Battle Over Palm Beach Inlet Expansion – Town of Palm Beach

It is no secret that the State of Florida and the Government are after the prized waterways of the Town of Palm Beach. In 2014, the Palm Beach Town Council hired several intermediary partners to defend the proposed plan to expand and widen the Inlet located at the North End of the Island. Also known as the Lake Worth Inlet or Palm Beach Inlet, this entrance plays a large role in the Port Of Palm Beach and the tourism for Peanut and Singer Island.

The Town Council through their lobbyists and lawyers were able to argue their side successfully, and Residents of the Town of Palm Beach came out and voiced their anger last year about the effects of expansion. Environmentalists rallied against the project knowing that it could have major effects on the marine life and coral reefs in this vital waterway intersection.

Being a barrier Island, the many multi-million dollar homes near the inlet already suffer from some flooding and rough storm surge. Experts agreed the widening and deepening of the Palm Beach Inlet would increase the chances of storm surge flooding. The Port of Palm Beach has proposed a new, scaled back plan.

Once again, the Town of Palm Beach is faced with another threat to the serenity of the Island. Two firms were used last year, one specifically for litigation in Tallahassee, the other to advocate in Washington D.C. These lobbyist firms do not come at a bargain, but neither would the repairs and damages caused by the storm surge and flooding.

Putting the Town of Palm Beach in a tight spot, this Tuesday at the regular Town Council meeting the options will be discussed. The stringent fiscal responsibility rests on the Town. There is hope that with the proper team, the Palm Beach Inlet will remain untouched.