Public Comment, Town of Palm Beach Admin
admin
3 months ago
Received via email 1.31.25:
The installation of lighting on the Rec Center fields would allow highly in-demand programs, including soccer, lacrosse, and flag football for kindergarteners through 8th-graders, to be experienced until the Rec Center closes at 8pm, as opposed to being cut short at 5pm when the sun sets in the winter months. No additional hours or staffing is requested or required, simply the ability to utilize this town-serving facility during its current running hours, helping to build community and encourage healthy outdoor lifestyles for our youth.
As funding has been raised through the Friends of the Recreation Board, along with private donations, the Town of Palm Beach has no financial obligation for this enhancement. Further, additional review and approval by ARCOM will ensure the lights are aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with the context of their surroundings.
As a mother of two young boys who utilize and appreciate all that the Rec Center has to offer them, I urge you to approve this request so that they, along with their peers, may continue to reap the many benefits of this town-serving amenity, beyond just the winter daylight hours. We should encourage our kids to get outdoors, exercise, and recreate with one another, as alternatives related to idle screen time have accumulating negative impacts on their health. We're incredibly lucky to have access to this amazing facility, and we thank you for considering this important step in enhancing its overall benefits to our shared Palm Beach community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Katie Crowell
5 Via Flagler
Palm Beach, Florida
l 1.31.25:
Received via email 1.31.25:
Dear Town Council Members,
I am writing in support of the approval of field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center.
The addition of lighting to the Rec Center fields would allow for additional operational hours for popular programs like soccer, lacrosse, and flag football, offering children from kindergarten through 8th grade the opportunity to participate until 8 p.m., instead of having to wrap up by 5 p.m. during the winter months when daylight fades.
I encourage you to approve this initiative so Palm Beach families can continue to benefit from this incredible resource beyond the limits of daylight. We live in South Florida so that we can enjoy outdoor activities and take advantage of the health benefits that inherently come from being active outside and away from forced indoor play.
We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility, and this enhancement will make it even more valuable for our entire community.
Thank you for your consideration of this important enhancement.
Sincerely,
Ashley Frisbie
4 Via Flagler
Palm Beach FL
Received via email 2.2.25:
Hi there,
I am very much in favor of having lights at the Palm Beach Mandel Recreation Center. As a full time resident of Palm Beach I know it would be very helpful for our community.
Best,
Liz McNamara
269 Queens Lane
PB, Fl 33480
Received via email 2.3.35:
Dear Palm Beach Town Clerk,
I am writing on behalf of my husband and myself, Wayne and Elizabeth Safro, in support of implementing field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center. These lights would greatly benefit the children of Palm Beach Island, including our three children (ages 8, 6 and 3), particularly during the winter months.
One of the primary reasons that our family moved to Palm Beach from New York City is that the beautiful weather enables children to spend much of their free time outdoors. As we all know, it's far healthier for kids to spend their time after school playing, exercising, gaining sports experience, and social engagement in the fresh outside air, away from the temptation of screens and devices. In the winter months this becomes challenging given the early time of sunset, all outdoor activities become constrained by the availability of light. In regard to the recreation center field, there has also become a shortage of time to facilitate all of the desired sports across all age groups given the short period after school, before dark, in winter - which our family has seen firsthand.
It is our hope that the simple addition of lights on the Mandel fields will enable our town's children to further capitalize on the gift that beautiful year-round weather affords - more outside play during the winter months. I know that the capable team leading this effort has gone to great lengths to ensure the addition of these lights will not be intrusive or unattractive for all Palm Beach residents, and have also secured the necessary funding. Wayne and I ask that you kindly forward this letter to all Town Council members prior to the February 11th meeting where this issue will be voted upon, so that they are aware of our family's support for this relatively small, but greatly beneficial, project for our youth!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth & Wayne Safro
150 Woodbridge Road
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.3.25:
Dear Town Council Members -
As a resident of the island of Palm Beach for nearly 5 years, I have thoroughly grown to love the Mandel Rec center for both its incredible programming and fierce community spirit. I write this letter in hopes of encouraging the addition of lights for evening athletics and activities - not only do we have one of the most beautiful locations to host these events but also a huge amount of demand from the community for children ages 5 to 15! And probably more on both sides of that age group.
I would encourage you to approve this initiative so that families in our community can continue to benefit from our wonderful resources beyond the hours of daylight. We live in South Florida and are blessed with long days and favorable weather to take advantage of the health benefits of being outside and away from forced indoor play. It would also be a welcome respite for our children to play in later hours of the day away from blazing sunshine for both heat and skin protection reasons. Overall great reasons to continue being able to use the field at night!
We are so lucky to be able to have this wonderful facility as part of our community and I truly believe the addition of lighting would only further enhance quality of life for our children and our community.
