The History of COBWRA

In 1981 and before…

1. The area known as West Boynton was home to cattle, snakes and wildlife of all kinds. Only the adventurous would venture west of Congress which was thought to be the end of civiliation.
2. Military Trail was a dirt road used to service area farms and nurseries since to its elevation above the swamp land kept it dry during the rainy season.
3. In the 1970s there was a hot debate about extending 2nd Avenue, now known as Boynton Beach Boulevard, west to the Turnpike and building an interchange. 22nd St, now known as Gateway Boulevard, and Woolbright Road both ended at Congress. Lawrence Road was a narrow dirt lane through orange groves which have all disappeared.
4. Cows grazed where the Fountains Plaza is now. Ocean Avenue, with only 2 lanes, was the main east-west road. Jog Road south ended at Lantana. Past President Al Miller rode dirt bikes in the area where Jog became extended southward. Congress Avenue had only two lanes and ended in Delray Beach.
5. The 1980 census showed a population of 11,311 for West Boynton. By 1990, population almost tripled to 30,344 people. In 2000, the population had more than doubled to 73,631 people.

The Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations is the vision of one man, Dr. Richard Carrington, who retired to Florida in 1979. He and his wife purchased a home in Greentree Villas, on Boynton Beach Blvd, east of Military Trail, in an area considered “country.” One day, he and his wife, Doris, went for a walk in the “country” going west to Military Trail. As they crossed the single-lane dirt road, they noticed a banner across Military Trail announcing the coming of a new shopping center including a K-Mart. Dr. Carrington went to the county offices to learn more about this shopping center. As he was pouring over the records, he became aware of the urban sprawl that was happening to the West Boynton area and across all of Palm Beach County. He decided to do something about it. He called a group of his friends from other associations and asked: “What can we do about what’s happening to the quality of life in our neighborhood?” He suggested they meet and consider joining forces. Thus, the first meeting on June 9, 1981 in the Greentree Villas office came to pass where they decided to hold another meeting and invite more associations to join them.

At the next meeting, in the Mirror Lakes clubhouse on July 15, 1981, it was decided to form a coalition and Dr. Carrington was elected to serve as president and spokesperson. They set the annual dues at $25 per community. At the third meeting on July 23, in the Greentree Villas clubhouse, the Coalition elected its first officers and set up committees on Zoning and Permits, Water Management, Law Enforcement, Environmental Control, Roads and Streets, and Liaison with the City of Boynton Beach.

The Coalition had its first invited speaker at the August, 1981 meeting, Mr. Robert Basehart, Executive Director of Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building. At that same meeting the Coalition decided to speak out against a huge new airport the county proposed for the area west of the Turnpike between Clint Moore Road and NW 2nd Avenue (now Boynton Beach Blvd.) The Coalition added first and second alternates to the draft Bylaws and adopted the Bylaws at the September 1981 meeting. Membership had grown to 12 communities. The first County Commissioner to address the Coaltition was Commissioner Norman Gregory at the October 1981 meeting.
For the first few years, the organization referred to itself as “The Coalition.” At a County Commission meeting Dr. Carrington made his point about the quality of life in the West Boynton area and convinced the Commission to disapprove a just-presented petition. Commissioner Dennis Kohler, blurted out, “COBWRA has struck again!” and from that day forward, we have been known as COBWRA. The rest of the story is now history—and what a history that has been! Dr. Carrington set a lofty goal: to strive for the best quality of life for our residents. COBWRA never lost sight of that goal under the leadership of all the presidents following Dr. Carrington. From the beginning, COBWRA adopted a firm policy against endorsement of any candidate for public office or any political party. All Coalition positions taken on issues are based on a non-partisan approach.

In 1991, COBWRA asked the county to help prepare a master development plan for West Boynton. The plan was developed in concert with PBC Planning together with representatives from the City of Boynton Beach. The result is the 102-page document known as The West Boynton Area Community Plan. Adopted by both the City of Boynton Beach and the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners in 1995, the plan has served as the blueprint for development in the west Boynton area. The plan is supplemented by the addition of the Boynton Beach Turnpike Corridor Plan, written in 1996 and revised in 2003. It includes design guidelines and standards for commercial development. Both plans are models for the county and state.

We work with our county officials, state legislators, state and local agencies. COBWRA attends and speaks at meetings of the County Commission, the Zoning Commission, the Planning Commission (formerly the Land Use Advisory Board or LUAB and others). COBWRA delegates serve on many county committees. Two are the Planning Commission and the LDRAB (Land Development Regulation Advisory Board) which reviews codes and ordinances. COBWRA helped a LDRAB subcommittee write the Big Box Ordinance for the exterior and landscaping of the Super Target on Hagen Ranch Road and Boynton Beach Blvd. Delegates and alternates also serve on the Library Board, on the Links of Boynton Beach Golf Advisory Board, the Consumer Hearing Board, Palm Beach County Historical Commission and the Adult Immunization Committee. In education, COBWRA has representatives on the School Advisory Boundary and School Construction Oversight Committees, and the School Board Tax Commission.

COBWRA was among the first to endorse the Palm Meadows Training Facility and today it is one of our jewels. Many of us volunteered to help at Palm Meadows when it became a shelter for Hurricane Katrina refugees. We helped defeat the Bullet Train; supported Medicare re-imbursements for county residents on a par with Broward and Miami-Dade counties; supported attainable housing for teachers, firefighters, and others in the workforce; lobbied for landscaping with irrigation along our major roads; and established a program offering flu shots in clubhouses. There is much left to be done: building the approved Bethesda West Hospital at US441 and Boynton Beach Blvd., reform of community and homeowners insurance laws, a new library and park in the Ag Reserve, a state park for south county, protecting communities from bad condo and HOA laws and the finishing the new Canyon Town Center at Lyons Road and Boynton Beach Blvd. We work closely with the West Boca Community Council and the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations as the South County Community Partnership with over 300,000 residents.

We have fulfilled our promise to Dr. Carrington’s legacy and will continue to do so.