Palm Beach County Statement Suggests Board Of Directors In Seven Bridges Delray Beach Lied To Homeowners.
BY: SEVEN BRIDGES BUREAU | BocaNewsNow.com
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The Seven Bridges Board of Directors misled homeowners about crime prevention efforts in the gated community of 701 million-dollar homes following the recent theft of a BMW in the middle of the night, according to information provided by Palm Beach County to BocaNewsNow.com.
The upscale community on Lyons Road, north of Clint Moore, has been the scene of several residential burglaries, car thefts, and car break-ins over its short lifespan. Leaders are apparently thwarting efforts by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to increase patrols by establishing a Traffic Enforcement Agreement, or TEA, with Palm Beach County.
New information from Palm Beach County — obtained exclusively by BocaNewsNow.com — suggests the community’s Board of Directors issued a false statement to homeowners about why there is no “traffic enforcement agreement,” known as a TEA, in place.
A TEA, under Florida statute, permits police to issue tickets on what are technically private roads in a gated community. More than fifty private communities in Palm Beach County have a “Traffic Enforcement Agreement” with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, according to County officials. TEA’s tend to dramatically reduce crime — as police tend to spend time where they are permitted to issue citations.
In an effort to thwart crime in Seven Bridges, a previous board of directors initiated a TEA application in 2022 — only for newly elected board members to slow-roll the application. After a late-night BMW theft just days ago — where it’s believed a criminal jumped a fence to gain easy access to the community — that new board transmitted an email of mistruths to homeowners. Many homeowners asked BocaNewsNow.com to verify the claims. The email stated that a TEA would require the removal of certain stop signs in the community, which isn’t true. The apparent goal of the inaccurate letter, according to multiple sources, was to rally homeowners against the program that could result in traffic tickets being issued to Board constituents who routinely speed, run through intersections, and permit their children to drive golf carts on the community’s streets. There is no golf course in Seven Bridges.
“In order to get approved,” wrote the Board of Directors, “the county will want the all-way stop signs removed and the speed limit raised (from 20 MPH on side streets) to 25 MPH.”
But Melissa Ackert, Assistant Director of the Traffic Division for Palm Beach County’s Engineering and Public Works Department, says that statement about stop signs is untrue, and the portion about speed limits is taken out of context.
“The County requested a study showing that the 4-way stop control was justified per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD),” said Ackert. “This has not been provided yet. The County asked for a study justifying the stop signs. The community reported that drivers are running the stop signs. This is why the MUTCD requires a traffic study justifying an all-way stop. The conditions for an all-way stop are based on traffic demand and driver expectation.”
County officials say that the traffic engineering department did not tell Seven Bridges to remove stop signs and raise the speed limit. It asked for proof that certain stop signs are needed, and noted that Florida Statute calls for a residential speed limit of 25 MPH — a meaningless increase when drivers routinely speed at a significantly higher rate. G.L. Homes, which built Seven Bridges, posted signs on some side streets stating 20 MPH.
”What makes more sense,” rhetorically questioned a law enforcement professional who asked not to be identified. “Police permitted to enforce a 25 mph speed limit, or police not allowed to enforce a 20 mph speed limit?”
Palm Beach County says the 25 mph limit on side streets is the law, and communities routinely adopt the speed limit so police can enforce something instead of nothing.
“The TEA requires the County to assume traffic control responsibility over the private roads in the Seven Bridges community,” explained Ackert. “By Statute, the County is not responsible for private roads unless the County accepts this responsibility through an agreement. In order for PBSO to enforce the laws of the state, the County must have traffic control authority. The County is required to meet State and Federal guidelines.”
Instead of a TEA, Seven Bridges is discussing arming its security guards. But armed guards bring a liability that armed police officers do not.
“If a police officer shoots someone while stopping crime, it’s not an HOA’s problem,” said the law enforcement source. “But if a cop-wannabe hourly security guard shoots someone, it’s now a potentially multi-million dollar problem for an HOA with criminal and civil implications.”
Palm Beach County says it is just waiting for the requested materials from Seven Bridges to continue the Traffic Enforcement Agreement review. An HOA leader from another community nearby — which does have a TEA — joked that he hopes it takes a while.
“Criminals tend to go where the police are not. We love that a neighboring community does not have a traffic enforcement agreement in place.”
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The board should resign immediately and the residents should consider hiring a law firm for damage they have caused the residents. The board should not hopefully be not eligible for covering by HOA insurance for this fraudulent act.