Prior Ordinances Related to Commercial Vehicles

The Acreage/Loxahatchee area is a vital part of Palm Beach County. It is such a special area that it was even determined creating an Acreage Neighborhood Plan, in the 1990’s, was necessary to maintain a certain way of life.

The way of life in the Acreage is so unique in South Florida since most of the residents moved there to have freedoms not found in other locations. The residents wanted to have homes with enough acreage to live and let live, along with recognizing the importance and ability of agriculture and small businesses to coexist in an affordable area. As an incubator for small businesses, the Acreage has consistently provided this necessary function for the rest of the county’s economy.

As a small business owner myself, I understand the difficulty of finding space to start a business. Industrial/commercial space in Palm Beach County is extremely rare and very expensive. This doesn’t mean large commercial operations should be taking place in a residential area; it means supporting the start of small businesses in the area. They move to a commercial or industrial location once they grow large enough to support paying for a commercial space.

Where do the regulations for the area stop? Right now, it is the truck drivers fighting for their livelihood. What’s next, boats, RVs, buggies, side by sides, chickens, horses, or anything else a small group of residents feels is annoying, ugly, or unwanted in the Acreage? Should it all be regulated? Who should determine what the limits should be?

Helping residents must be a priority. This includes helping those who are struggling with code enforcement issues regarding parking commercial vehicles. Finding a balanced solution for everyone is essential to maintaining the Acreage’s uniqueness.

The proposed changes, summarized, would include:

• The Acreage Neighborhood Plan ONLY (these possible allowances would not include Jupiter, Lake Worth, Heritage Farms, or any other area in Palm Beach)
• Allowing up to 2 commercial vehicles over 16,000lbs
• Requiring the commercial vehicles to be registered and belong to the resident of the property (prohibiting any rental of space for outside commercial vehicles)
• Requiring a 24’ wide driveway (making sure it is possible for large commercial vehicles to pull onto their own lots and not park on the streets or swales)
• Requiring a permit process to verify the above information

Potentially, if a path forward is found, requiring a fee for the maintenance of the roads would also be an option. 

Lastly, the trucks were previously allowed in our area from 2008 to ​2019.

  Prior Ordinances Related to Commercial Vehicles