Tag Archive for: farmland

Bednerā€™s Farmers Market In Palm Beach County Plans To Use Land For Industrial Development

bedners_photo credit SunSentinel 770x320

The owner of Bednerā€™s Farm Fresh Market, a popular agricultural attraction, has proposed rezoning part of its land west of Boynton Beach for industrial development.

Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market has proposed industrial rezoning on the two parcels outlined in red in Palm Beach County.
(IMAGE CREDIT: JMORTON PLANNING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE)

Bedner Brothers Farms, managed by Stephen Bedner, filed a land use amendment with Palm Beach County officials concerning 14 acres of the 19-acre site at 10066 Lee Road, on the west side of U.S. 441.

The Bedner family proposed changing the zoning of the strawberry and pumpkin fields from agricultural to commerce/light industrial, which would allow up to 274,428 square feet of industrial uses. That could include warehouses, flex office/warehouse or self-storage facilities. However, the five-acre site including the farmerā€™s market would be preserved through a conservation easement.

The land use amendment will require County Commission approval. A hearing before the board is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 1.

 

Source: SFBJ

Palm Beach County Commissioners Debate Future Of Agricultural Reserve

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Construction is booming in Palm Beach County with new housing developments, shopping and entertainment districts.

However, what some may see as progress others may call a broken promise.

One area seeing pressure to develop is known as the Agricultural Reserve, 20,000 acres that stretch for miles in areas west of Florida’s Turnpike, including near Delray Beach. That is the dilemma facing commissioners. There is a proposal to build housing in an area where development seems to be swelling up all around it.

Opponents to the change for the land just argued that it was the voters’ decision in 1999 and allowing development might lead to taking more reserved land.

“Over 70% of the county voted to say they wanted agriculture and sensitive lands preserved, and you’re here to make sure that continues to happen,” Gate said at the Palm Beach County Commission meeting.

“I don’t think that we should go that route,” Commissioner Mack Bernard said. “I think we should bar that completely and just leave it alone.”

During the public input portion of the meeting, the owner of the land parcel located just north of the Delray Marketplace at Atlantic and Lyons Road shared his thoughts.

“Right now, there’s a thousand people that work at Delray Marketplace,” the property owner Richard Bowman said. “The average commute is 15 miles, so they don’t live in the Ag Reserve. They need a place to live.”

That land in question is known as the Brookside property. Attorney Marty Perry, representing the landowner, objected to not even being allowed to present the formal proposal for the development.

“This is the wrong way to do it,” Perry said. “We are frankly being deprived of our constitutional right to due process and a fair hearing.”

Opponents include former Palm Beach County Commissioner Karen Marcus, who was in office when the land was bought and set aside.

“The big issue that needs to be resolved is, not just for the Ag Reserve but for the entire county, is conservation easements and what they mean,” Marcus said.

The process has frustrated landowners and developers who said they havenā€™t even been able to present their proposals. Commissioners for the most part said they are not in favor of allowing the land designation to change but will sit down with both sides in March for a workshop to talk it over, knowing the pressure to develop more in the county won’t let up.

 

Source: WPTV5 News