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Minutes 11-13-54~III~ES OF A SPECIAL ~_~T~G OF THE PI~/~NING BODED OF BOYTON BEACH ~¥ITH ~E C0~IS~i0NERS OF BOYNTON BEACH HELD AT THE CITY HALL, BS~NT~ BE~6~t, FLORIDA, ON NOVE~IBER i~ 1954. P EESEhV~: ~ayo r A.E.Shook Com~iss~oner Joseph De~rco. Com~missioner Stanley ~eaver Co_w~issioner Albert W. Deen. Mr. Robert ~!cDonald, Chairm~n, Planning Board. Mr. A.H .Nyquist ) ~r. Henry ~erkel, Jr. ) Planning Board Mr. L.S. Ch~dwell ) ' Mrs. Ann Barrett. ) Commissioner Howard Hood was called away before the meeting came to order. Mr. McDonald ~pened the meeting at 7.45 Po~T. and explained that its pur- pose was to bring the Commissioners and the Planning Board together to discuss the pros and cons of the widening of the highwa~v; that the Plar~uing Board are of the opinion that the views of the people should be obtained as well as those of the minority group. Mr. Weaver snggested that, in other words, the Planning Board would like to out it on the December ballot. ~Ir. 5~cDonald agreed and said that the result of the referendum would give a pretty good idea of th. ether the people want a highway of !00 feet minimum width, with safety islands, or not. In discussing the right of v,~y he said that comparatively few buildings would have to be moved, and that in any case these vdlt have to be moved eventually; that at the South end of town the rest is practically open country; ~hat County ComJ~issioner Ben Sundy says the ~ounty will go along, but as they must pro rate the money available so that each com~utty gets its share, it would take approximately three years to acquire the right of In reply to a question from ~ro %¥eaver as to w/aether the County would move _~r. ~erkel said they the City v~ter line, which is four feet from the curb, ~ would do it, and do it right. ~r. McDonald said the Planning Board are all in favor of the widened high- way and feel sure it %~ould er~ance the City, and they v~nt the opinion of the Commissioners concerning it. In the discussion fo!lo%~ng, ~TroShook, vrith reference to safety islands, said concrete would be cheaper than grass, and that the Federal Government will not spend money on islands of less than 14 feet. ~r. Chadwell said that putting the question on the ballot would allow everyone to vote ~ithout cost, and that no one vould be com~ittin~ themselves to anything. ~r. ~eaver said the result ~ou!d not be binding on the City, and would be more in the nature of a Gal!up poll. -2- There~s discussion on the fact that at the North end of town a 116 feet highway would hurt some people, and it w~s thought that the State Road De .~T merit would build a 108 foot road w~here the City could not get ll8 feet. But in the South end of tov~n, v~ere the City could get~ll6 feet, the State Road Department would build to that dimension. The Commissioners expressed themselves as favorin~ the v.~dening of the road, but that the question was how to obtain the necessary commitments, During the discussion it ~s pointed out that the highway will be a mil~ary one; that the Federal Government will give more aid in p.ropoi~ont~o its width, and that in order to get the maximum Federal aid the road would~ have to be 116 feet. After further discussion, it v~s agreed by the Co~issioners that, in order to determine if the registered voters of Boynton approve of a highway of a minimum wi. dth of 100 feet, with safety islands, the question should be put on the ballot on Decembers?. In order to bring home to the people of Boynton the advantages of a wider highv~y, it ~s agreed that the State ~Woad l~e_~ ~t Fort Lauderdale should be asked to provide the Planning B6ard with sample photographs of finished boulevards, ~dth safety islands, in Fort Lauderda!e, 0cala or other cities for comparison with photographs of present roads in Boynton. In this connection ~JVr. Chadwell reported that when he and ~r. Nyquist recently met with the State Road Department at Fort Lauderdale, ~r. Irving h~d remarked that if Boynton accepts a 100 foot wide highway now, in ten years~ time the people will be complaining that the Con~issioners and Planning Board should have known better and have demanded 150 feet. It was decided that the next meeting of the Planning Board will be on Tuesday, November 30. ~:~r. Chadwel! moved, ~J'~r.Nyquist seconded, that the meeting be adjourned. Motion carried ~ .Secretary.