THIS WEEK IN PALM BEACH
July 21, 2017 Edition - The News Palm Beachers Need to Know 
UNDERGROUNDING
Council Approves Interim Financing for Undergrounding Project
Undergrounding
The Town Council has agreed to borrow up to $22.6 million to finance the early years of the town-wide conversion to underground utilities.
Palm Beach Approves Assessments to Pay for Utility Line Burial
Despite many residents' objections at a public hearing, the Town Council unanimously voted to impose special assessments on property owners to pay for the burial of all overhead utility lines on the island.
Visits to properties in utility project's phase 2 area start Thursday
Palm Beach says it will begin sending engineering representatives Thursday to all properties within phase 2 of the town-wide utility undergrounding project to document locations of electric meters and communication service points.
WEST PALM DEVELOPS
Battle Over West Palm's Skyline Height Starting to Get Testy
One Flagler
As a series of votes approaches on the future of the downtown West Palm Beach skyline, the battle for public opinion is heating up. Related Cos.' push to rewrite the downtown rule book to allow a 25-story office tower on a 5-story South Flagler Drive site is spurring supporters and opponents to pony up for opinion surveys, newspaper ads and mailers.
Huge Transit Village Project on Hold; Developer Frustrated with City
Transit Village
Fifteen years coming down the tracks, the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station project promised bells and whistles that city, county and regional officials said they wanted.
TOWN of PALM BEACH
'A Sad Day': Testa's Closes Location in Palm Beach After 96 Years
Testas
Testa's restaurant, a favorite local eatery and a town icon for decades, closed its doors Saturday night to make way for the new development on Royal Poinciana Way.
Will a Median Cut be Eliminated to Bring More Parking to Palm Beach?
Royal Poinciana Way median cut
Palm Beach officials want to keep the median cut on the town's historic Main Street. Despite a plea from merchants to close the turnaround spot between the eastbound and westbound lanes on Royal Poinciana Way, the Town Council unanimously decided it should stay.
Henry Flagler Statue Will Find a New Home in Palm Beach
Henry Flagler
With construction of the new Flagler Memorial Bridge nearing completion, the statue of Henry Flagler soon will be coming out of storage to make its final stand on Royal Poinciana Way.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously agreed that the 11-foot-tall bronze statute should be situated in the Royal Poinciana Way median east of the intersection with Cocoanut Row and Bradley Place.
Palm Beach's Cucina Restaurant Can Keep Late-Night Hours
Cucina Dell Arte
Despite objections from some residents, Cucina can keep its late hours when it reopens this fall with a new look, new food and new ambiance.
Palm Beach Contractors to Pay False Alarm Fines, Not Homeowners
firestation
Palm Beach homeowners no longer will have to pay the bill when their workers accidentally set off fire alarms while on the job. The Town Council adopted an ordinance last week that says contractors will be fined if firefighters have to respond to a work site but discover no emergency when they arrive.
BRIGHTLINE
First Office Building at Miami Central Will Open by the End of Summer
MiamiCentral
The parent company of All Aboard Florida (AAF) this summer will open the first of two office buildings at Miami Central, an 11-acre mixed-use development that will include a train station for AAF's Brightline rail service.
Builder of Florida's High-Speed Train is Getting into the
Apartment Business
Park-Line Miami
The developer of Florida's upcoming Brightline train service is getting into the rental apartment business. Florida East Coast Industries (FECI), the company behind the $3 billion, 235-mile express train system that will eventually connect Orlando to Miami, is launching a new real estate brand, to be called Park-Line.
PRESIDENTIAL VISITS
Congress Members to Trump Administration: Give Us Money for Presidential Security
South Florida's congressional delegation is urging the Trump administration to get moving on providing federal reimbursement to local governments that incur extraordinary security expenses from presidential visits.
CIVIC ASSOCIATION 
DIRECTORS IN THE NEWS
World View
Alex Dreyfoos
During his extraordinary life, Alex Dreyfoos, a Civic Association Honorary Director, has been an inventor, pilot, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and visionary. It all began with his passion for photography. On one of his five trips to India, Alex Dreyfoos was in a rowboat floating on the Ganges, observing the scene on the river banks. 

