LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — What looks like an empty stretch of land at 826 Sunset Drive in Lake Worth Beach has been anything but quiet for the past 20 years.
The four-acre property, surrounded by single-family homes, has long been at the center of a debate over how it should be used — and tonight, that fight is resurfacing once again.
WATCH: Neighbors fear new zoning could set stage for more development
Months after city commissioners voted against a plan to build 42 townhomes on the site, the issue is back before city leaders. City staff are now recommending approval of a new rezoning request that would change the property to a single-family and two-family residential (SF-TF-14) district.
According to city documents, the rezoning would correct a long-standing annexation error that dates back nearly two decades.
The city says the land, annexed in 2005, was never given a proper zoning designation. The proposed change, officials say, would allow for the development of sixteen single-family homes and bring the site into compliance with Lake Worth Beach's comprehensive plan and land development regulations.
But longtime residents say they're skeptical — and exhausted.
"We've been fighting this for about 20 years, so I think a lot of us are feeling tired, a little frustrated—that this is the third time that it's come up with the same exact zoning," said Amy Mihelich, who lives nearby.
Neighbors fear the new zoning could set the stage for denser development in the future, far beyond the 16 homes currently proposed.
"There's a discrepancy with the developer's submission for 16 single-family homes versus the zoning that they are requesting," Mihelich said. "Our concern is that they are just going to flip it and bring in much denser development once the zoning is passed."
Residents also argue that any high-density project would harm the environment and the character of their neighborhood — citing 100-year-old trees, wildlife like gopher tortoises, and already narrow residential streets that could see more traffic.
PREVIOUS STORY: 20-year debate closer to being settled at Lake Worth Beach commission meeting
"The only way to get in is through this driveway," said Ruth Lynch, another resident. "We're not against development—it's just development with lower density, with the consistency of this neighborhood."
The site has a complicated history.
The land was annexed into the city in 2005, with initial rezoning approvals granted to Sunset Drive Holdings, LLC.
In 2006, the city approved a Medium Density Residential land use designation — but that decision was challenged by residents.
By 2009, the city reversed its prior approvals.
Since then, Lake Worth Beach has updated its comprehensive plan and land use maps, but the Sunset Drive property has remained without an official zoning district.
The new rezoning, according to the agenda item, would finally resolve that oversight. But for residents who've fought this battle for decades, there's still lingering mistrust.
"If it's going to be 16 homes, what are the assurances that we have that that's only going to be developed for 16 homes?" Mihelich asked.
The Planning and Zoning Board will discuss the proposed rezoning Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Lake Worth Beach City Hall. Any recommendation from the board will still need final approval from the city commission in a future meeting.
Earlier this year, residents rallied against a separate plan that would have built 42 townhomes on the property. That proposal was ultimately voted down by city commissioners after dozens of residents showed up at a public hearing to oppose it.
Mihelich says many in the community say they're not opposed to development — they just want a plan that respects the ecosystem, history, and neighborhood character of the area.
