Support Thoughtful Growth.
Not Overdevelopment.

September 9 — Downtown Action Committee

In a nearly four-hour meeting, the DAC voted 3–1 to advance the revised plan, with a condition that the resident partnership present its views when the City Commission takes it up.

September 15 — Planning Board

The Planning Board unanimously recommended the comprehensive plan amendments. It is a recommending board only — the City Commission makes the decision.

The Room Spoke

Residents from across the Flagler corridor — Providencia Park, downtown, the Nora District — came to testify. Neighbors described construction damage to their buildings (cracked driveways, hydraulic fuel spills from adjacent sites), flooding that already reaches front doors at king tide, and infrastructure that hasn't kept pace with the towers already under construction. Several speakers had never attended a city meeting before. They came because they had to.

Gary Schritz — Construction Industry Professional

A construction industry professional with New York development experience brought an outside expert's eye to what he was seeing in West Palm Beach. His assessment: the city is fast-tracking major projects without performing the infrastructure due diligence that any responsible development process requires. He wasn't speaking as a neighbor with a feeling — he was speaking as someone who has worked inside this industry and knows what corners are being cut. That kind of professional credibility landed clearly in the room.

Michelle Farmer — Protect the Palm

Michelle described the moment that started Protect the Palm: a presentation by the Frisbie Group about the Good Samaritan redevelopment that showed a glossy, "Dubai-looking" vision — without ever mentioning the two 25–30 story towers. When neighbors asked about the towers directly, the developers were, in her words, "a little backtracking and sheet white." She spoke about king tide flooding in her driveway, the lack of any infrastructure plan, and why this community deserved full transparency before a single additional project moved forward.

Brianna Garrette — Protect the Palm

At 21, Brianna was one of the only voices from her generation in the room. She made clear she is not against growth — she asked the city to evaluate how all of these projects work together, and what their combined impact will be. "West Palm Beach can continue to grow while preserving the qualities that make people want to live here." The committee responded directly to her ask for a cumulative impact review.

Providencia Park — 9th Street

A 9th Street resident described what it feels like to be surrounded: Nora towers to one direction, Good Samaritan's proposed highrises to the north, Jeff Greene's towers with their "god-awful flashing lights" to another. "We are absolutely boxed in." Providencia Park is a quiet, established neighborhood watching every side of its horizon change at once — without a say in the process.

Next: October 26, 2026 — City Commission First Reading

The DMPU review is moving forward on a set schedule: DAC on September 9 (done), Planning Board on September 15 (done), Community Meeting on October 6 (done), Planning Board (zoning) on October 20, City Commission on October 26, and anticipated final adoption in early 2027. This timeline is advancing even while infrastructure studies are still underway. Sign the petition below and show up at every hearing.