Palm Beach Town Council to discuss road closure near Mar-a-Lago at Tuesday meeting
The Town Council will have the opportunity to weigh in Tuesday on the U.S. Secret Service-initiated indefinite road closure on South Ocean Boulevard next to former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club.
Town Police Chief Nicholas Caristo, whose agency is assisting with traffic duties in an area that extends from the Southern Boulevard traffic circle north to South County Road, will provide council members with an update during their regular meeting at Town Hall.
The agency abruptly ordered the busy stretch of road closed July 18 after a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pa., five days earlier.
Trump's right ear was grazed, and three other people were shot, one fatally. Crooks, of suburban Pittsburgh, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned July 23, one day after she was heavily criticized by bipartisan lawmakers at a House Oversight Committee hearing at which she admitted the July 13 incident was the biggest security failure in decades for the protective agency, according to USA Today.
Town officials and residents have expressed frustration with the road closure, which took effect July 20 and is aimed at improving security for Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt.
"I certainly understand why the Secret Service has reacted that way after the tragedy," Mayor Danielle Moore told the Daily News one day after the road closure was announced. "That being said, just speaking of logistics, I have some questions about what the purpose is of closing South Ocean Boulevard when there's nothing out there but water. I have more concerns coming from the west side of Mar-a-Lago.
"The chief of police has obviously been working very closely with the Secret Service, and I think the plan may change. There may be an alternative down the line. But at the moment, it would be considered, in my mind, making an already bad traffic situation a thousand times worse," she said.
The closure will continue through at least Nov. 5, regardless of whether Trump or other "protected person(s)" are in residence, the Secret Service said.
It applies to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Those who live between South County and Woodbridge roads are only able to access their properties from the north. Law enforcement and fire rescue vehicles will be able to access from both the south and north.
In a July 22 letter to the Secret Service, the town asked the agency to “provide the legal authority authorizing it to implement the road closure for the specified duration and even when protectee(s) are not in residence in the Town.”
The letter, signed by Town Attorney Joanne O’Connor, said the indefinite closure is “a significant departure” from when Trump was in the White House, when the Secret Service closed the road only when Trump visited Mar-a-Lago.
"The Town of Palm Beach is a barrier island with limited ingress and egress points (four bridges and one causeway to the south)," the letter read. "South Ocean Boulevard/SR A1A is a two-lane, two-way, undivided major collector that runs north to south through a significant portion of the Town."
Closing the road, the town said, "effectively cuts the town in two."
As of Thursday, the Secret Service had not yet responded to the letter, Town Manager Kirk Blouin told the Daily News.
Also Tuesday, the Town Council will:
Hear a presentation on the town-wide undergrounding project.
Vote on a resolution that would vacate and abandon an existing public utility easement located at 249 Monterey Road.
Hear presentations and make appointments to the Code Enforcement Board.
Provide direction to town staff concerning a proposed security fence at Ibis Isle Park.
Council members will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Town Hall for their regular meeting. They also meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday for their local planning agency meeting; and at 9:45 a.m. Monday for development review. Members of the public can participate in person or via Zoom. Those wishing to make public comments virtually can access the Zoom link on the town's Meeting Audio page.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Town Council to get update on road closure near Mar-a-Lago
