More and more Surfside residents are asking the question that grows louder by the day: why has this commission sold out Surfside to developers right under our noses?

Driving six blocks through town can now take more than twenty minutes. Simultaneous construction on both sides of Collins Avenue has blocked lanes, sidewalks, and common sense. The previous commission required the Kushner project to stage construction from 94th Street. This Commission reversed that decision, allowing the shutdown of a Collins Avenue sidewalk and traffic lane while active construction continues directly across the street. This is not planning. It is negligence.​

Then there is the Harding Avenue property. The Town spent more than $1.7 million on a home with promises it would benefit the community. Instead, it was effectively handed over to Kushner as headquarters and office space, despite the area not being zoned for that use. Even the portion of the lot supposedly retained for the Town was ultimately absorbed into the same private development. Residents were told one thing and watched another happen.

Several commissioners campaigned on opposing overdevelopment. Charlie Burkett and Tina Paul ran on protecting Surfside from exactly this kind of unchecked growth. Yet once elected, they were suddenly smiling for photos, attending groundbreakings, and celebrating the very projects they claimed to oppose. The contrast between campaign rhetoric and governing reality could not be starker.

​Even Commissioner Velasquez, who missed all four Annual Champaign Memorial events, made certain to attend the Kushner groundbreaking. That choice did not go unnoticed.

Off Collins Avenue, the Commission remained silent while former Town Manager Mark Blumstein effectively handed over the intersection of Abbott Avenue and 91st Street to a private multifamily development tied to Harding Avenue. Residential streets were closed. Construction equipment and materials overtook quiet neighborhoods. Residents across a four block radius were left dealing with daily disruption while the Commission looked the other way.​

This Commission has shown residents that campaign promises do not automatically translate into action. Too often, our supposed protectors appear more interested in photo opportunities and developer access than in the people who actually live here.​

Elections are approaching. Surfside needs leaders who put residents first, who can move the town forward without sacrificing its character, safety, or quality of life. We need action, not access. Accountability, not applause. And leadership that answers to residents, not developers.​

Surfside deserves better.