Karen Lythgoe, Mayor, Town of Lantana
Nestled between Lake Worth Beach and Boynton Beach, Lantana is hard at work creating its own unique identity and feel within Palm Beach County. As it makes key infrastructure improvements, the town is focusing on its development activity for the next few decades. In an interview with Invest:, Lantana Mayor Karen Lythgoe highlighted future projects, challenges, and opportunities for the town in the coming years. “We want Lantana to have its own unique landmarks. We must stand out and be our own place with our own identity and feel,” Lythgoe said.
What have been the biggest changes for the town of Lantana in the past 12 months?
We completed our water treatment plant renovations and updates. The filters and control panels have been replaced, and the tanks have been updated as well. We have taken advantage of federal and state appropriations, which helped us quite a bit to make all these infrastructure upgrades. Currently, we are updating our water mains, putting sleeves in the pipes since some of those pipes are over 60 years old; these investments will help prevent water main breaks. We have been focused on making those quality-of-life investments that are not necessarily visible to residents, until they don’t work. In relation to our Water Tower Commons property, the old A.G. Holly State Hospital, there is 25 acres of land still to be developed. We have approved several restaurants, and a bank, and are evaluating allowing the addition of more rental units. We are also considering adding some new town homes for purchase, all of which are good signs that Lantana is the place to live, work, and play.
What are among the challenges related to guiding development activity and making those quality of life improvements?
The federal and state appropriations processes are becoming tighter. There are talks at the state level of removing property taxes or substantially decreasing the amount of property taxes that people pay. Some state representatives have never been responsible for a municipality, and they may not realize that the majority of the funds spent on capital improvements comes from property taxes. There is also a sunset on penny surtax funds to focus on a county-wide mass transit plan. This will help the larger cities, but it may impact the smaller cities that relied on the penny surtax. Funding will be a major challenge. However, we still have the responsibility to our citizens for the amenities in our community. In relation to our beachside, there are improvements that need to happen. We have seven acres of prime real estate on the ocean that we want to renovate. We want to put in more covered picnic areas, a splash pad for the kids, and we also have a pavilion that is now condemned but can potentially be replaced and improved for our citizens. We want to improve the beach property as a whole rather than piecemeal the improvements, as has been done in years past. The beach is our prime asset and much loved by our residents and visitors.
What is the plan to attract new businesses to the area?
We are working with our Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce and eventually would like to budget for Lantana to hire an economic development expert. In the meantime, we are working closely with the Chamber to help support our small businesses. We value our local businesses and want to support them, so they succeed here.
What goes into balancing a small town feel while embracing growth?
We aim to do that very carefully. We recently approved a site plan for a 17-acre parcel that used to house a former K-Mart building and other small shops. The challenge the development group faces is that there are two long-term leases and also four out-parcels that have parking within those 17 acres that are unavailable. They do have some challenges. However, they are evaluating adding 426 dwelling units and about approximately 22,000 square feet of retail. This area is situated right along our railroad track. This is one of a few developments that are slated for near the railroad track. These plans have the potential to have a big impact on our town. As you go down the Brightline, you will see this nice mixed-used area, and hopefully, people will want to visit and come back to our town. These plans should give our town room for growth, while keeping the neighborhood feel that I grew up with here. I believe it is important to focus on keeping a sense of community among the residents.
What makes Lantana different from its neighboring cities and municipalities?
Lantana has some unique small businesses, some that other areas do not have. We need unique businesses, along with retail service businesses. We have Ravish, for example, a popular outdoor and indoor restaurant. The Old Key Lime House is another example, with its waterfront dining. These businesses are bringing people from out of town into Lantana. These are the kinds of businesses that we need here. That is the challenge: to make sure that we attract and retain unique small businesses. We are looking forward to our plans at the Handelsman property on Ocean Avenue. The property has been put up for sale and people are reaching out, inquiring about this area. We are excited about the possibilities. It may not happen right away, but we are convinced of the potential therein. We envision a boutique hotel or town homes with shops and restaurants at the bottom. We want downtown to be walkable and accessible so that residents can enjoy it. We want this area to be developed into something that will bring value to the residents. We want Lantana to have its own unique landmarks. We want to have our own identity within the County.
