BOYNTON BEACH, FL – The City Commissioner in Boynton Beach, Florida, confirmed earlier in August that a planned police training center complete with a firing range and mockup apartment building for simulated scenarios has been temporarily paused after local residents voiced opposition to the construction of said facility.
Despite some locals out of Boynton Beach reportedly expressing how they generally support law enforcement, some residents appear to harbor a case of NIMBYism when it comes to a planned training facility for police in the city. The training facility was reportedly slated to include a 12-lane firing range, VR training simulator, storage facilities, defensive training tactics rooms, and a mock-up apartment building for enforcement scenario training.
One of the area residents who opposed the construction, Stacey Deloye, told a local news outlet that her “stomach turned inside out” upon learning about the planned facility, lamenting how such a facility would ruin her view from a window inside her home, adding, “I just sit at my computer and have my coffee and watch the birds and its beautiful view.”
Tony Cenk, who has reportedly lived in the city’s Golfview neighborhood for over 20 years, noted that while he supports law enforcement, he can’t stand the thought of his property value going down alongside seeing a wooded area get demolished.
“I completely support our police department, but I want them to build their gun range somewhere else and not to tear down one of the few remaining blocks of woods that we have left in east Boynton. This will greatly affect our property values in a negative manner,” Cenk stated.
Another local, Peter Fitzpatrick, mirrored Cenk’s sentiments regarding a wooded area falling victim to the slated construction, further emphasizing his concerns about the noise pollution that would stem from such a training facility. “It’s a shame to try and destroy the little bit of green space we have in east Boynton. The noise will come right up that canal when they cut those trees,” Fitzpatrick told a local news outlet.
Amid the community pushback against the planned training facility, City Commissioner Angela Cruz confirmed during a meeting held on August 8th at the Golfview Harbour Clubhouse that the project would be put on pause while officials continue conversations with locals regarding the endeavor. “I can guarantee you that right now everything has been stopped, and nothing will continue until we actually have those conversations,” Commissioner Cruz said during the meeting.
To date, approximately $60,000 of the project's $434,000 allocated budget for architectural planning has been spent. City officials have since invited members of the community to share their thoughts on the matter during the upcoming City Commission meeting taking place on August 11th.
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