Thank you for your strong consideration,
Holly Cardinale
Received via email 2.4.25:
Dear Palm Beach Town Clerk,
I am writing to you to express wholehearted support for the addition of lights at the Mandel Recreation Center Field. My husband, Omeed, and I moved down to Palm Beach four years ago from New York City with the intention of taking advantage of this beautiful climate and spending much more of our lives outdoors. Aside from the fantastic weather, Omeed and I were in search of a place to raise our family where our children would be as safe and healthy as possible. Since then, we've welcomed two girls into our family and believe we have chosen the perfect place to bring them up. Our older daughter (nearly 3 years old) already spends time at the Mandel Center multiple times per week, whether "socializing" with her friends at the playground on weekends or running wild at Storytime Soccer after school.
As our two daughters grow up in Palm Beach, we are looking forward to each one of them pursuing athletics as both my husband and I did as children. We believe our participation in team sports in our youth were formative experiences that set us up for success as adults and we are eager to introduce our daughters to the joys of sport. In addition, we are, like so many other parents, committed to keeping our children away from the myriad negative effects of screen time and will be vigilant about ensuring meaningful time spent outdoors for our girls. While it is wonderful to watch the continued growth of the community of young families like ours in Palm Beach, it is clear that the high demand for time on the field at the Recreation Center also comes with limitations, given that the early sunset in the winter months dramatically limits the time available to accommodate all sports across age groups.
We believe that the addition of lighting on the Mandel fields will make a meaningful difference in the lives of all families in Palm Beach who treasure the ability to play outside all year. It is our understanding that these lights will not serve as an intrusion to neighboring Palm Beach residents and, importantly, the necessary funding has already been secured, so there should be no impediment to the implementation of this project. We ask that you please forward this letter to all Town Council members prior to the February 11th meeting where the vote will be conducted, so they are aware of our full support of this effort.
Sincerely,
Caroline and Omeed Malik
130 Sunrise Avenue, Apt 614&615
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.5.25:
Dear Members of the Town Council,
I am writing to convey our enthusiastic support for the proposal to install field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach. This initiative represents a significant enhancement for our community, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Kim Goodwin, Natalie Emerson, and Tara Vecellio for their commitment and efforts in championing this vital cause for the youth of our community.
The addition of lighting to the recreation center fields is crucial in enabling our highly popular youth programs to continue their activities until the center's closing time at 8 PM. Currently, these activities must be curtailed by 5 PM due to early sunsets in the winter months. Importantly, this proposal requires no additional staffing or extended hours; it simply seeks to maximize the utilization of our town-serving facility within its current operating hours. By doing so, we can strengthen community bonds and promote healthy, active lifestyles among our young residents.
It is noteworthy that the funding for this project has already been secured through the generous contributions of the Friends of the Recreation Board and private donors. As a result, there is no financial burden on the Town of Palm Beach. Furthermore, the Architectural Commission (ARCOM) will conduct a thorough review to ensure that the lighting installations are both aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the surrounding environment.
As parents of two young children who regularly enjoy and benefit from the wide array of programs offered by the Recreation Center, we strongly urge you to approve this request. By doing so, you will enable our children and their peers to continue reaping the benefits of this invaluable community asset beyond the constraints of winter daylight hours. We are truly fortunate to have access to such a wonderful facility, and we deeply appreciate your consideration of this important enhancement to its offerings.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Your support will have a lasting positive impact on our Palm Beach community.
Warm regards,
Kim and Sam Younes
Kim and Sam Younes
162 Atlantic Avenue
Palm Beach, Florida
Received via email 2.6.25:
Good morning,
I just wanted to send a quick note of support for adding lights to the field at the Mandel Rec Center. As longtime town residents, my family and I use the Rec Center several days a week, whether it's to hangout at the playground, play basketball on the court or countless soccer games on the field. I even grew up going to the Rec Center myself. The Mandel Rec Center is a true gift to the whole community and I am so thankful that we have it here and across the street from my daughter's school.
There have been several times during the Fall/Winter where games have been cut short because it's too dark for the kids to play on the field. Meanwhile people are still playing tennis well after dark. We need more opportunities for our kids to run around outside, with their friends and teammates in a safe environment, and not cooped up indoors during the winter months when we have our most beautiful weather here in Florida.
Thank you for your consideration, and I truly hope that the kids in our community will have the opportunity to enjoy the field with lights, so they can be safe and games are not cut short.
All my best,
Juliana
--
Juliana Kohl Gendelman
Received via email 2.6.25:
Dear Valued Town Council Members,
I'm writing to you today with a simple ask: to give our children more time to play, grow, and create lasting memories on our town's sports field.
As parents and community members, we all know how precious those moments of childhood are – the laughter, the teamwork, the joy of playing sports. Right now, our town's single field is constrained by daylight, cutting short the precious hours our kids can spend being active, building friendships, and developing important life skills.
This lighting project is more than just infrastructure. It's about:
- Giving our children more opportunities to play and grow
- Creating a vibrant, family-friendly community space
- Extending outdoor activities during shorter winter days
What makes this proposal truly special is how thoughtfully it's been prepared:
- Fully funded without burdening town residents
- Designed with ARCOM-approved specifications
- Staffing and operational costs already covered
- Light usage no more than existing tennis court lighting
I respectfully ask the Council to grant our children the same opportunities our tennis players enjoy – moments of joy, connection, and play during those early evening hours.
