reign in.” Stivers said the aim of the amendment is to bring landlords into code compliance the process could end up with the property in foreclosure “Our goal is not to stop the treatment of drug abuse,” Mayor Pam Triolo said We still need facilities to help people with drug addictions The argument is that there are people taking advantage of the system and allowing people with drug addictions to use drugs in their facilities.” there were 286 drug overdoses in Lake Worth Beach compared to 363 in 2018 Included in last year’s total were 40 fatalities Baer said that 2020 got off to a bad start with a rash of fatal overdoses within the city limits in January “There must be a fentanyl-laced batch of heroin out there right now because we’ve had several,” Baer said The provision regarding calls to service is one of 36 forms of “nuisance activity” listed by the city nearly all of them dealing with criminal activity The amendment approved in January also included three other non-criminal provisions Not every instance of multiple calls to service will bring the hammer down from code enforcement “It’s going to be on a case-by-case basis,” Stivers said “We’ll take a closer look and see exactly what’s going on.” City Attorney Christy Goddeau told the city commission on Jan Lake Worth Beach is motivated to avoid the mistakes of other cities that crafted overly broad chronic nuisance ordinances In 2015, a victim of domestic abuse in Surprise was awarded damages after a landlord evicted her for allegedly violating the city ordinance on calls to service at her home Similar judgments have played out around the country Commissioner Omari Hardy said the city must also avoid putting tenants in a position where they are afraid of reporting an overdose to 911 because they are afraid of getting evicted “I want us to have as many tools as is reasonable to hold bad landlords and bad sober-home owners accountable,” Hardy said We’ve given power to the folks in City Hall and those [in public safety] but that doesn’t mean they have to use it every time they can.” Said Triolo: “We’re not looking to hurt anybody that’s hurting already The intention is to address chronic abusers of the system.” LAKE WORTH BEACH — A 46-year-old man died Friday night when two vehicles hit him as he tried to cross 10th Avenue North just west of Interstate 95 in Lake Worth Beach the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Paramedics declared John Branco dead at the scene of the crashes The crash report said Branco did not have a permanent place of residence Investigators said a 2006 Ford F250 pickup was westbound on 10th shortly after 9:30 p.m when Branco began to cross 10th and walked into the truck's path but the pickup's passenger side mirror struck Branco West Palm Beach: South Dixie corridor gets first stacked lift-style parking at new restaurant Austin Republic The front end of an eastbound 2009 Chevrolet Malibu No charges are pending against either driver and the crash report does not indicate how fast the vehicles were traveling at the time of the wreck Evidence from the crash scene indicates that Branco may have been under the influence of either drugs or alcohol when he died Tom Elia is an editor at The Palm Beach Post, overseeing coverage of public safety, the courts and Palm Beach County’s northern and western communities. You can reach him at telia@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today The developer of a long-vacant lot in West Palm Beach’s booming south end said he is nearing a deal with a boutique grocery store to open at a key site considered the gateway to the city from Lake Worth Beach Patrick Koenig, co-founder of Flagler Realty & Development said he is under a strict nondisclosure agreement that bars him from naming the store but that the company’s real estate division has approved the location and a lease is being negotiated The grocer would occupy an estimated 15,000 square feet on nearly 7 acres that is also proposed for an eight-story apartment complex with 358 units Koenig said the grocery store has asked to make the announcement when the agreement is finalized “I can’t even hint about who it is,” said Koenig whose company is working with Woodfield Development to build the apartments and retail space at 8111 S which faces a final rezoning and site plan approval Feb will include an improved landscaped area along the C-51 canal for a public walkway and a dock for launching kayaks and paddleboards Koenig said he has also agreed to do roadway improvements and add bike lanes along adjacent Gregory Road and build a $20,000 Ben Carson Reading Room at South Olive Elementary School a Common Grounds Brew & Roastery coffee house Joseph’s Classic Market and Pink Steak restaurant are among new retail businesses that have opened near the apartments since they started leasing in 2021 “This was a thriving area back in the 50s and 60s when I grew up and I look forward to having activity there again,” said Ray Dorsey about the 8111 S a handful of people spoke against the planned 358 units saying they were in favor of an original design for 210 units which included 52 reserved for workforce housing The project is in the popular South of Southern Boulevard “It was a great presentation for 210 units we all liked the 210 units,” said Matt Luciano who lives in the south end and is running against West Palm Beach Commissioner Christina Lambert for her District 5 seat in the March 19 election More: Trendy teen golf store for girls ups the ante on West Palm Beach's South Dixie corridor president of the South End Neighborhood Association (SENA) said an October vote by about 200 residents found 60% opposed to the larger development The SENA board had previously endorsed the plan at 210 units but voted to withdraw that approval after the community vote Pinsky said he’s concerned the plan hasn’t received appropriate vetting following the decision to increase the number of units by 70% Scrutiny is especially warranted considering the future of Palm Coast Plaza is unknown Dixie and is anchored by a Winn Dixie grocery store was bought in 2022 for $24.7 million by Johnston Capital Partners “All I know is we are trying to protect our little bit of south end The pandemic-triggered migration to Florida has boosted a revitalization in the south end of the city Because the area is not a historic district homes can be razed and rebuilt with a more modern aesthetic Design shops and new restaurants are opening along South Dixie to cater to those buyers “I’ve lived here for a long time and the traffic has just gotten