The residents around lame duck president Donald Trump have sent a petition to the City of Palm Beach and the US Secret Service noting that Trump has violated a zoning agreement with the city by having a permanent residence there, the Washington Post reports.
The message is clear: they don’t want him in the neighborhood.
The issue revolves around an agreement Trump signed after taking over the property in the 1990s, turning the property, which is on the National Historic Trust, from a private residence into a private club. The demand letter notes that the agreement prevented the property from being used as a permanent residence, with no club member able to spend more than 21 nights a year or seven consecutive days on property.
At a town council meeting, an attorney for Trump stated unequivocally stated that Trump would not be using the property as a permanent residence. Trump seemed to acknowledge this when he registered to vote in Florida after declaring himself a resident of the state: on his voter registration form, he listed the White House as his residence in violation of Florida election law.
Neighbors have long complained about the traffic and noise generated by Trump visits to the property. Security and media trucks clog the streets. A helicopter landing pad was constructed on the site–again, in violation of previous agreements with the city and neighbors–to accommodate Marine One.
Trump also tried to build a dock on the property, in violation of previous agreements, by claiming it was a requirement of the Secret Service. The Secret Service, however, denied having any requirement, and Trump ultimately dropped the request.
The objections of the neighborhood might put Trump in a precarious situation when he leaves office. If the town council upholds the petition, Trump would have to find another residence in Florida or return to New York City, a city he’s repeatedly insulted and demeaned while he’s been in office. The NYPD announced last month that it would withdraw its traffic restrictions and security patrol from Trump properties after January 20th, and the citizens of the city have made it clear Trump and his family are not welcome in the social circles of the Big Apple.