Sincerely,
Laura Day Baker
Received via email 2.8.25:
Dear Town Council,
As a Town of Palm Beach resident for over 40 years and a mother of five young daughters who utilize the Rec Center daily, I am writing in support of the proposed lighting at the fields.
I encourage you to approve this initiative so Palm Beach children can continue to benefit from this marvelous resource beyond the limits of daylight. Adding the lighting, we will allow our children to enjoy outdoor activities & take advantage of the health benefits that inherently come from being active outside and away from forced indoor play.
I agree with the feedback that it is imperative that the field be used solely for youth sports, and that the condition of the field will be consistently monitored for degradation and remain of paramount importance.
We are very blessed to have such a beloved facility, one that I have joyfully used with my five siblings since we were children. I treasure that my five daughters also get to benefit from the incredible resources offered at this community pillar, and am grateful for all of the endless support the employees pour into the space.
Thank you for your consideration and all you do for our community.
Sincerely,
Cara Coniglio McClure
359 Seaspray Avenue
Palm Beach
Received via email 2.9.25:
Fe.11,2025 New Business Item #6: Seaview Park Athletic Field Lighting proposal
Dear Mayor and Town Council,
As residents of the Sea Streets and concerned Townspeople, we ask that you thoroughly review the proposal for lighting on the Rec center field abutting Royal Palm Way. Our concerns are:
1. This field is on the main thoroughfare into the town. Lighting such a large area not only risks light and noise pollution when in use, but also diminishes the small residential town character so important to our town creating a much more urban appearance than we are or wish to be.
2. Our neighborhood is overextended and overcrowded with non-residential uses- the Day and Public Schools, the Rec Center tennis and other programs and the Four Arts. It will be further impacted when the Four Arts undertakes an expansion which is destined to attract more and more off-islanders with the new, larger children’ library which is already seeing 30,000 children a year.
3. The underlying soil structure in this area is muck soil. Drainage mitigation as previously performed on 60% of the field can only do so much. The field cannot, as clearly stated by the Rec center director, sustain intense adult use and this must be strictly forbidden.
4. Who will be the users? Only children under 12 years old in sports programs? How can this be enforced and mission creep denied? How many children from Palm Beach will use this extended sports time? This is a Town facility and must be for the town’s elementary age children. A minimum of 75% town residents’ children must be achieved to truly serve the Town’s children and avoid becoming a draw for significant numbers of non-town children. This increased use at night is not to be a regional draw to expand managed sports programs that require too many non-residents to fill out teams .
5. What are the other options for play managed by Rush Soccer programs in W. Palm Beach? Are Lacrosse and Flag football available for later play in other locations?
6. Please question the data provided. How many non-townspeople are needed to make up more teams? How many more cars on Seaview? Who is going to provide security?
How many times a week will the field be used and lighted?
7. Please question the Hours. How long is a soccer game, lacrosse or flag football? Shouldn’t children be by home by 7 for dinner, homework and bed? Is extended lighting really necessary beyond Dec.Jan. Feb. ? Extensions beyond those months only encourage overuse of the field.
One commissioner suggested increased use of the Town’s property for more private use events such as parties. This is a disastrous concept on many levels. One only has to look at the condition of the north lawn after one such event over the High Holidays. It was destroyed and had been out of use since that event in December- a clear example of the delicate nature of the soil structure in the Sea Streets. Loud noise from that party throbbed throughout our neighborhood disturbing our quiet enjoyment of our evening at home. Please do not continue to rent out our Town’s facilities at night. These facilities were created for residents’ use during the day time. This facility is in a residential neighborhood and private rentals after hours is not only unseemly but was never an intended use of the Town’s property.
Thank you for your consideration and conscientious deliberation. We would really like to know how many parents of young under 12 year olds really want their children out as late as 8:00 at night.
Sincerely,
Anne and Charlie Pepper 333 Seaspray Ave
Received via email 2.10.25:
Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing as a resident of 230 Monterey Road on Palm Beach to offer my support for the proposed lighting to be added to the fields and the Mandel Recreation Center on Seaview. As a father of an 8 and 6 year old I know the additonal sports programming this lightening will allow will benefit our family directly but it is my hope it will open up opportunity for the community as a whole with minimal negative impacts to the most commercial buildings nearby.
I thank you for your consideration and please reach out anytime should you have any questions or need any additional information
All the best,
Doug Faron
Received via email 2.10.25:
Madam Mayor and Esteemed Town Council Members,
It is with great excitement and pride that I write you all in support of the permanent lighting installation at the Palm Beach Mendel Recreation center. As former chair of the Recreation Commission and a lifelong Palm Beach resident I am elated that the Friends of Recreation has generously offered to fund our recreation dream of lighting our fields, which would extend our athletic hours, broaden our athletic offerings and community center programming and ultimately better serve our Palm Beach community.