MEETINGS & EVENTS
Wednesday, July 26, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Architectural Commission (ARCOM) Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Tuesday, August 1, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Underground Utilities Task Force (UUTF) Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Monday, August 7, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Ordinances, Rules, and Standards Committee Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Wednesday, August 9, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Town Council Meeting-Regular Business and Development Review
Town Council Chambers

Tuesday, August 15, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Wednesday, August 16, 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Meeting
Town Council Chambers
 
Thursday, August 17, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Code Enforcement Board Meeting
Town Council Chambers

FLAGLER BRIDGE
Flagler [North] Bridge Re-Opens with Limited Lanes
Flagler Bridge 5-2017
Lane shifting was completed over the weekend and there is now one lane open east bound and one lane open west bound over the new spans of the Flagler Memorial [North] Bridge. All four lanes on the new bridge are not open yet.
Read More (Civic Association News)
WEATHER & HURRICANES
Over-Active Hurricane Season So Far - Forecasts Above-Average Season Overall?
2017 hurricane season
The Atlantic Basin in 2017 has had four tropical storms and one tropical depression through mid-July. 
Read More (Civic Association News)
UPDATE 7-14-2017
We Got
Soaked & Jolted
lightning
The former Tropical Depression 4 dumped record rains in South Florida. The Palm Beach area received 1.91 inches on Wednesday. 
Read More (Civic Association News)
REAL ESTATE
Palm Beach Mansion Prices Bounce Back
At the end of 2016, the town of Palm Beach's mansion market was showing signs of trouble. As of mid-2017, however, prices had rebounded sharply.
Read More (Palm Beach Post)
IN MEMORIAM
Palm Beach Obituary: Howard Falcon Jr., Longtime Resident, Municipal Judge
Howard Falcon
Mr. Falcon loved living in Palm Beach and served the town as chairman of the Retirement Board, as vice president of the Palm Beach Civic Association's executive committee; and in the 1970s, as municipal judge one day a week for the town.
Susan Keenan has Joined the Board of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden
Ms. Keenan is a founding member of the Gardens Conservancy at ANSG and the former VP of Membership and Marketing at the Civic Association
Read More (Palm Beach Post)
ZIKA VIRUS
Florida Governor, Officials Hold Zika Preparedness Meeting in Doral
Gov. Rick Scott
Scott gave opening remarks at the Florida Department of Health's "Zika Preparedness Planning Meeting" in Miami, which discussed ongoing efforts to prepare for and combat Zika.
Read More (WSVN News)
ENVIRONMENT
Volunteers Find Dead Shark While Cleaning Trash from Palm Beach Shore
Friends beach clean-up
Three dozen volunteers removed 165 pounds of trash from the Palm Beach shoreline Saturday during a Friends of Palm Beach cleanup event. In addition to the typical plastic and medical waste collected, volunteers also reported finding a dead shark with a hook in its mouth. 
Glades Area Farmers Exceeded Phosphorus Reduction Goals by Three Times, SFWMD Says
EAA
Farmers in the 477,000-acre Everglades Agricultural Area achieved another successful year of water-quality success, announcing a 70 percent reduction in phosphorous for Water Year 2017, which ended April 30, the South Florida Water Management District said Thursday.
TRAFFIC
Construction Traffic Report for the Week of July 17
traffic 7-10-17
Click on the link below to download a copy of the Construction and Traffic Report for the upcoming week.
Palm Beach Recreation Department
To Visit
Recreation 
Department
Site
Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce 
To See 
Chamber Events 
Palm Beach Civic Association | 561-655-0820 | [email protected] | http://www.palmbeachcivic.org

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