Like most citizen's political action groups, the Concerned Citizens of Coconut Creek got together over a single issue - in their case, it was the prevention of a shopping center from being developed on an environmentally sensitive property near a neighborhood.
Though the group lost a lawsuit against the city which alleged that a zoning change for the proposed Cocomar shopping center was illegal, Concerned Citizens' president, Al Martinez, considers the effort a success, because "they weren't able to just go and mow down for the development," he said.
Martinez, who spent 12 years as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, including service during the invasion of Iraq, said he was inspired to try to stop the development after telling his daughter that the woods behind their house would be cut down to make way for a few new stores. When she asked him what would happen to the butterflies she liked to watch in their backyard, he knew he had to do something.
According to Martinez, the group grew out of a neighborhood meeting about the proposed development. He said they got serious after 300 people showed up to a City Commission meeting and the crowd was ignored by commissioners who moved forward with the zoning change.
"I fought for my country overseas," Martinez said. "Then I come home and you feel you've fought hard enough, and you find that your voice is not heard by your elected officials. So the fight continues."
Having accomplished its primary goal, Concerned Citizens is now turning its attention to other issues, including a push in favor of Amendment 4, which would require cities in Florida to allow residents to vote on changes to their comprehensive plans. State law requires all cities to have a comprehensive plan, which at its most basic is a law-like set of guidelines the city must follow for zoning and development.
Although the Cocomar issue would not have been prevented by Amendment 4 because the zoning change made by the Commission was actually what the Coconut Creek comprehensive plan requires, Martinez said he believes that similar problems in the future could be avoided if the public can specifically vote on other development-related changes to city code.
Coconut Creek Mayor Marilyn Gerber, who the group campaigned against in last year's municipal election, said she could not remember an organized group such as Concerned Citizens existing in the city. She said she felt the group was a bit negative. In addition to campaigning against her they also filed a complaint about a column she wrote for the city-supported Coconut Creek Life magazine - Gerber said she and the rest of the Commission welcome anybody to contribute to decisions made in the city.
"Unless their stance is a negative one, I think citizens groups are good," Gerber said. "We certainly welcome any feedback we can get."
Gerber added that she largely has seen a positive response to the things going on in the city, aside from the outcry from Concerned Citizens over the Cocomar development. With that, she added that she'd welcome another voice that offers constructive criticism in the city.
Concerned Citizens is gaining the strength to stay involved, Martinez said. With more than 3,500 people on its mailing list, he expects the group to continue picking up issues and helping to voice the concerns of Coconut Creek residents in the future.
"The average citizen usually doesn't get involved," Martinez said. "The Cocomar development was a reason for us to realize that we need to organize, and unite, and get involved in our community."
Knauss said that while he and his wife have always voted in national and state elections, they hadn't necessarily paid any attention to the local ones. Now, he said, they'll never miss one again.
"Unfortunately, for most people something has to happen that involves you directly," he said. "And at that point, you see all the other things that potentially aren't right."