As you all know our greatest insufficiency at the Rec has always been limited field time, especially during daylight savings months. Over the last five years, we have seen incredible evolution and success at the Mandel, but with the recent influx of new young families moving into Palm Beach after COVID coupled with the desire to expand lacrosse and soccer programming it is clear that our community needs have also changed. We have already grown every aspect of the Recreation center as much as we possibly can without lighting. Our additional outside programming like RUSH soccer has been a huge success and is poised to be expanded. More personally, as a father of five athletic children, I am constantly on the road ushering kids to and from practice near and far. Nothing would make me happier than to stay local and reinvest in our Recreation center and in our greater PB community by supporting our night athletics while we continue building upon already stellar daytime offerings at The Mandel.
With great ILLUMINATED hope,
Nicholas Coniglio
201 El Dorado Ln.
Palm Beach, Fl. 33480
Receieved via email 2.10.25:
Dear Honorable Mayor Moore and Esteemed Town Council Members,
Let me begin by thanking you for your civil service. The countless hours each and every one of you dedicate to making informed and thoughtful decisions regarding our town too often goes unrecognized, when it should be applauded. Your tireless efforts are truly appreciated by your constituents residing at 207 Bahama Lane!
The proposal for adding field lighting to the Mandel Recreation Center will be reviewed by the Town Council on February 11th. In addition to being a town resident, my family has owned several commercial units at 140 Royal Palm Way for nearly 40 years, and we fully support this initiative.
The Recreation Center is and always has been the lifeblood of Palm Beach’s youth. My son, a fifth generation Palm Beach resident, just began taking soccer and basketball at the “Rec Center” and I can’t tell you how many memories it conjures up of meeting new friends, summer camp and most importantly, igniting my love of playing sports. My son plays on the field adjacent to the tennis courts his late grandfather learned to swing a racquet on, and that warms my heart.
It’s no secret that Palm Beach’s landscape has changed significantly since the Pandemic; however, the influx of young families and children to the island has been a true blessing. In the late 90s, I had outgrown the Rec Center’s offerings, and my poor mother would spend countless hours carting me from Boca to Jupiter for a variety of practices and matches, so I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that competitive leagues were being added to the programming for young athletes.
There has never been more of a need to get these children outdoors, playing the sports they love. Providing our town’s youth the opportunity to get off their screens and on the field by keeping the lights on for a few more hours a day is, in my opinion, a no brainer.
Please approve this important effort for the benefit of Palm Beach’s children.
Sincerely,
Amber Hopkins Grow
207 Bahama Lane
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.10.25:
Dear Town Council Members,
I am writing in response to the proposed lighting of the field along Royal Palm Way. I am opposed to this for many different reasons. First of all light pollution that will spread to my neighborhood, disturbing not only me, but wildlife, including birds and turtles. Not to mention the energy used to turn on these lights. Using these fields at night will also increase traffic in an area that is plagued by high traffic. And just exactly how much demand is there to use these fields at night? And who will be using them? Residents? Non-residents?
Stop the insanity! Save our peace and quiet!
Thank you.
Ann Jackson
135 Seaview Ave, since 1977.
Sent from my iPhone
Received via email 2.10.25:
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing to weigh in on an important matter to my family and I that is being proposed to the town council tomorrow.
My name is Dan Castro and my wife Anna and I have lived on the island on Mockingbird Trail for 6 years. We have 4 kids who are all involved in multiple sports both on and off the island. We feel strongly that adding lights to the Rec Center field that would be utilized primarily 3 months a year (during daylight savings) would be an improvement for several reasons.
First, it would allow our kids to get more field time and access to the outdoors during winter hours instead of games and practices being cut short. We also feel this would lead the growing sport of lacrosse getting equitable access to field time as this sport seems to be the one that suffers most by limited field hours.
Finally, we feel this change would decrease traffic as all sports activities would not be scheduled in a finite amount of time after school to pack as much in as possible before the sun goes down. With lights, we could stagger the scheduling of our sports calendar more so that everyone is not at the rec at the same time schools and work days are ending for the day.
We hope the town will seriously consider improving our rec center with lights on the field. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel F. Castro
Attorney at Law
Castro Law, P.C.
5 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2225
Atlanta, GA 30328
Received via email 2.10.25:
To the Town of Palm Beach Council,
My name is Kara Master (my husband, Stephen Master, is copied here as well). We live at 210 Palmo Way and have three children ages 5, 2, and 1. We love living on the island and being part of the community here. We would also love to see more community activities and programming for children. As such, we emphatically support the field lights initiative to install permanent lights at the field on Royal Palm Way and thereby allow for more sports programming.
Best
Kara and Stephen Master
210 Palmo Way
Received via email 2.10.25:
I’m corresponding on behalf of John Beach, owner of 140 Seaview Ave.
Mr. Beach respectfully opposes the plan to illuminate the Mandel Recreation playing fields. It will intensify the use in this already traffic burdened area and significantly contribute to ever-growing noise and light pollution issues.
Mr. Beach thanks you for your consideration of his perspective and trusts the Town will not approve additional intensification of use by lighting the fields.
