Heavy congestion caused by the Secret Service's road closure in front of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate could result in Palm Beach County officials seeking to shut the resort.
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The road closure has raised concerns about traffic and security when the club reopens at the beginning of Palm Beach's social season this fall.
The Palm Beach Council on Tuesday directed town staff to research what might be able to be done about the July 20 road shutdown, which was implemented to protect Mar-a-Lago and Trump following the July 13 attempted assassination of the Republican presidential nominee, the Palm Beach Daily News reported.
One option could be to strip the club of its permission to operate.
"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."
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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.
There is also a declaration-of-use agreement that governs Mar-a-Lago's operation. The town council could revoke the club's occupational license if it finds there have been any violations of the agreement.
There have been past discussions among officials whether health and safety issues raised by neighbors could be reason to remove the special exception that allows Mar-a-Lago to operate as a private club.
South Ocean Boulevard, which runs between the club and the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, is closed to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Residents in, and visitors to, the affected area must show identification. Also, only emergency vehicles are allowed to pass through the Southern Boulevard checkpoint.
The road will be closed through at least the Nov. 5 general election, officials have said.
A Chinese citizen was arrested July 31 after repeatedly trying to enter Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach Post reported. He claimed he had documents tying China to the July 13 attempted assassination.
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Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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