horrendous,” said south end resident Richard Brown City officials are particularly interested in the project because it is a first impression for people driving north on Dixie Highway into the city It is also on land the city purchased in 2012 for $2.85 million The land will be sold to the developer once the project is completed for $10.5 million Adding a grocery store to anchor the development was a key part of the initial pitch to the city by Flagler Development when it won the approval to do the project in 2022 but it became less certain as the project progressed Koenig said he felt confident about the current negotiations More: Florida real estate boom means big homes on small lots in West Palm Beach neighborhood “We’ve been working to get a grocer in the site and we are optimistic that will occur,” said Harvey Oyer an attorney representing the project at the Feb “We are hopeful we can bring confirmation about that to you soon.” (CBS12) — An elderly man survived getting hit by a southbound Brightline train in Lake Worth Beach deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office responded to the area of Washington Ave and S Dixie Highway in regards to a Brightline train versus a vehicle See also: Drug called "tranq" showing up in South Florida Deputies said the driver disregarded the crossing gates and was struck in the rear He will be cited for “Failure to Obey Railroad Crossing Device” The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office announced on Tuesday that a former Palm Beach Central High School football standout is now a 19-year-old wanted fugitive Detectives accused Brandon Mackenzie Frazier of fatally shooting a man at about 6:40 p.m. Palm Beach County court records show deputies arrested him late last June but prosecutors later decided to drop the case Deputies reported finding the victim dead inside the 777 Liquors store a judge issued a warrant for Frazier’s arrest on charges of first-degree murder with a firearm and shooting within an occupied dwelling Frazier, who is over 6 feet tall, played football as both a cornerback and free safety in high school, according to his Hudl profile. When he was a junior, New Era Prep reported he was the “No 5 bubble player in Palm Beach County,” which meant he was “on the cusp of having a true breakout moment at some point.” Frazier’s tweets from 2019 to 2021 show him working hard on the football field The teen was in Palm Beach Central’s class of 2021 Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office deputies distributed a flyer with his picture offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to his arrest for the murder Detectives asked anyone with information about the case to call Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477 Florida fyee 🔥💯 #sticksup pic.twitter.com/yVIiB0dCJu Stay informed with regular breaking news alerts Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013 She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Closed Captioning / Audio Description Contact Us Careers at WPLG Terms of Use Privacy Policy Public File FCC Applications EEO Report Do Not Sell My Info 1.0 Host Exhibit Copyright © 2025 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC. Florida fyee 🔥💯 #sticksup pic.twitter.com/yVIiB0dCJu — A 36-year-old Boynton Beach male driver was struck and killed by a Brightline train Friday night in Lake Worth Beach Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff's Office said was pronounced dead by PBCFR paramedics on the scene PBCFR units were dispatched to the intersection of 15th Avenue South and Railroad Avenue PBCFR units found one person down on the tracks operated by Florida East Coast Railway Moore was traveling eastbound on Washington Avenue The Brightline passenger train was traveling northbound Moore drove past stopped traffic and around the activated railroad warning arms which were lowered with lights flashing and alarm bell sounding) He entered the railroad crossing and violated the train's right of way northbound The train impacted the passenger side of the car before throwing the vehicle off the railroad crossing in a northwesterly direction The Cadillac came to final rest on the west side of the railroad tracks The train was brought to a controlled rest north of the area of the collision No passengers on the Brightline train reported any injuries In August a pedestrian walking east across the railroad tracks near 10th Avenue North and F Street in Lake Worth Beach was struck and killed by a Brightline train That week it was the third time in a week that a person died in an accident with a Brightline train in Palm Beach County one person died after a Brightline train crashed into a vehicle a 17th Avenue North and F Street in Lake Worth On Monday it was announced Brightline will receive another $20,000 in federal money to help keep people alert to the dangers of its high-speed trains that will travel along the railroad’s new extension between West Palm Beach and Orlando The grant was awarded by Operation Lifesaver a nonprofit dedicated to reducing collisions fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing around railroad tracks Brightline received $25 million as part of a joint federal and state initiative for safety upgrades along the corridor which carries Brightline trains and FEC freight trains Builders are moving ahead with plans for two large-scale apartment complexes — each containing workforce housing units — in unincorporated areas of the county, one west of Lake Worth Beach and the other west of Lantana The tentative approval by county commissioners on Sept 1 set off a debate over the need for affordable housing and the impact of much higher density on surrounding County commissioners voted to transmit plans for both projects for state review another public hearing will be held to determine whether the county’s zoning code should be changed that could allow the projects to be built the builder will return with detailed site plans for county planners to review One commissioner, Dave Kerner, questioned whether his colleagues are allowing “workforce housing to be used as a façade to inappropriately increase density,” adding: “It is not our responsibility to ensure that developers make a profit The amount of density we are approving is unacceptable.” both parcels were slated to become congregate living facilities The developers now say it is more appropriate to build multi-family residential projects Workforce housing: West of Lake Worth Beach, residents support workforce housing - but not in their backyards Apartment