The rationale from the city is that it will bring jobs
and business to the city and in doing so increase income to the city in the
form of taxes. Never mind what it will do the traffic or quality of life in the
city.

The City Commission listened to the neighbors, who bought
into what the developers sold them, without considering what the development
would really cost.
This is an enormous piece of property. 72 ½ acres.
3,241,773 sq. ft. or 36 football fields.

Environmentalists were horrified that so much open space,
in a county as built out as Deerfield Beach would be paved over.
City residents who live west of the area were the ones
who saw most clearly what was being done to the city. They are the ones who have to drive past the
location every time they go east, to the beach, or wherever.
The traffic mitigation offered by the developer will do
nothing to improve traffic on Hillsboro Boulevard; it will just keep the status
quo which is pretty awful right now.
Forgotten, or most likely ignored, by the ones who approved this idea is the major development that will be built next to the Tri-rail station. This location (the old Denny’s lot) also had a land use change which will allow very high density buildings to be crammed onto this plot.
This, together with the industrial park, will dump so much traffic onto that stretch of Hillsboro that it will surely discourage even the most intrepid resident or tourist from heading east.
Forgotten, or most likely ignored, by the ones who approved this idea is the major development that will be built next to the Tri-rail station. This location (the old Denny’s lot) also had a land use change which will allow very high density buildings to be crammed onto this plot.
This, together with the industrial park, will dump so much traffic onto that stretch of Hillsboro that it will surely discourage even the most intrepid resident or tourist from heading east.
Westbound after work traffic will be at a standstill for
hours. Trying to get to Rt. 95 will be
hopeless.
The traffic into an industrial park is not just
cars of workers, but giant tractor trailers rumbling off of Rt. 95, making wide
turns and going into Fairway Drive all day long.
The Florida East Railroad will be carrying passenger trains in a year or two, no
longer will that crossing be only freight trains about 10 times a day, but
Hillsboro Boulevard will be closing 30 or more times for the new trains. Hmmmm, what will that mean for traffic?
OK, so we now have a heavily trafficked road that right
now is backed up morning, noon and night.
We are adding car and truck traffic into the new industrial center, car
traffic from the new development by the Tri-rail station, many more closings
from the new rail line. What does that
add up to?
My predictions:
- Irate tourists,
- irate Century Village residents,
- irate Deer Creek, Deer Run, Starlight Cove etc. etc. residents, and
- irate workers every rush hour;
- 10th Street and 18th in Boca becoming overused and creating more irate residents. (This will be the rationale for the MPO to finally justify a flyover on 10th Street to connect the Sawgrass and Rt. 95.)
- We will see snowbirds and tourists second thinking Deerfield Beach as a destination.
To bring jobs and business into Deerfield....are you kidding me?
It got even worse after the
City approved the utility tax driving many companies out of the area as rentals
increased to cover the overhead. Just to run the A/C with new taxes has
become a great burden on management companies in this exact area you are
referring to.
Complete greed on the part of DB
commissioners. (And what about our taxes, wasn't the utility tax supposed
to keep the millage rates the same as last year. Duh, would like to know
where all that revenue is being allocated.)
They are not creating new
business but merely shifting it around for the lowest prices available to rent
space. They are also getting ridiculous in their permit
regulations.
I am President of my condo
association and we are always getting hit. It just cost us several
hundred dollars in fines because we slapped a little sealcoat on the entrance
of our driveway...no contractor, no permit, just a small improvement to
make it look better.
Something's got to give
with the increase in development. And what is with all the rehab centers
and new buildings around St. Andrews being made available to house some of
these unfortunate addicts roaming around our neighborhood...Very scary.
Deerfield is NOT changing for the better, that's for sure.
(Name Withheld)