JUNO BEACH, Fla. — In a heated meeting Tuesday night, residents voiced strong concerns over Juno Beach's future development plans. As city leaders work on a new master plan, many expressed anger over proposals that could alter some beloved small businesses considered part of their cherished way of life.
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Dozens of residents filled the council chambers in Juno Beach to voice their concerns about development changes they call unacceptable, which could be coming to their quiet beach town.
Before the meeting started, a handful of protesters stood on the road outside the chambers with signs in hand. They’re frustrated with the newly proposed master plan that would shift land use rules to be 90% residential and only 10 percent commercial, pushing them out of their town.
One of the protesters is Rebecca Baker. Her family has been in Juno Beach for nearly 7 decades, running TerMarsch Groves, a citrus shop, selling fresh Florida orange juice and other locally grown fruit. She says the proposal would kill small businesses in the area.
“There's so many different things about what's happening that it's just awful,” said Baker.
And she wasn’t the only angry resident in attendance.
Residents shouting from the rooftops — that the change isn’t welcome.
“Your jobs are to protect this place we live in, this way of life that we have, and you need to start life shopping for us,” said one concerned resident.
“Please do not become Palm Beach Gardens,” said another. “You guys have compromised with businesses and with residents. Keep Juno Juno.”
The council heard those concerns and responded with a unanimous vote deciding that for all future proposals, the town would not accept a 90/10 split between residential and commercial..
Council also acknowledged that members need to be on the same page before future decisions are made and that they want more public input before moving forward.
They voted to have a closed discussion with council and staff to get on the same page at a later date. They also decided that at their next meeting scheduled for September 8th that they will start to plan out a resident survey to use what the people want as the guiding light as they continue to work on the town’s master plan.
