Planning Commissioners Serving Developers In Palm Beach

This opinion piece from the Palm Beach Post accuses the county's planning commissioners of bowing to the desires of developers and showing little concern for the way the 'planned' land is to be used.

1 minute read

October 11, 2006, 12:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


Palm Beach County, Florida, planning commissioners are being accused of approving "blanket densities" on two pending suburban development. Critics and opponents are saying that the commissioners are planning to allow the two developments -- though in completely different areas -- to have the same density layout.

"Commissioners say they want to be fair in deciding how much development happens. But they're not talking about being fair to the people who live there. Or to the people who will live there once developers build what they want. No, commissioners are trying to be fair to the developers. They believe that it's only fair that whatever one developer gets, all the developers should get."

"The problem is that good planning isn't based on fairness. A vacant property in the center of a bedroom community needs to be treated differently from a property on the fringe. But to commissioners, they're both citrus groves, right? They both want to develop, right? So, why not treat them the same?"

Tuesday, October 10, 2006 in Palm Beach Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

15 minutes ago - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

1 hour ago - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

2 hours ago - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.