The City Council will have the opportunity on Tuesday to comment on the indefinite road closure of South Ocean Boulevard next to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, initiated by the U.S. Secret Service.
City Police Chief Nicholas Caristo, whose agency assists with traffic duties in an area stretching from the Southern Boulevard roundabout north to South County Road, will provide an update to council members during their regular meeting at City Hall.
The authority abruptly ordered the closure of the busy stretch of road on July 18 after a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, five days earlier.
Trump’s right ear was grazed, three other people were shot, one fatally. Crooks, from a Pittsburgh suburb, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23, a day after facing harsh criticism from lawmakers of both parties at a House Oversight Committee hearing. According to USA Today, she acknowledged that the July 13 incident was the agency’s biggest security failure in decades.
City officials and residents expressed disappointment over the street closure, which went into effect on July 20 and is intended to improve security for Trump following the assassination attempt.
“I certainly understand why the Secret Service reacted the way it did after the tragedy,” Mayor Danielle Moore told the Daily News a day after the road closure was announced. “That being said, speaking of logistics, I have some questions about what purpose there is in closing South Ocean Boulevard when there is nothing there but water. I have more concerns west of Mar-a-Lago.
“The police chief has obviously worked very closely with the Secret Service and I think the plan could change. Maybe there will be an alternative later. But right now, in my opinion, you would make an already bad traffic situation a thousand times worse,” she said.
The closure will last at least until November 5, regardless of whether Trump or other “protected persons” are in the building, the Secret Service said.
This applies to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Residents between South County and Woodbridge Road can only access their property from the north. Police and fire vehicles can access from both the south and north.
In a July 22 letter to the Secret Service, the city asked the agency to “grant legal authority to enforce the street closure for the specified duration, even if the person(s) being protected do not reside in the city.”
The letter, signed by city attorney Joanne O’Connor, said the indefinite closure was “a marked departure” from the time when Trump was in the White House and the Secret Service only closed the street when Trump visited Mar-a-Lago.
“The City of Palm Beach is a barrier island with limited means of entry and exit (four bridges and a causeway to the south),” the letter states. “South Ocean Boulevard/SR A1A is a two-lane, two-way, undivided main collector channel that runs north-south through a significant portion of the city.”
By closing the street, the city will “effectively be divided in half,” the city said in a statement.
As of Thursday, the Secret Service had not responded to the letter, city manager Kirk Blouin told the Daily News.
Also on Tuesday, the City Council will:
- Listen to a presentation on the citywide underground project.
- Vote on a resolution to vacate and abandon an existing public utility easement at 249 Monterey Road.
- Listen to presentations and schedule meetings with the Code Enforcement Board.
- Provide instructions to city staff regarding a proposed security fence at Ibis Isle Park.
Council members will meet at City Hall at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday for their regular meeting. They will also meet at 9:30 a.m. on Monday for their Local Planning Board meeting and at 9:45 a.m. on Monday for their development review meeting. Members of the public can attend in person or via Zoom. Those who wish to provide public comment virtually can access the Zoom link on the city’s meeting audio page.
Jodie Wagner is a reporter with the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support our journalism. Subscribe today.