Jay R. Marcus
Received via email 1.31.25:
The installation of lighting on the Rec Center fields would allow highly in-demand programs, including soccer, lacrosse, and flag football for kindergarteners through 8th-graders, to be experienced until the Rec Center closes at 8pm, as opposed to being cut short at 5pm when the sun sets in the winter months. No additional hours or staffing is requested or required, simply the ability to utilize this town-serving facility during its current running hours, helping to build community and encourage healthy outdoor lifestyles for our youth.
As funding has been raised through the Friends of the Recreation Board, along with private donations, the Town of Palm Beach has no financial obligation for this enhancement. Further, additional review and approval by ARCOM will ensure the lights are aesthetically pleasing and in keeping with the context of their surroundings.
As a mother of two young boys who utilize and appreciate all that the Rec Center has to offer them, I urge you to approve this request so that they, along with their peers, may continue to reap the many benefits of this town-serving amenity, beyond just the winter daylight hours. We should encourage our kids to get outdoors, exercise, and recreate with one another, as alternatives related to idle screen time have accumulating negative impacts on their health. We're incredibly lucky to have access to this amazing facility, and we thank you for considering this important step in enhancing its overall benefits to our shared Palm Beach community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Katie Crowell
5 Via Flagler
Palm Beach, Florida
l 1.31.25:
Received via email 1.31.25:
Dear Town Council Members,
I am writing in support of the approval of field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center.
The addition of lighting to the Rec Center fields would allow for additional operational hours for popular programs like soccer, lacrosse, and flag football, offering children from kindergarten through 8th grade the opportunity to participate until 8 p.m., instead of having to wrap up by 5 p.m. during the winter months when daylight fades.
I encourage you to approve this initiative so Palm Beach families can continue to benefit from this incredible resource beyond the limits of daylight. We live in South Florida so that we can enjoy outdoor activities and take advantage of the health benefits that inherently come from being active outside and away from forced indoor play.
We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful facility, and this enhancement will make it even more valuable for our entire community.
Thank you for your consideration of this important enhancement.
Sincerely,
Ashley Frisbie
4 Via Flagler
Palm Beach FL
Received via email 2.2.25:
Hi there,
I am very much in favor of having lights at the Palm Beach Mandel Recreation Center. As a full time resident of Palm Beach I know it would be very helpful for our community.
Best,
Liz McNamara
269 Queens Lane
PB, Fl 33480
Received via email 2.3.35:
Dear Palm Beach Town Clerk,
I am writing on behalf of my husband and myself, Wayne and Elizabeth Safro, in support of implementing field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center. These lights would greatly benefit the children of Palm Beach Island, including our three children (ages 8, 6 and 3), particularly during the winter months.
One of the primary reasons that our family moved to Palm Beach from New York City is that the beautiful weather enables children to spend much of their free time outdoors. As we all know, it's far healthier for kids to spend their time after school playing, exercising, gaining sports experience, and social engagement in the fresh outside air, away from the temptation of screens and devices. In the winter months this becomes challenging given the early time of sunset, all outdoor activities become constrained by the availability of light. In regard to the recreation center field, there has also become a shortage of time to facilitate all of the desired sports across all age groups given the short period after school, before dark, in winter - which our family has seen firsthand.
It is our hope that the simple addition of lights on the Mandel fields will enable our town's children to further capitalize on the gift that beautiful year-round weather affords - more outside play during the winter months. I know that the capable team leading this effort has gone to great lengths to ensure the addition of these lights will not be intrusive or unattractive for all Palm Beach residents, and have also secured the necessary funding. Wayne and I ask that you kindly forward this letter to all Town Council members prior to the February 11th meeting where this issue will be voted upon, so that they are aware of our family's support for this relatively small, but greatly beneficial, project for our youth!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth & Wayne Safro
150 Woodbridge Road
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.3.25:
Dear Town Council Members -
As a resident of the island of Palm Beach for nearly 5 years, I have thoroughly grown to love the Mandel Rec center for both its incredible programming and fierce community spirit. I write this letter in hopes of encouraging the addition of lights for evening athletics and activities - not only do we have one of the most beautiful locations to host these events but also a huge amount of demand from the community for children ages 5 to 15! And probably more on both sides of that age group.
I would encourage you to approve this initiative so that families in our community can continue to benefit from our wonderful resources beyond the hours of daylight. We live in South Florida and are blessed with long days and favorable weather to take advantage of the health benefits of being outside and away from forced indoor play. It would also be a welcome respite for our children to play in later hours of the day away from blazing sunshine for both heat and skin protection reasons. Overall great reasons to continue being able to use the field at night!
We are so lucky to be able to have this wonderful facility as part of our community and I truly believe the addition of lighting would only further enhance quality of life for our children and our community.