complex: 'Line in the sand': Why COBWRA opposes project to build apartment complex west of Lake Worth Beach Snob zoning: What is 'snob zoning' and why did it prompt changes along West Boynton Beach Blvd. and West Atlantic Ave.? Villages of Windsor site: 187 apartments in four buildingsThe Villages of Windsor site would consist of 187 apartments in four buildings on a 12-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Hypoluxo and Lyons Road The site is one of last remaining undeveloped hard corners left in Palm Beach County Morton noted the site is across the street from a Publix-anchored shopping plaza On the southwest corner is a 510-bed congregate living facility and on the northwest corner will be a mixed-use retail and residential project that is expected to soon break ground Brentwood of Wellington site: 132 townhomes off State Road 7Brentwood of Wellington would consist of 132 townhouse apartments on a 10-acre parcel on the west side of State Road 7 approximately a half-mile north of Lantana Road noted that the corridor has seen immense development in recent years with new residential communities being constructed He called it “an infill” project. Terry noted that his client has reduced the number of apartments by nearly a third to appease residents from the adjacent communities of Thoroughbred Lakes Estates and Fieldstone who complained about the density of the project and its impact on their communities Spokesmen for the communities said they were pleased with the reduced number of units The plans for both projects call for the use of bonuses to nearly double the amount of allowable housing units by providing for workforce housing Rents for those units are adjusted to make it affordable for county workers Scardina and Akel Homes will be setting aside 25% of their units for workforce housing just to the south of the Villages of Windsor “The difference between what the builder at Brentwood did compared to what occurred at the Villages of Windsor was striking,” Ed Brookes a member of the HOA Board at Valencia Shores “He (the builder of Villages at Windsor) never really gave any consideration to what we had to say Valencia Shores and the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations have called for Akel Homes to reduce the number of apartments and are expected to continue to oppose the project when the builder returns to the commission for further approvals Brookes said the Villages at Windsor project will have a density of nearly 16 units to the acre about seven times that of the density at Valencia Shores a retirement community of 1,143 homes built about 20 years ago Brookes maintains the density is really close to 20 units to the acre because Akel Homes is including an unbuildable five-acre dog leg that parallels Hypoluxo Road “The political climate has changed,” said Brookes and it doesn’t matter how out of character a project is or how negatively it impacts on quality of life This never would have gone anywhere had it been reviewed a year or two ago.” County Mayor Robert Weinroth questioned whether Scardina had eliminated too many units to appease the surrounding communities noting there is a critical need for more apartments — both market rate and workforce One of Valencia Shores’ major objections was that the Villages of Windsor’s plan to include a four-story building that would be 42 feet in height At Commissioner Melissa McKinlay’s insistence Akel Homes agreed to keep the building to three stories which was enough of a concession to result in move to transmit being approved by a 6-1 vote Brookes called the concession “a smokescreen,” claiming the height will remain at 42 feet for all four buildings making them nearly as tall as the tallest building in the region — Bethesda West Hospital “They are really not giving up anything This was like a shell game they played.” Morton said her client has tried to address the concerns of Valencia Shores by providing for landscaping and a parking buffer between the apartment buildings and the retirement community noting: “We have pushed it as close as we could toward Hypoluxo Road and away from Valencia Shores.” Morton said the complex has been scaled back from 207 units To make any further reduction would call into question the economic viability of the project told The Post that “the hard corner site” has three-story buildings either approved or constructed “We will continue to work with county staff and the neighboring communities to create a quality project that will fit within the neighborhood while also serving an important need within Palm Beach County,” he added (CBS12) — This is not your average art gallery Something special is brewing over in Lake Worth Beach. 'Free Little Art Galleries' also known as FLAGsare mini pop-up art installations a form of a "give-and-take" community project you are allowed to take a painting and if you like The creators of the project say it's a way to create community engagement and by "providing neighborhood-based spaces for the display and free exchange of small-scale art." The concept for the galleries were born out of the isolation of COVID when the world was in lock-down The first gallery was established on March 13 by Tropical Ridge neighborhood resident Amy Shaw after she read about one that had been installed in Seattle in December of 2020 The story goes that Shaw and an old friend joined together with two other Lake Worth Beach residents – watercolor artist Ellen Negley who founded the Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival it's because some cities around Florida have free take-one-or-leave-one book exchanges The community library box holds various books where locals can take a free book and leave one if they wish Some of the artwork you'll see have come from as far as the Netherlands by artists who found the galleries on social media “These tiny little galleries have had a greater impact on the community and its residents than we could have ever imagined We look forward to installing the final 12 galleries in the neighborhoods,” said Erin Allen a local realtor and co-founder of FLAGs in Lake Worth Beach Free Little Art Galleries: The Palm Beach Post is running a series of stories on the redevelopment of 18 neighborhoods in Lake Worth Beach The city is working with neighborhood organizers the Neighborhood Association President’s Council and Jupiter Urban Planning Consultant Nilsa Zacarias to promote the diversity Its motto is “Good Neighbors Make Great Neighbors.” The Lake Worth Historical Society is a nonprofit educational organization that offers