Mayor Rich Walker
A Message from Mayor Rich Walker
As Mayor of the City of Parkland, I am lucky to work with a Commission that makes the duties of setting policy for a municipality a relatively seamless experience. The City staff then come in and set into motion a process by which the policies get carried out to benefit our residents.
I am proud of everything we do at City Hall. But there is a little-known – and truly extraordinary – piece of news that I want to highlight and share with our community:
In a bold move that cities do not often make, the City of Parkland City Commission bought 65 acres of the former Heron Bay golf course for $25 million in 2023. This purchase came as a result of the City Commission listening to the concerns of residents who feared dense residential development or large-scale commercial development would dominate the area. Instead of leaving the City’s destiny up for grabs, the City worked toward the goal to be in control and bought the land. In that respect, our future was protected and sealed on August 14, when the City Commission put through a unanimous vote to finalize a deal in which luxury home builder Toll Brothers will pay the City $19.5 million to build 52 high-end homes on 21 acres of that vacant land.
To drive that point home to readers – we, as a City – sold less than one-third of the property for nearly 80 percent of the cost of the entire property. If we had not purchased that property last year, anything could have happened and our small-town, community feel may have been jeopardized.
The August 14 Commission meeting was a relatively normal City Commission meeting, but the power of what that vote means to our residents is phenomenal. We took a smart risk, and we admittedly stepped into the unknown. But we did so in a fiscally responsible way that set us up to ultimately recoup all of our money and then some.
The City is still conceptualizing what will comprise the remaining 44 acres in the form of a tasteful, small-scale commercial development that will provide additional amenities to residents. We know that what materializes next will give us maximum flexibility as we design something that is right for Parkland.
As we move from concepts to a more concrete plan for what will be a village concept on the remaining property that we purchased, we can do so knowing we’ve already made most of our money back.
And, as Parkland residents, we can rest assured that much care, thought, and collaboration went into what became a historic moment for the future of our City.
If you would like to share your thoughts or if you have questions or comments you would like to share, I would love to hear from you. I can be reached via e-mail at rwalker@cityofparkland.org or via cell phone at (973) 390-1453. I am frequently available monthly at Parkland businesses and love to talk with residents there. I encourage you to visit the City’s website, cityofparkland.org and click on the social media icon that you prefer, to ensure that you stay informed on events and helpful information.
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