Thank you for your strong consideration,
Holly Cardinale
Received via email 2.4.25:
Dear Palm Beach Town Clerk,
I am writing to you to express wholehearted support for the addition of lights at the Mandel Recreation Center Field. My husband, Omeed, and I moved down to Palm Beach four years ago from New York City with the intention of taking advantage of this beautiful climate and spending much more of our lives outdoors. Aside from the fantastic weather, Omeed and I were in search of a place to raise our family where our children would be as safe and healthy as possible. Since then, we've welcomed two girls into our family and believe we have chosen the perfect place to bring them up. Our older daughter (nearly 3 years old) already spends time at the Mandel Center multiple times per week, whether "socializing" with her friends at the playground on weekends or running wild at Storytime Soccer after school.
As our two daughters grow up in Palm Beach, we are looking forward to each one of them pursuing athletics as both my husband and I did as children. We believe our participation in team sports in our youth were formative experiences that set us up for success as adults and we are eager to introduce our daughters to the joys of sport. In addition, we are, like so many other parents, committed to keeping our children away from the myriad negative effects of screen time and will be vigilant about ensuring meaningful time spent outdoors for our girls. While it is wonderful to watch the continued growth of the community of young families like ours in Palm Beach, it is clear that the high demand for time on the field at the Recreation Center also comes with limitations, given that the early sunset in the winter months dramatically limits the time available to accommodate all sports across age groups.
We believe that the addition of lighting on the Mandel fields will make a meaningful difference in the lives of all families in Palm Beach who treasure the ability to play outside all year. It is our understanding that these lights will not serve as an intrusion to neighboring Palm Beach residents and, importantly, the necessary funding has already been secured, so there should be no impediment to the implementation of this project. We ask that you please forward this letter to all Town Council members prior to the February 11th meeting where the vote will be conducted, so they are aware of our full support of this effort.
Sincerely,
Caroline and Omeed Malik
130 Sunrise Avenue, Apt 614&615
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.5.25:
Dear Members of the Town Council,
I am writing to convey our enthusiastic support for the proposal to install field lighting at the Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach. This initiative represents a significant enhancement for our community, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Kim Goodwin, Natalie Emerson, and Tara Vecellio for their commitment and efforts in championing this vital cause for the youth of our community.
The addition of lighting to the recreation center fields is crucial in enabling our highly popular youth programs to continue their activities until the center's closing time at 8 PM. Currently, these activities must be curtailed by 5 PM due to early sunsets in the winter months. Importantly, this proposal requires no additional staffing or extended hours; it simply seeks to maximize the utilization of our town-serving facility within its current operating hours. By doing so, we can strengthen community bonds and promote healthy, active lifestyles among our young residents.
It is noteworthy that the funding for this project has already been secured through the generous contributions of the Friends of the Recreation Board and private donors. As a result, there is no financial burden on the Town of Palm Beach. Furthermore, the Architectural Commission (ARCOM) will conduct a thorough review to ensure that the lighting installations are both aesthetically pleasing and consistent with the surrounding environment.
As parents of two young children who regularly enjoy and benefit from the wide array of programs offered by the Recreation Center, we strongly urge you to approve this request. By doing so, you will enable our children and their peers to continue reaping the benefits of this invaluable community asset beyond the constraints of winter daylight hours. We are truly fortunate to have access to such a wonderful facility, and we deeply appreciate your consideration of this important enhancement to its offerings.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Your support will have a lasting positive impact on our Palm Beach community.
Warm regards,
Kim and Sam Younes
Kim and Sam Younes
162 Atlantic Avenue
Palm Beach, Florida
Received via email 2.6.25:
Good morning,
I just wanted to send a quick note of support for adding lights to the field at the Mandel Rec Center. As longtime town residents, my family and I use the Rec Center several days a week, whether it's to hangout at the playground, play basketball on the court or countless soccer games on the field. I even grew up going to the Rec Center myself. The Mandel Rec Center is a true gift to the whole community and I am so thankful that we have it here and across the street from my daughter's school.
There have been several times during the Fall/Winter where games have been cut short because it's too dark for the kids to play on the field. Meanwhile people are still playing tennis well after dark. We need more opportunities for our kids to run around outside, with their friends and teammates in a safe environment, and not cooped up indoors during the winter months when we have our most beautiful weather here in Florida.
Thank you for your consideration, and I truly hope that the kids in our community will have the opportunity to enjoy the field with lights, so they can be safe and games are not cut short.
All my best,
Juliana
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Juliana Kohl Gendelman
Received via email 2.6.25:
Dear Valued Town Council Members,
I'm writing to you today with a simple ask: to give our children more time to play, grow, and create lasting memories on our town's sports field.
As parents and community members, we all know how precious those moments of childhood are – the laughter, the teamwork, the joy of playing sports. Right now, our town's single field is constrained by daylight, cutting short the precious hours our kids can spend being active, building friendships, and developing important life skills.
This lighting project is more than just infrastructure. It's about:
- Giving our children more opportunities to play and grow
- Creating a vibrant, family-friendly community space
- Extending outdoor activities during shorter winter days
What makes this proposal truly special is how thoughtfully it's been prepared:
- Fully funded without burdening town residents
- Designed with ARCOM-approved specifications
- Staffing and operational costs already covered
- Light usage no more than existing tennis court lighting
I respectfully ask the Council to grant our children the same opportunities our tennis players enjoy – moments of joy, connection, and play during those early evening hours.