an abundance of information about Lake Worth’s past Mango Groves is home to about 1,319 residents most of Mango Groves is considered to be a part of the historic preservation districts Tuppen’s Marine & Tackle has stood on its corner location facing North Dixie Highway since approximately 1956 “We enjoy being part of a historical area,” said co-owner Bill Bachman Noting the convenient and enjoyable location Bachman said the area has become safer and a bit cleaner in appearance over the years Awe Flowers opened its doors about three months ago on North Federal Highway just north of 2nd Avenue “I like the business being in the city area of Mango Groves because I enjoy the small-town feel,” said Patti Sheldon Sheldon is a six-year resident of Lake Worth and has been a participant in the downtown business area for 12 years “I like the building,” Sheldon said of one thing that drew her to the area Historic buildings and houses are scattered throughout the Mango Groves neighborhood Greg Rice is the president of the Neighborhood Association for Mango Groves but always had a home in Palm Beach County,” Rice said “But I can say that I’ve never lived in any place that has the same sense of community as this town.” Rice said downtown is easily accessible from anywhere in Mango Groves simply by walking or bicycling The area offers a variety of community activities such as the annual Lake Worth Great American Raft Race the area had issues with poor road conditions but now we’re digging ourselves out of that,” he said A quality that Rice finds unique about Mango Groves is the friendliness among residents “It is great and appealing to be able to walk out on the street and people actually speak to you and know your name,” he said >> Tropical Ridge >> Royal Poinciana >> Sunset Ridge Here are three items from Tuesday’s Lake Worth Beach City Commission meeting: was one of a team of deputies from Lake Worth Beach that spent 13 days working in Haiti to deliver two shipping containers full of donated supplies Rouzeau was a member of the Lake Worth Police Department for seven years Triolo pointed out that Rouzeau was a friend of the immigrant community not only assisting with earthquake relief in Haiti but helping local Guatemalan residents obtain identity cards Triolo said she met Rouzeau on a community crime walk and remembers getting an “earful” from the deputy 2. TRAFFIC STUDY FOR DIXIE HIGHWAY APPROVED: The commission voted unanimously to go forward with a traffic study that could transform the city’s Dixie Highway corridor. The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency has proposed reducing Dixie Highway from four lanes to three which would allow room for bike lanes or wider sidewalks shared by pedestrians and bicyclists A center turn lane would be used by vehicles traveling in both directions The study will determine the impacts of the lane re-purposing on future vehicle congestion as well as its effect on area businesses and residents Dixie Highway is a deathtrap for bicyclists and pedestrians according to a presentation delivered by Valerie Neilson deputy director of multimodal development for the TPA Citing a Department of Transportation study conducted between 2010 and 2016 eight pedestrians or bicyclists were killed and seven others were seriously injured while attempting to navigate Dixie Highway in the city many of them caused by motorists stopping abruptly to make left-hand turns from the left through-lane The study approved by the commission could run as much as $120,000 but the city will be responsible only for a maximum of $45,000 with the Community Redevelopment Agency and the TPA picking up the rest of the tab 230-unit luxury apartment complex just off Dixie Highway jmilian@pbpost.com They submitted hundreds of pages of e-mails They made a case for not being zoned out of highly rated village schools to help fill a new high school opening in suburban Lake Worth momentum seems to be swinging in their favor a key panel advising the Palm Beach County School District voted Tuesday Joaquín García High School that could keep hundreds of southern Wellington students at Palm Beach Central High School The Advisory Boundary Committee meets again Thursday “The quality of the schools was the central reason we decided to locate here,” said Mike Costello one of scores of parents who spoke up on the issue He lives in a part of Wellington along the Lake Worth Road corridor that was initially zoned for the new school “Both Wellington High School and Palm Beach Central are A-rated schools,” he noted “The new high school will not be ranked for a while.” The first new high school to be built in Palm Beach County since 2005 Garcia is set to open in August on Lyons Road north of Lantana Road in unincorporated Lake Worth but exactly how to set its boundaries has proved to be a big deal in the nation’s 10th largest school district One potential downside to the latest plan is it will likely leave at least one Wellington high school operating under crowded conditions for at least the next half decade Planners say that could mean 110 percent of capacity at Wellington High School or 107 percent to 109 percent at Palm Beach Central depending in part on the assignment of neighborhoods between the two village schools Some boundary committee members questioned at the Dec 20 meeting why it was not possible to spread out enrollment better so a host of schools across a large swath of the district could operate closer to or below 100 percent “It will be very difficult to do what this committee needs to do if we allow city limits to become a fence around which this committee has to work to relieve overcrowding or to populate a new school,” Committee Member Carlos Diaz said sticks out on the map village residents advocated Such areas that flare out from a thin point of connection with the rest of their school’s territory are sometimes called a “bow tie.” Garcia’s new campus is physically closer to many of the neighborhoods in question than Palm Beach Central such as that Wellington offers supplementary grants to its public schools and that an engineering program at Polo Park Middle School feeds into a similar specialty at Palm Beach Central Some noted that a new western-area high school planned in six years could relieve the excess enrollment over time Wellington resident Jennifer Hamilton said her daughter was worried about leaving her friends at Palm Beach Central “I can tell you that she has been an emotional mess since the news of the proposed zones has come out,” Hamilton said Susan Perconte also believes