Page 9 - Jupiter Spotlight - October '20

Jupiter Spotlight, Page 9
Commissioner’s Update

It Has Been An Honor To greater calling than to serve the public. This privilege comes Management Coordinating Council, I have had the pleasure of

Serve You with a great sense of responsibility and I hope that when you working with local, state and federal officials and agencies, river
users and landowners, to support restoration efforts to benefit
have sought my assistance with an issue, you came away from
the experience knowing that I and my staff did our best to help this watershed. These projects will increase flood control and
By Commissioner you and that we heard you. water supply benefits on a wider scale, and additionally improve
Hal Valeche During my two terms in office, in addition to making decisions conditions in interconnected water resources such as the Lake
As I reflect on the past on land use, zoning applications, contracts and community Worth Lagoon.
eight years as your District needs, I have focused my efforts on projects and programs that Beaches are one of our most treasured resources and a
1 County Commissioner, I I believe add value to our quality of life. These areas of focus major tourism draw. Of our 46 miles of Atlantic coastline,
want to express my deepest have included our environmental resources, parks and waterfront Palm Beach County has 31 miles of critically eroded beaches
appreciation to all of you for access facilities, transit, rail and roadway systems, and economic subject to constant wind, waves, tides and seasonal hurricanes
allowing me the honor of development. and tropical storms. We continue to combat this erosion through
serving you. This has been With nearly 28,000 acres of preserved natural areas, Northern dune restoration, inlet sand transfer, sand renourishment, and
one of the most rewarding Palm Beach County enjoys huge swaths of open green space the installation of supporting structures. I am grateful to have
experiences of my life, and that sustain a critical habitat for endangered species of flora and had the opportunity to work with our environmental resource
it has given me a greater fauna. Additionally, many natural areas function as wetlands to managers to support funding from state and federal partners as
understanding of what people value in Palm Beach County. filter and replenish water that flows to the Loxahatchee River, a well as from tourism bed taxes for beach renourishment projects
Whether it was serving as a pilot in the U.S. Navy, or elected portion of which holds the National Wild and Scenic designation. along Jupiter Beach, Carlin Park, Juno Beach and Singer Island
office in county, city and special district arenas, I have found no As the Commission’s representative on the Loxahatchee River to combat the long-term erosion resulting in significant loss of
beach frontage.
One of my goals when I took office was to maintain and
enhance our parks and recreation facilities. This included creating
greater opportunities for waterfront access for our boating
community. Among the projects completed were boat ramp,
parking and facilities improvements to Burt Reynolds Park
in Jupiter, Bert Winters Park near Juno Beach, and the newly
constructed Waterway Park next to Jonathan’s Landing at the
base of the Indiantown Road Bridge.
Fullerton Island, on the Intracoastal Waterway just south
of the Loxahatchee River and completed in 2015, created
mangrove and seagrass habitat, and preserved over five acres of
mangroves. Its amenities include boat docks and kayak access,
and a picnicking area.
Another jewel of North County is Riverbend/Loxahatchee
Battlefield Park. Riverbend has received facility enhancements
and an exciting plan on the drawing board is an interpretive
center for the site of the Loxahatchee River Battlefield.
The Gardens/North County District Park came to fruition
through a partnership of the county with the City of Palm Beach
Gardens. The two governments developed a master plan and the
city built the park on county land. The park offers much-needed
multiuse fields to the area, along with walking trails, playgrounds,
and a water play area. Phase two of the district park will include
an indoor sports complex.
We celebrated the completion of renovations at the DuBois
Pioneer Home Museum in DuBois Park, which is located on
top of one of the best-studied ancient Native American sites in
Florida, with artifacts located dating back at least 6,000 years.
A major goal of mine as your District 1 Commissioner has
been to support economic development and provide new jobs in
diverse industries for our residents. It was exciting to work with
state and local partners to land the new headquarters for United
Technologies Corporation’s Center for Intelligent Buildings,
now the home of Carrier Corporation, on a site along Donald
Ross Road within the high technology overlay across from
Scripps Research Institute and Max Planck facilities. United
Technologies’ presence in the county has spanned over 50 years
and since 2012 they have undertaken large expansions in engine
testing and aviation manufacturing operations. Together, these
projects account for the addition of more than 750 new jobs.
We have continued to recruit biotech companies to our county,
including plans for Beacon Pharmaceuticals to house operations
within Jupiter’s biotech overlay at the I-95/Turnpike interchanges
on Indiantown Road. Meanwhile, exciting developments
continue at the Palm Beach Park of Commerce on the Beeline
Highway north of PGA Boulevard. After locating to the park two
years ago, Niagara Bottling has expanded its manufacturing and
distribution facility with an additional $38 million investment.
In August of this year, Amazon announced plans to launch a
new one million-square-foot state-of-the-art fulfillment center
at the Park of Commerce, which will create hundreds of full-
time jobs. The county worked with the Business Development
Board to expedite permitting and I am thrilled that we were able
to attract this major company to enhance our growing logistics
industry.
Economic development requires efficient transportation
options, and it has been my honor to serve as chair of the

Commissioner’s Update on page 10

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