PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago team is seeking approval from the town of Palm Beach to build a new structure on the historic property to house generators for key security systems.
The Secret Service stated in a letter to the town that generators are needed to provide continuous power to surveillance and security systems following recent upgrades. Over the years, security at the Winter White House has increased with additional patrols and upgrades to cameras, alarms, and lighting.
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To support these measures, the Mar-a-Lago team wants to build a 763-square-foot structure to hold two 400-kilowatt generators. The project is being paid for by Mar-a-Lago Inc., which is run by Donald Trump Jr.
The town unanimously approved the project in early March, but the Landmarks Preservation Commission must approve the designs due to the property's historic designation. The commission has already stated the designs need to be reworked to look more like the rest of the property, be better hidden with landscaping, and include other cosmetic fixes.
The town will vote on the project on April 22.
I spoke with local residents, including a man named Boston, who visits the area outside Mar-a-Lago every day with his dog, Paws, to take in the views and exercise.
"He's almost 14. He doesn't have too much time left, so I'd make sure, try to make sure every day is the best day for him," Boston said.
Boston and other residents I spoke with off camera agree with the security upgrades. Boston noted he has seen the security increases firsthand over recent months.
"I’ve just noticed a big difference since the gentleman tried to scale the fence and was shot down before," Boston said.
"I'm for whatever is going to keep the president safe and America safe," Boston said.
"I have no problem with that whatsoever, especially with the wars going on. You don't know who's going to be coming after who," Boston said.
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