City of Lake Worth Beach - Community Redevelopment Agency

1121 Lucerne Ave, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460

Attn: Joan Oliva, Executive Director

Dear Ms. Oliva:                 

Re: Neighborhood Input at L and M Streets RFP #02-1920                            

The undersigned neighbors and Lake Worth Beach residents, strongly urge the Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (“CRA”) to publish and publicize all submittals received for the above-referenced request for proposal (“RFP”), which are currently due by August 4 2020. In the interest of transparency, and assuming conditions allow following the “Cone of Silence”, this publicity should take the form of an exhibition at the Hatch.  If quarantining is still in effect, the CRA should post all submittal information prominently on its website.

The RFP requires developers and their architects to submit “sketches/renderings of the proposed project”. The document anticipates a minimum of 60 units on 2.61 acres in our backyard, and therefore our input is mandatory.

We are dismayed that the RFP no longer awards 25% of points for “Proposed Project Details with Renderings” (i.e. Design Quality); but now only awards 20% of points for the “Appropriateness of proposed plan with RFP goals and scale of development”, which is a subjective measure. 

The CRA’s Charter, dated March 2000 states (p.23): 

“6. “Ensure the provision of suitable public information services concerning all aspects of the redevelopment program such as radio and newspaper reporting as well as neighborhood and civic organization meetings.

7. “Work with area residents, property owners, and businesses to establish channels of communication that foster support for the redevelopment effort and facilitate program implementation.”

Furthermore, we expect that all other current and future RFPs should receive similar prominent publication. This includes all projects with which the CRA is affiliated, including progress drawings for The Bohemian; the 17th Street parcel (RFP #01-1920), and all future projects.

Currently, the CRA does not sufficiently publicize ongoing projects that are awarded with taxpayer money, giving the impression that lucrative deals are being awarded without sufficient public scrutiny, beyond the sunshine in violation of the CRA’s charter. 

In the interest of the CRA’s compliance with its charter - as well as its public image - we urge greater publicity and transparency in the evaluation and award of publicly-funded contracts.

We look forward to your response.