that Wellington students should go to Wellington schools “My family and I love and take pride in our community and firmly believe that we live in Wellington and our children should remain in our A-rated Wellington schools,” she said Speakers and e-mailers expressed concerns about ripple effects across a large number of schools spanning nearly half the county but the biggest hotspots remained Palm Beach Central and another Garcia neighbor to its southeast The committee plans to study what will be a seventh version of the boundary plan in January 8 meeting would have moved 495 students from Palm Beach Central’s boundary to Garcia in the first year Palm Beach Central would have accepted some students from crowded schools to its east with the goal to operate near its designed capacity of 2,744 students After feedback from village leaders and residents subsequent plans began to explore letting Wellington students stay put Garcia is projected to hold about 2,500 students by the 2027-28 school year a Cuban-born local businessman who died in 2021 He was a founding member of the Hispanic Education Coalition of Palm Beach County and the committee’s findings do not necessarily dictate what the school district ultimately chooses to do District officials are expected to make a final decision in the coming months Wellington residents have made their voices heard Members of the public can comment at the school district’s Advisory Boundary Committee virtual meeting set for Thursday Check the district’s online meeting calendar for details Comments can also be sent via e-mail to public.comment@palmbeachschools.org LAKE WORTH BEACH -- There may not be a more dangerous thing to do in Palm Beach County than pedal or walk along Dixie Highway there were 321 crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists on the roadway’s 42-mile corridor from Boca Raton to Jupiter according to a study by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency The study showed that sections of Dixie Highway running through Lake Worth Beach were “a hot pocket of crashes and fatalities,” according to a county traffic official the city commission is expected to consider ordering its own traffic study that could lead to Dixie Highway being reduced from four lanes to three including a center turn lane used by vehicles traveling in both directions The elimination of one lane would allow room for bike lanes or wider sidewalks shared by pedestrians and bicyclists Decorative medians employed at intervals to deter motorists from using the center lane for through traffic are also part of the plan The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency gave its thumbs up to the proposal two weeks ago but city commissioners must sign off on the traffic study before it can move forward The study will cost between $100,000 to $150,000 but the TPA can fund up to around half of those costs Even if the commission goes ahead with the traffic study the project needs approval from the Florida Department of Transportation and would still be years away from becoming a reality “I’m hoping we’ll be able to get the city to take that step forward,” said Valerie Neilson deputy director of multimodal development for the county TPA “It’s a long process so it’s best to get started sooner rather than later and see if it’s a possibility the nearly three-mile span of Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach isn’t a joyride for anyone There are no bike lanes in either direction so bicyclists are forced to share narrow sidewalks with pedestrians and vehicles emerging from businesses along Dixie Highway Driving on the four-lane road is no picnic motorists turning left block traffic behind them The threat of rear-end collisions is a constant as are crashes involving vehicles darting into the right lane to go around stopped traffic Commissioner Omari Hardy said Dixie Highway “could benefit from a road diet.” “You can design roadways to reduce lanes and create space for folks other than the ones using their cars without losing that much of your capacity to handle vehicular traffic,’” said Hardy who said he occasionally bikes to city commission meetings “We have to think about how we can make our streets usable and safe for everyone A discussion on the subject drew dozens of comments on Facebook pages devoted to Lake Worth Beach Many criticized the idea of going from four to three lanes “Trying to drive in this city for a living is horrible the way it is,” posted Cindy Hamilton “You cut down on lanes and we will never get anywhere “Northern[er]s are coming to Florida in droves and they want decrease the driving lanes???” Donna Lee O’Brien wrote Flores posted that removing a lane is “a good thing.” “Safer paths for bikes will lead to less congestion since more people will be inclined to use them instead of driving,” he wrote Hardy also thinks bike lanes would encourage more residents to leave their cars behind and have an impact on climate change an issue of great concern for coastal towns like Lake Worth Beach “There are things we can do at every level of government to reduce our carbon footprint and investing in infrastructure that allows people to move around their city without having to drive...should be priority No Amoroso said discussion of reconfiguring Dixie Highway has been around for years He’s in favor of going from four to three lanes but said he would prefer to see “shared” sidewalks that are “cushioned” from road traffic If the project is eventually green-lighted but most of that would be covered by FDOT grants “It’s a small investment for a very big return,” Neilson said change appears to be inevitable for Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach The City of West Palm Beach has received FDOT approval for its own lane repurposing project on Dixie while North Palm Beach and Boca Raton are in the process of conducting traffic studies “It’s absolutely the right time to move forward,” Amoroso said LAKE WORTH BEACH — Crime in Lake Worth Beach increased in 2020 but the jump was not nearly as dramatic as law-enforcement officials initially feared district commander for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported to city commissioners that crime rose by 3.2 percent in 2020 marking the second consecutive year there has been a spike following three straight years of double-digit drops Baer acknowledges that last year's rise in criminal activity could have been worse Related: 19-year-old facing murder charge after shooting in Starbucks drive-thru lane in Lake Worth Beach More Lake Worth Beach: