Three decades of protecting Deerfield from Deerfield
Founded in 1998, which is 28 years ago. Our literature says "more than 30." We round up anything that is not a building.
The timeline
The dates and projects are the original campaign's own account, and the early wins were real ones. The trouble starts around the time the rules stopped being about a hotel and started being about themselves.
1998A hotel
Our sign says
A hotel threatens the lot
A seven-story, 240-room condo-hotel is floated for the main beach parking area. We gather signatures and win Section 7.09(2): no sale or lease of city property over $750,000 without a citywide vote.
On the record
- Accurate, and a reasonable response to a real project.
- The $750,000 figure has not been adjusted since. It is the number Question E is about.
Sources: original campaign, Our History.
2000Ocean Park
Our sign says
Voters reject Ocean Park
Shops, restaurants and a garage on the lot. It goes to referendum and loses. The system works. Please forget this in a moment, when we explain that voters are powerless.
On the record
- Accurate. The referendum requirement did what it was written to do.
Sources: original campaign.
2001The RAC
Our sign says
Voters protect the island again
We help defeat a Regional Activity Center designation on 28 acres of the barrier island. The County later bars them on barrier islands altogether. Two for two. We begin describing ourselves as the underdog.
2002Articles 11.01 and 11.02
Our sign says
Zoning ascends to the Charter
About three in four voters put height caps, floor area ratios, lot coverage, use restrictions and the minimum size of a beach parking space into the city's constitution, next to the form of government and the oath of office. Where they belong.
On the record
- Roughly 75 percent approval in 2002.
- Most cities keep these numbers in a land development code, where they are changed at advertised public hearings. In a charter, changing one number takes a citywide referendum. That is the feature and the bug.
Sources: Hoodline, citing the New Pelican; Boca Post.
2003–25Nothing
Our sign says
Nothing happens
This is the achievement. For 24 years nobody is asked about any of it. The city grows by about 26,000 people. None of them object, because none of them are asked.
On the record
- About 64,000 residents at the last vote on these provisions; about 90,000 now, according to the vice mayor.
Sources: Boca Post.
2026A ballot
Our sign says
We are attacked by a ballot
A resident Charter Review Board reviews the Charter. The Commission votes 3–2 to send nine questions to the voters. We ask them not to, in writing, in the name of the voters. Supporters are told to wear white.
On the record
- The Commission voted 3–2 on August 4 to place nine amendments on the November 3 ballot. Drosky, Hudak and Plaut in favor; Preston and Shanetzky opposed.
- Review board recommendations are nonbinding. Under state law no charter change takes effect without a majority of voters.
- The campaign's July letter asked the Commission not to place the beach and land questions before voters at all.
Sources: Boca Post; Hoodline; original campaign, Letter to the City.
Our impact
Achievement
Kept the parking lot a parking lot
4.3 acres. 28 years. Still parking. The sea turtles have expressed no opinion and neither has the asphalt.
Achievement
Made village character impossible to disprove
Nobody can define it, measure it, or show that it has been lost, which makes it the most durable land-use argument in Broward County.
Achievement
Illustrated our heritage with AI
The original history page, the one about irreplaceable coastal character, carries an image file named ai-generated-IMAGE.jpg. We could not improve on this, so we didn't try.