Sincerely,
Laura Day Baker
Received via email 2.8.25:
Dear Town Council,
As a Town of Palm Beach resident for over 40 years and a mother of five young daughters who utilize the Rec Center daily, I am writing in support of the proposed lighting at the fields.
I encourage you to approve this initiative so Palm Beach children can continue to benefit from this marvelous resource beyond the limits of daylight. Adding the lighting, we will allow our children to enjoy outdoor activities & take advantage of the health benefits that inherently come from being active outside and away from forced indoor play.
I agree with the feedback that it is imperative that the field be used solely for youth sports, and that the condition of the field will be consistently monitored for degradation and remain of paramount importance.
We are very blessed to have such a beloved facility, one that I have joyfully used with my five siblings since we were children. I treasure that my five daughters also get to benefit from the incredible resources offered at this community pillar, and am grateful for all of the endless support the employees pour into the space.
Thank you for your consideration and all you do for our community.
Sincerely,
Cara Coniglio McClure
359 Seaspray Avenue
Palm Beach
Received via email 2.9.25:
Fe.11,2025 New Business Item #6: Seaview Park Athletic Field Lighting proposal
Dear Mayor and Town Council,
As residents of the Sea Streets and concerned Townspeople, we ask that you thoroughly review the proposal for lighting on the Rec center field abutting Royal Palm Way. Our concerns are:
1. This field is on the main thoroughfare into the town. Lighting such a large area not only risks light and noise pollution when in use, but also diminishes the small residential town character so important to our town creating a much more urban appearance than we are or wish to be.
2. Our neighborhood is overextended and overcrowded with non-residential uses- the Day and Public Schools, the Rec Center tennis and other programs and the Four Arts. It will be further impacted when the Four Arts undertakes an expansion which is destined to attract more and more off-islanders with the new, larger children’ library which is already seeing 30,000 children a year.
3. The underlying soil structure in this area is muck soil. Drainage mitigation as previously performed on 60% of the field can only do so much. The field cannot, as clearly stated by the Rec center director, sustain intense adult use and this must be strictly forbidden.
4. Who will be the users? Only children under 12 years old in sports programs? How can this be enforced and mission creep denied? How many children from Palm Beach will use this extended sports time? This is a Town facility and must be for the town’s elementary age children. A minimum of 75% town residents’ children must be achieved to truly serve the Town’s children and avoid becoming a draw for significant numbers of non-town children. This increased use at night is not to be a regional draw to expand managed sports programs that require too many non-residents to fill out teams .
5. What are the other options for play managed by Rush Soccer programs in W. Palm Beach? Are Lacrosse and Flag football available for later play in other locations?
6. Please question the data provided. How many non-townspeople are needed to make up more teams? How many more cars on Seaview? Who is going to provide security?
How many times a week will the field be used and lighted?
7. Please question the Hours. How long is a soccer game, lacrosse or flag football? Shouldn’t children be by home by 7 for dinner, homework and bed? Is extended lighting really necessary beyond Dec.Jan. Feb. ? Extensions beyond those months only encourage overuse of the field.
One commissioner suggested increased use of the Town’s property for more private use events such as parties. This is a disastrous concept on many levels. One only has to look at the condition of the north lawn after one such event over the High Holidays. It was destroyed and had been out of use since that event in December- a clear example of the delicate nature of the soil structure in the Sea Streets. Loud noise from that party throbbed throughout our neighborhood disturbing our quiet enjoyment of our evening at home. Please do not continue to rent out our Town’s facilities at night. These facilities were created for residents’ use during the day time. This facility is in a residential neighborhood and private rentals after hours is not only unseemly but was never an intended use of the Town’s property.
Thank you for your consideration and conscientious deliberation. We would really like to know how many parents of young under 12 year olds really want their children out as late as 8:00 at night.
Sincerely,
Anne and Charlie Pepper 333 Seaspray Ave
Received via email 2.10.25:
Dear Sir/Madame,
I am writing as a resident of 230 Monterey Road on Palm Beach to offer my support for the proposed lighting to be added to the fields and the Mandel Recreation Center on Seaview. As a father of an 8 and 6 year old I know the additonal sports programming this lightening will allow will benefit our family directly but it is my hope it will open up opportunity for the community as a whole with minimal negative impacts to the most commercial buildings nearby.
I thank you for your consideration and please reach out anytime should you have any questions or need any additional information
All the best,
Doug Faron
Received via email 2.10.25:
Madam Mayor and Esteemed Town Council Members,
It is with great excitement and pride that I write you all in support of the permanent lighting installation at the Palm Beach Mendel Recreation center. As former chair of the Recreation Commission and a lifelong Palm Beach resident I am elated that the Friends of Recreation has generously offered to fund our recreation dream of lighting our fields, which would extend our athletic hours, broaden our athletic offerings and community center programming and ultimately better serve our Palm Beach community.