Historic Gulfstream Hotel takes big step closer to re-opening in Lake Worth Beach the sheriff's office reported a surge of 29.4 percent in the city's crime rate for the first six months of 2020 But that unsettling trend reversed course over the year's final six months "We had an almost opposite second half of the year," Baer said Baer did not provide specific numbers to commissioners but said burglaries and robberies – which had swelled in the first half – were down overall by year's end Having "more people out and about" later in the year after widespread shutdowns beginning in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had an impact on reducing crime The opening five months of 2021 have started where 2020 left off Baer reported to the commission that of the 13 specific crime types tracked by the sheriff's office only two categories – shootings and sexual assaults – have higher rates compared to the first five months of 2020 there have been 12 shootings in Lake Worth Beach compared to nine on the same date last year "We've had a spike in shootings in the last six weeks and we're seeing that around the country as well," Baer said Two of those shootings were the city's two homicides so far in 2021 of Palm Springs was shot and killed April 28 after he got into an argument in the drive-thru of the Starbucks in the 100 block of North Dixie Highway. Justin Ray Boersma of Lake Worth Beach is facing a charge of first-degree murder and is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail without bail The first murder of 2021 in the city took place March 9 when 16-year-old Esteban Gonzalez was allegedly shot in the head by a teenager who was handling a firearm in the back seat of a vehicle when it went off has been charged as an adult and is facing one count of manslaughter with a firearm The Palm Beach Post is not naming him because he is a juvenile There were a total of four homicides in Lake Worth Beach in all of 2020 During his quarterly appearance before the commission Baer also reported 270 drug overdoses in the city during the 12-month span from June 2020 through May 2021 compared to 301 overdoses in the previous 12-month period Of the 270 overdoses during the most recent 12-month time frame Baer credited the falling overdose numbers to the successful push by the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office at shutting down problem sober homes in the city "But we are definitely not out of the woods," he warned Baer told commissioners that the sheriff's office is making progress toward outfitting its 2,000-plus deputies with body cameras by hiring an outside company to assist in the project Sheriff Ric Bradshaw "wants them" and "we're going to get them," Baer insisted Commissioner Herman Robinson expressed concern that other smaller police agencies in Palm Beach County have body cameras while the sheriff's office which has an annual budget of about $740 million Robinson said he's heard it will be "years" before deputies will be wearing the cameras Baer disputed that it would take that long although he was unable to provide a more definitive timeline Mayor Betty Resch and Commissioner Christopher McVoy both volunteered Lake Worth Beach as testing ground for the body cameras Baer said he's expressed that desire to his superiors "and we received a firm maybe." an 11,000-square-foot emergency-room hospital and a 46,909-square-foot medical-office building on 9 acres off Lake Worth Road Absolutely, says Bob Sosnowski, the HOA president at Summer Chase, a nearby 370-residence gated community west of Lake Worth Beach He has been waging an unsuccessful effort thus far to convince Palm Beach County officials that the additional traffic caused by the proposed Lake Worth Crossing will make it unsafe for residents to enter and leave his community The pastor of a nearby church is also opposed to the development Dispute similar to others about developing once-rural areasThe builder argues that “the area has recently transitioned from a rural area that once housed polo fields to a suburban area with a variety of housing types and numerous commercial uses to meet the needs of existing and future residents as the area continues to transition away from agriculture and into a suburban community.” But Sosnowski and other Summer Chase residents do not see it that way “The way the elderly residents of Summer Chase have been treated borders on elder abuse,” said Sosnowski noting that some residents have lived at Summer Chase for more than 20 years This is a dispute that has been playing itself out the past year numerous times in the unincorporated area of the county Longtime residents of a community resist development while developers argue that the county long ago anticipated the region being commercially developed County commissioners constantly wrestle with the issue hearing hours and hours’ worth of testimony from both sides Sosnowski said the developer of Lake Worth Crossing has never seriously sought Summer Chase's input He claims traffic studies were purposely done at the height of the COVID pandemic to produce faulty results undertaken by the builder’s own consultant show significant impacts along Lake Worth Road from: noted that state law requires the county to make the necessary improvements to address the traffic congestion It is not clear when those improvements will occur or if they ever will is looking to build a multiple-use planned development on the south side of Lake Worth Road and west of Hooks Road The property is now used for agricultural/equestrian purposes It is one of the few large remaining vacant parcels of land along the Lake Worth Road corridor The county staff has recommended that the project be approved did the Zoning Commission following a June 1 meeting Sosnowski and other Summer Chase residents are expected to pack the county commission meeting on June 22 when they will have one final shot at blocking the development It already operates one west of Boynton Beach Sosnowski has called on Commissioner Sara Baxter to intervene and reject the project or impose conditions to ensure the safety of homeowners many of whom are will into their 70s and 80s Sosnowski said he was not given enough time to make his case at the Zoning Commission hearing this month Under consideration is a plan to time the traffic lights at Polo Road near the turnpike Sosnowski told Baxter in an email that the plan is unacceptable He wants the county to install a traffic signal at Cypress Isle Way The issue is that residents must turn right or west on Lake Worth Road and then scoot over