LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Lake Worth Beach community members are planning to protest outside city hall this week, voicing opposition to several agenda items they believe could negatively impact the area.
Protesters are specifically concerned about the Weiner Museum of Decorative Arts, commonly referred to as the WMODA project, which they argue involves giving away public land and demolishing parts of downtown for new development.
WATCH: Protest planned over three agenda items related to development
As preparations are underway for Tuesday’s city commission meeting, dozens of protesters are expected to gather to express their concerns about three key items on the agenda related to the project.
The WMODA project has already received city approval but still requires further decisions regarding the public land surrounding the development site.
Former Commissioner Kim Stokes, who is now chairperson for "Lake Worth for All," is leading the protest. Stokes describes the public-private partnership as potentially harmful to the city's future.
“I've heard quite a few neighbors refer to it as a Trojan horse,” Stokes said. “It’s very complex. People just hear that it’s a museum, but we’re giving them 1.7 acres of our downtown land.”
The project is set to include both a new museum and apartment buildings in downtown Lake Worth Beach. Stokes noted that there are widespread concerns about the overall implications of the project.
While some local businesses support WMODA, believing it will bring increased foot traffic and revenue, Stokes remains apprehensive.
“I think there’s an eagerness just to see something happening in the city,” she remarked.
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Stokes also raised alarms about a public access alleyway to the Lake Worth Lagoon, which she fears may be given to private developers.
Additionally, she pointed out that Benny’s on the Beach, a popular restaurant on the Lake Worth Pier, is requesting a $50,000 rent abatement for renovations—an issue Stokes believes is unfair to other tenants.
“It’s honestly not fair to the other tenants that are there,” Stokes said. She emphasized that all three agenda items involve public land and stressed the importance of public awareness before any decisions are made.
“They all involve what seems to be like special treatment for wealthy developers,” she added.
In an effort to understand the city’s position on the matter, WPTV reached out to all city commissioners.
One commissioner responded, expressing disagreement with the WMODA project and raised concerns that residents are not adequately informed about the ongoing construction, suggesting it does not align with the character of downtown Lake Worth Beach.
