Callery Looks For Greene Light

May 15, 2007, Palm Beach Post, Callery developers look for Greene light, By Dwayne Robinson.

WEST PALM BEACH — County Commission Chairwoman Addie Greene could find herself in a familiar position today: casting the deciding vote on a major land-use issue.

Commissioners will be reviewing Callery-Judge Grove's request to build 10,000 homes west of The Acreage.

County Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who previously voted for the mixed-use project, said Monday that he would vote against it, joining the development's other critics: Commissioners Jess Santamaria and Karen Marcus.

Commissioners Mary McCarty and Warren Newell were mum Monday on how they would vote, but they previously supported Callery, along with Commissioner Jeff Koons, who was unavailable for comment.

That leaves Greene, who has given mixed signals on how she'll vote.

On Saturday, the Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported she would vote against it.

On Monday, however, Greene distanced herself from those statements.

"That was Saturday; today is Monday," Greene said, renewing the mystique she reveled in last year in the weeks before she cast the deciding vote to move The Scripps Research Institute to northern Palm Beach County.

In an earlier interview, Greene acknowledged unprecedented lobbying by Callery, beyond anything she had experienced as a county commissioner.

It was not clear Monday whether Callery would alter its plans, considering the growing objections to the density of the 3,900-acre project.

Callery General Manager Nat Roberts did not return phone calls Monday, but has said before that he would not want to alter the project because its parts are meant to work together.

But opponents want to see changes.

"From what I've read and what I heard the board say the other day, he (Roberts) needs to think about reducing density," Marcus said. "If they (county commissioners) mean what they said, they'll vote it down."

Newell cautioned his colleagues not to come to today's meeting with their minds made up.

"I hope no one has already said what they're going to do, because that's what the process is for, to allow the facts and the information in the public hearing, then make a decision," Newell said.

County Administrator Bob Weisman said he had not seen new plans for Callery as of Monday afternoon, but was expecting a marathon meeting nonetheless.

The public hearing on Callery, scheduled for 2 p.m. today at the Palm Beach County Government Center, will begin with a continuation of public comment from the commission meeting last week.

Then, attorneys representing cities opposing the project - West Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens - will give presentations, he said.

Their attorneys and Callery's attorneys may have the chance to cross-examine each other.

"After all that's out of the way and then, if there's time, the board can have discussion about what they want to do," Weisman said.

Anticipating a long meeting, the county made arrangements for dinner to be brought in for the commissioners.

In other Callery news, two Lake Worth residents opposed to the project were arrested Monday on charges of trespassing during a protest near the Palm Beach County Courthouse, West Palm Beach police reported.

Peter Evan Tsolkas, 26, and Lynne Purvis, 27, refused to come down from a two-story building, where they were holding a banner, police spokesman Ted White wrote in a media release.

It took police and fire rescue an hour to remove them, he said, partly because Purvis, who staged a 2004 topless protest at The Breakers in Palm Beach to protest Scripps' move to Palm Beach County, had chained and padlocked her neck to a billboard.

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