three lanes to a U-turn lane to turn to travel east Summer Chase residents must quickly cross over several lanes “There is not enough time,” said Sosnowski you have to wait sometimes several minutes to even get out of the community the land-use planner representing the builder the property owner received approval for a lifestyle center but now claims that existing conditions have changed that make the success of such an operation questionable The permitted square footage could be as much as 154,210; Lake Worth Crossing The developer says that the project has been designed to locate structures closer to Lake Worth Road and a pedestrian network has been provided throughout the project Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism: Subscribe today You can use the database to search by county or by restaurant name Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring warnings or administrative action, visit our Palm Beach County restaurant inspections site Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Palm Beach County follow-up inspections may not be included here Disclaimer: The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation describes an inspection report as a 'snapshot' of conditions present at the time of the inspection an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall For full restaurant inspection details, visit our Palm Beach County restaurant inspection site These restaurants met all standards during their March 18-24 inspections and no violations were found Boynton Beach**** Restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week These restaurants failed their March 18-24 inspections and were temporarily closed McDonald's 287309880 Alt A1a Facility Temporarily Closed: Operations ordered stopped until violations are corrected Panda Garden Chinese Restaurant1968 Lake Worth Rd Last week: 45 Palm Beach County restaurants get perfect scores; 2 closed; 49 fail inspection 3 Natives Wellington11924 W Forest Hill Blvd Unit 8 Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review but are not an immediate threat to the public Aroma Indian Cuisine731 Village Blvd Ste 110-111 Banana Boat739 E Ocean Ave Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on March 19 Routine regulation and inspection of restaurants is conducted by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation The Department of Health is responsible for investigation and control of food-borne illness outbreaks associated with all food establishments If you see abuses of state standards, report them and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation will send inspectors. Call the Florida DBPR at 850-487-1395 or report a restaurant for health violations online Get the whole story at our restaurant inspection database Basic violations are those considered against best practices A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment Says the division website: "Correcting the violations is important but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over." An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license The ages. It’s the first thing you notice about the Peters sisters LAKE WORTH READERS: Sign up for The Post’s weekly Lake Worth newsletter here “As three young women running a successful real estate development company the challenges are usually the misconception that comes with our age,” said Ariana a company that owns more than 40 properties in Lake Worth “Often people don’t take us seriously until they meet us and realize we have not only the knowledge but also the experience and backing to execute.” The sisters opened a Lake Worth office on Lake Avenue about three years ago and have quickly built what is believed to be the largest commercial property company in the city The sisters have bought more than 20 properties in the city since their father the man who started Peters Development 18 years ago retired — sort of — to let his daughters run the company “People underestimate my daughters all the time,” said Doug They come from a fortunate family and don’t know anything the sisters are facing a new challenge — backlash from the rising rents in downtown Lake Worth City Commissioner Andy Amoroso, who owns Studio 205 is moving after the Peters increased his rent about 60 percent Amoroso’s rent is going up from $2,400 a month to $3,850 at his 2,980 square-foot place The total rent will be $4,200 when sales taxes are added because I’m stuck in my lease until October,” Amoroso told The Palm Beach Post in February SEE ALSO: Hummingbird Hotel being turned in luxury office site in Lake Worth Ariana counters that Amoroso hasn’t given much thought to the upgrades to his site both aesthetically and structurally,” she said 4K cameras where tenants can view the location from their phone … the list can go on and on.” but added he was stuck in the past on his old rent after Peters Development paid $675,000 for the site in 2016 according to the Palm Beach County’s Property Appraisers website but now the girls are renting spaces all around him … and they’re paying the current value It’s really unfair to us and it’s unfair to everyone for him to be paying a rate you can’t get in Kansas.” The Palm Beach Post reached out to Amoroso several times recently saw his rent jump from $2,500 to $3,765 after Peters Development bought his 900 square-foot office at 932 N “He was not happy or excited over this,” Ariana said “But I’m sure after he saw what the building looks like now … he understands the new rent price.” Ariana said Lake Worth is still way under-priced — Prices are double in neighboring municipalities West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach as their rental rates are about four to five times more,” Ariana said She added that because Peters Development owns so many properties Doug said the average rent is about $2,500 each month “But there are rents as high as $7,000 per month near downtown,” he said Sisters have ‘legitimate investments in Lake Worth’ Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo, who previously worked with the sisters “It’s their prerogative to charge or do what they want,” Triolo said but we just hope they’ll keep the local rates and keep the local entrepreneurs in mind when they create their rents.” a popular Mexican restaurant on North Dixie Highway said he pays $4,280 for his 3,600-square-foot space and is not complaining “It’s perfect for me and works for this location,” he said “The Peters are great because they leave you alone and let you work.” who run a Tacos al Carbon on Lake Worth Road said they