The Federation of Boca Raton 

Homeowner Associations
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 8:30 am
Boca Raton Community Center
150 Crawford Boulevard


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What's on the horizon for Rutherford Park and how does this impact Boca Raton?






​Preliminary guidance has been provided by your elected City Council.  

Boater?  Eco-tourist?  Nature-Lover?  Canoe Enthusiast?

You won't want to miss this!

Hear directly from City's expert on waterway projects, Jennifer Bistyga, about the plans for Rutherford Park.

Fire on Lake Wyman - October 20th 

Both the Boca Raton Fire Department and Police department boats were on scene...
There were actually two fires burning, one just South of the one above.
The photo above shows the Fire Dept pumping water from the lake to extinguish the fires.

Is is sad to see our paradise at Lake Wyman come to an end -
I fear the city will move forward and quickly - to put a dock / ramp at Lake Wyman
They will put in a massive "boat trailer" parking facility - "PAVED"
This will likely destroy the habitat at the Lake -
There are virtually no manatee's in Lake Wyman without propellor scars -
The Mangroves will become collectors of trash...  

The Manatee Habitat will suffer -
The Seagrass will suffer
The Mangroves will suffer
The trash level will increase by 10x -
The noise level 24/7 by 10x

Can Lake Wyman survive the massive dredging and reconstruction?

WHO CARES RIGHT?  
OUR CITY LEADER DO NOT AND NOW THE PARK DISTRICT IS SUPPORTING THIS -
WE HAVE NO RIGHTS - NO VOTE - WE ARE PAWNS OF THE LEADERS -

Next will be Ocean Strand -
I predict within 2 years of the completion of the Lake Wyman project - 
Ocean Strand will be paved and populated - 

Quoting a famous Marine - 
Shame Shame Shame...

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By Emily Miller - Contact Reporter Sun Sentinel

Visitors to two Boca Raton parks should expect to enjoy two new boat ramps, repaired boardwalks and restored canoe trails in the coming years, city officials decided Tuesday.

City Council members are putting into action a three-year plan to revitalize Lake Wyman Park, located at 1500 NE Fifth Ave., and the adjacent James A. Rutherford Park.

Canoe trails that run through the parks have been closed for more than a decade and the parks' boardwalks have been cordoned off over time as the pathway deteriorates. The plan calls for reviving those amenities as well as adding two boat ramps (accommodating two boats each), at least one kayak launch site, a restroom and 38 parking spots.

The boat ramps and parking area will take up about 2.4 acres toward the middle of Rutherford Park and cost about $1.5 million. It means replacing about .09 acres of seagrass and .31 acres of mangroves, the city's coastal program manager Jennifer Bistyga said.

The city expects the state to cover about 50 percent of the cost of the boat ramps. By using state money to build the ramps, the city agrees the ramps will be open not just to Boca residents, but also to everyone from the public, Bistyga said.

The additional ramps will relieve the high demand on the city's sole boat ramp, which is 1.5 miles south of Lake Wyman Park at Silver Palm Park along the Intracoastal Waterway.

To centralize the boat ramps at Rutherford Park and still preserve the continuity of the canoe trails, the city plans to build a two-way bridge big enough to fit vehicles with boat trailers and a sidewalk. Adding the bridge will cost close to $1 million, she said.

Five years ago neighboring residents shot down plans to revive Lake Wyman Park. The plan broached in 2011 called for a seagrass habitat for manatees and floating day docks. Nearby residents complained the changes would attract more mosquitoes and the day docks would mean less privacy for their homes.

The new plan put forth Tuesday excludes those elements. The city is instead investigating a coastal hammock with walking trails and picnic tables at Lake Wyman Park.

Council members say they believe the new approach will please the public.

"We've eliminated what seemed to be the biggest cause for concern five years ago," Councilman Scott Singer said.

emiller@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6531, Twitter @EmilyBethMiller or visit our 'Sun Sentinel: Boca Raton' community page at SunSentinel.com/facebookboca

Copyright © 2016, Sun Sentinel

​Lake Wyman vs THe City of Boca
Boca Raton / Lake Wyman

**Note - I am not an authority on this - my timelines and facts could be a little off...
However - I stand behind the meaning and the trajectory of this writing.
I do not have the time to take all day to "proof read", so please forgive my grammatical errors..

LAKE WYMAN NEEDS TO BE HEARD - LAKE WYMAN NEEDS YOUR VOICE

2011 - Lake Wyman
Study was done at lake Wyman -
Study outlined environmentally sound and protective plan that included renovation of the lake and the canoeing areas.
This study confirmed the environmental concerns including several "protected" species of seagrass, Manatee habitat and a very environmentally sensitive area.

2015 - Lake Wyman
The city - has another presentation on Lake Wyman -
The study - had very similar results, however, with pressure from the city, it included a "day dock" - "NOT  A BOAT RAMP / LAUNCH" - the city specifically Scott Singer, brought up the subject of a "Boat Ramp / Launch" - I personally and publicly objected to this idea.

2016 - Lake Wyman
The city has another presentation on Lake Wyman -
The presentation - IS 100% INCLUSIVE OF A BOAT RAMP AND LAUNCH -

Do you want a boat ramp / launch at Lake Wyman?  The current ramp is downtown, surrounded by "sea wall" - North of the ramp is sea wall and south of the ramp is Lake Boca - "Surrounded by sea wall"  - Now let's look at Lake Wyman - 5% sea wall - 95% mangroves -  trash bounces off sea wall - trash is absorbed by the mangroves...  Lake Boca has no beach, Manatees, seagrass or other protected species...  Lake Wyman has a beach, Manatees, mangroves, seagrass, and several other protected species...

Ocean Strand - Key Point -  One of the key reasons we had a successful outcome was due to the fact that the Park District was one our side -  AT LAKE WYMAN THIS IS NOT THE CASE - I SPOKE TO EARL STARKOFF, A PARK DISTRICT DIRECTOR, AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS IDEA LAST MONTH -

It was at that time I publicly predicted the city would force a boat ramp / launch at Lake Wyman.

Is there a point to fight this?  It appears there is no end to this cities leadership's power grabbing, money and destruction of our paradise...

When does this aggressive overreach stop? What is the goal of this leadership?

Answer - To make Boca Raton what they think Boca should be -  Not what the people want...

I cannot understand how these people can get elected or better yet re-elected.

Is it time to invest in trash retrieving apparatus?   How does the trash get removed from the mangroves?

Or maybe the city is budgeting to place a "seawall" around "Lake Wyman"   - Removing all mangroves?

Protective laws only matter to the people - NOT THE CITY - THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WISH. 

Fortunately - Matthew spared Boca Raton the main brunt - However, the damage to our beaches is significant...     

Oct 5th - The "sun" on the rise...

Hurricane?

Blue Skies over Lake Wyman

Looking North from Lake Wyman - Hurricane?

​​Come, play a round of tennis on the newly refinished courts    -OR-
Hop aboard your boat - docked in your backyard! Enjoy the calm cool and serenity of Lake Wyman. It's La Fontana's Location that makes it so special!  The Beach in the Front and the Intracoastal in the back!

Sit back and relax a spell!  

​Gary Youngman, PA
20+ Year "full time" resident of Boca Raton - 
Realtor / Broker Associate @ Balistreri Real Estate - 

Understanding value, Creating opportunity and Empowering people -
Dedicated to preserving the "Boca Raton" Community and lifestyle -