As you all know our greatest insufficiency at the Rec has always been limited field time, especially during daylight savings months. Over the last five years, we have seen incredible evolution and success at the Mandel, but with the recent influx of new young families moving into Palm Beach after COVID coupled with the desire to expand lacrosse and soccer programming it is clear that our community needs have also changed. We have already grown every aspect of the Recreation center as much as we possibly can without lighting. Our additional outside programming like RUSH soccer has been a huge success and is poised to be expanded. More personally, as a father of five athletic children, I am constantly on the road ushering kids to and from practice near and far. Nothing would make me happier than to stay local and reinvest in our Recreation center and in our greater PB community by supporting our night athletics while we continue building upon already stellar daytime offerings at The Mandel.
With great ILLUMINATED hope,
Nicholas Coniglio
201 El Dorado Ln.
Palm Beach, Fl. 33480
Receieved via email 2.10.25:
Dear Honorable Mayor Moore and Esteemed Town Council Members,
Let me begin by thanking you for your civil service. The countless hours each and every one of you dedicate to making informed and thoughtful decisions regarding our town too often goes unrecognized, when it should be applauded. Your tireless efforts are truly appreciated by your constituents residing at 207 Bahama Lane!
The proposal for adding field lighting to the Mandel Recreation Center will be reviewed by the Town Council on February 11th. In addition to being a town resident, my family has owned several commercial units at 140 Royal Palm Way for nearly 40 years, and we fully support this initiative.
The Recreation Center is and always has been the lifeblood of Palm Beach’s youth. My son, a fifth generation Palm Beach resident, just began taking soccer and basketball at the “Rec Center” and I can’t tell you how many memories it conjures up of meeting new friends, summer camp and most importantly, igniting my love of playing sports. My son plays on the field adjacent to the tennis courts his late grandfather learned to swing a racquet on, and that warms my heart.
It’s no secret that Palm Beach’s landscape has changed significantly since the Pandemic; however, the influx of young families and children to the island has been a true blessing. In the late 90s, I had outgrown the Rec Center’s offerings, and my poor mother would spend countless hours carting me from Boca to Jupiter for a variety of practices and matches, so I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that competitive leagues were being added to the programming for young athletes.
There has never been more of a need to get these children outdoors, playing the sports they love. Providing our town’s youth the opportunity to get off their screens and on the field by keeping the lights on for a few more hours a day is, in my opinion, a no brainer.
Please approve this important effort for the benefit of Palm Beach’s children.
Sincerely,
Amber Hopkins Grow
207 Bahama Lane
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 2.10.25:
Dear Town Council Members,
I am writing in response to the proposed lighting of the field along Royal Palm Way. I am opposed to this for many different reasons. First of all light pollution that will spread to my neighborhood, disturbing not only me, but wildlife, including birds and turtles. Not to mention the energy used to turn on these lights. Using these fields at night will also increase traffic in an area that is plagued by high traffic. And just exactly how much demand is there to use these fields at night? And who will be using them? Residents? Non-residents?
Stop the insanity! Save our peace and quiet!
Thank you.
Ann Jackson
135 Seaview Ave, since 1977.
Sent from my iPhone
Received via email 2.10.25:
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing to weigh in on an important matter to my family and I that is being proposed to the town council tomorrow.
My name is Dan Castro and my wife Anna and I have lived on the island on Mockingbird Trail for 6 years. We have 4 kids who are all involved in multiple sports both on and off the island. We feel strongly that adding lights to the Rec Center field that would be utilized primarily 3 months a year (during daylight savings) would be an improvement for several reasons.
First, it would allow our kids to get more field time and access to the outdoors during winter hours instead of games and practices being cut short. We also feel this would lead the growing sport of lacrosse getting equitable access to field time as this sport seems to be the one that suffers most by limited field hours.
Finally, we feel this change would decrease traffic as all sports activities would not be scheduled in a finite amount of time after school to pack as much in as possible before the sun goes down. With lights, we could stagger the scheduling of our sports calendar more so that everyone is not at the rec at the same time schools and work days are ending for the day.
We hope the town will seriously consider improving our rec center with lights on the field. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel F. Castro
Attorney at Law
Castro Law, P.C.
5 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2225
Atlanta, GA 30328
Received via email 2.10.25:
To the Town of Palm Beach Council,
My name is Kara Master (my husband, Stephen Master, is copied here as well). We live at 210 Palmo Way and have three children ages 5, 2, and 1. We love living on the island and being part of the community here. We would also love to see more community activities and programming for children. As such, we emphatically support the field lights initiative to install permanent lights at the field on Royal Palm Way and thereby allow for more sports programming.
Best
Kara and Stephen Master
210 Palmo Way
Received via email 2.10.25:
I’m corresponding on behalf of John Beach, owner of 140 Seaview Ave.
Mr. Beach respectfully opposes the plan to illuminate the Mandel Recreation playing fields. It will intensify the use in this already traffic burdened area and significantly contribute to ever-growing noise and light pollution issues.
Mr. Beach thanks you for your consideration of his perspective and trusts the Town will not approve additional intensification of use by lighting the fields.
Jay R. Marcus