have had issues with other landlords “I know how some of them can be a little bit more in your business and checking you out,” he said Brian Schlitz, who ran Arsty Fartsy an eccentric gift shop on Lucerne Avenue before closing a few months ago said the Peters were on top of their business they had just bought the building,” he said “I was their first tenant and the first thing they do is go over the roof Schlitz said Ariana tried donating three electric car charges the company would pay for and put them in three parking spots so people could charge their engines “They were always fair with me,” said Schlitz who paid $1,500 in rent for his 350 square-foot space “They have legitimate investments in Lake Worth.” Ariana Peters remembers her and her sisters working with her dad’s company when she was a little girl but we have been in and around his business since we were very young,” she said She used to attend city meetings in other towns with her father since she was 5 “I recall seeing (City Manager) Michael Bornstein at a city meeting in Lantana when he was their city manager at the time,” she said Ariana is talking about her vision for Lake Worth She’d like to see the Gulfstream Hotel restored She wants more downtown parking and more housing The sisters would also love to see the Dixie Highway corridor increase their height restrictions to more than the current two stories “We’re doing our best by purchasing what we believe to be some of the best properties in Lake Worth and bringing them up to current standards,” she said Four of the company’s sites — 502 Lucerne Avenue; 29 S Dixie Highway and 605 Lake Avenue — are vacant No one is more noticeable than theSouthShores Tavern and Patio Bar site on Lucerne Avenue Ariana said the company is very selective with the location but it wasn’t what we felt was the right fit,” she said “Many of the large players in the restaurant field have passed on this site and Lake Worth downtown because of the lack of infrastructure enough homes downtown and lack of parking.” The sisters are also behind Chicks With Kicks a 6,000 vintage sneaker collection that includes Pumas Converse All-Stars to rare Nikes and Adidas the plan was to bring the prized collection into an innovative interactive sneaker store they planned to open this year in a 3,500-square-foot space in downtown Lake Worth on 605 Lake Avenue But those plans changed after the sisters got an offer for the site “My sisters and I would love to build the store in Lake Worth but we recently had an offer to lease the space from a business we feel may be better suited to downtown,”Ariana said “We are exploring this before we make a final decision.” She added they haven’t decided on when or if a sneaker store will be built While residents are happy with the amount of money Peters Development has invested in the city what’s their exit strategy?” said Greg Rice Are you long-term investors or are you just looking for the opportunity to move on where the grass might be greener?” Rice said a lot of times when people have money and they’re investing they buy properties they can develop and then flip they have some prime locations that are building a return,” he said Tammy Pansa said the sisters get a bad rep because of the rents they charge “The girls are at the beginning of their business careers and they’re quite young,” she said If we don’t see that same potential in Lake Worth with raised rents and better businesses can we really say we believe in Lake Worth?” When asked how the sisters handle the backlash “You can not force someone to comprehend a message that they are not ready to receive but you must never underestimate the power of planting a seed.” ON LINE: Interactive of where the Peters Development properties are in Lake Worth LAKE WORTH BEACH —A 36-year-old Boynton Beach man was killed Friday evening when his vehicle was struck by a Brightline train on Washington Avenue in Lake Worth Beach drove his 2017 Cadillac XTS past stopped traffic and around lowered railroad arms to beat the Brightline train at about 6:49 p.m said an investigator with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Despite the lowered flashing arms and a loud alarm bell When Moore entered the crossing at Washington and Railroad avenues throwing it off the crossing and coming to rest on the west side of the railroad tracks No passengers on the Brightline train reported injuries The Associated Press has reported that Brightline is the deadliest train line per mile in the country AP says its trains have killed at least 55 people across Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties since its debut in 2017 Brightline:Will $25 million grant decrease accidents along corridor with worst fatality rate in nation More:Tri-Rail gets $12.9 million grant to improve safety at rail crossings, including nine in Palm Beach County At least two other fatalities have occurred this year at Brightline crossings in Lake Worth Beach. In August a pedestrian walking east across the railroad tracks near 10th Avenue North and F Street was struck and killed by a Brightline train one person died after a Brightline train crashed into a vehicle a 17th Avenue North and F Street as is the case with the most recent fatal accident have concluded that none of the deaths were the railroad’s fault determining that many were suicides or drivers or pedestrians trying to beat the trains Those trains travel up to 79 mph through densely populated urban and suburban areas along about 70 miles of track between Miami and West Palm Beach that it shares with the Florida East Coast freight line Deadly collision:Police ID man, 67, struck, killed by Brightline train in Boynton Beach More:Brightline train hits, kills man in Lake Worth Beach in 3rd fatality in 7 days in Palm Beach County Brightline has installed infrared detectors to warn engineers if anyone is lurking near the tracks so they can slow down or stop The company has added more fencing and landscaping to make track access more difficult and is installing red-light cameras at crossings to enable police to ticket drivers who go around guardrails Brightline received $25 million as part of a joint federal and state initiative for safety upgrades along the corridor The money will help pay for roadway paintings and warning signs near crossings raised pavement markers like the plastic cylinders drivers see separating interstate express lanes to prevent people from leaving their lanes and 33 miles of fencing to prevent trespassers from moving onto the tracks New suicide hotline signs also will be posted.