According to the Palm Beach Daily News, affluent town residents have expressed increasing unease and a lack of security, prompting the exploration of shutting down Mar-a-Lago.
The Secret Service has closed South Ocean Boulevard, adjacent to Trump’s Florida estate, since July 13 following an assassination attempt on the former president.
Additionally, heightened security measures have been implemented at other Trump properties such as Trump Tower in Manhattan and his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
At a recent town council meeting, Council Member Julie Araskog disclosed that she had been contacted by residents struggling to connect with their caregivers as a result of newly implemented checkpoints.
Additionally, worries were expressed regarding potential delays in emergency response times due to these checkpoints.
Furthermore, some residents have expressed apprehension about their safety in light of recent threats against Trump.
“Our residents don’t feel safe right now,” Araskog said.
Council Member Ted Cooney voiced his apprehensions regarding the town’s traffic situation resulting from the road closure. He was quoted as saying, “I am deeply concerned about the impact of this road closure on life in our town.”
In spite of the road closure and heightened security measures, Mar-a-Lago has maintained its operations, hosting events and welcoming hundreds of guests to the premises. In response, Mayor Moore has instructed the Town Council to explore the possibility of temporarily shutting down the beach club until the road reopens.
“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed,” Mayor Danielle Moore said.
“There’s no way in God’s green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club. It’s completely illogical that you’ve got a road closed and then you’re going to let 350 strangers into your club.”
“No one wants anything to happen to Trump,” Moore said, echoing the concerns of her fellow council members and town staff. “However, you can’t have it both ways, boys and girls. Either the club’s open or not.”
Newsmax reported:
Palm Beach’s decision to research legal options came during a discussion in which Town Manager Kirk Blouin said it is possible Palm Beach will not receive a reply from the Secret Service to a July 22 letter in which Town Attorney Joanne O’Connor 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 Palm Beach Daily News reported.
The town seeks action based on two previous agreements with Mar-a-Lago.
The resort was allowed to open in 1993 as a private social club and a special exception use in a Palm Beach residential zoning district after the then-developer agreed to a declaration-of-use agreement.
In 2021, some neighbors cited that agreement as part of an effort to prevent Trump from using Mar-a-Lago as his primary legal residence. However, the then-town attorney said the agreement did not specifically bar Trump from living at the club.
In October 2019, Donald Trump, a long-time New Yorker, announced his official residency in Florida due to his dissatisfaction with the treatment he received from the leaders of New York.
Following his departure from the White House on January 20, Trump relocated to his South Florida club.
Subsequently, Palm Beach authorities conducted a review to determine if Trump could permanently reside at his beach club.
A spokesperson for the Trump Organization previously told the Miami Herald that “There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-a-Lago as his residence.”
After conducting a legal review and harassing Donald Trump, the Palm Beach city attorney concluded that Trump can live at Mar-a-Lago.
