The Palm Beach County Commission on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a proposal by GL Homes that would allow the company to build nearly 1,300 homes in the Agricultural Reserve Area that current rules don’t allow.
Five of the seven commissioners voted yes. Marci Woodward, who represents Boca Raton and Delray Beach, voted no. So did Maria Sachs, who represents the reserve, which is west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.
Conservation groups opposed the swap of land outside the reserve for the right to build within it. They believe that the precedent will allow similar swaps that eventually undermine the public vote in 1999 to preserve farming.
I’ll have more next week.
Aletto project fast-tracked
With a letter to the Boca Raton City Council, a developer got a project fast-tracked.
This very unusual occurrence happened at the end of the council’s April 25 meeting. During member comments, Mark Wigder expressed frustration with what he called slow staff review for everything from major projects to “kitchen sinks.”
Wigder noted that developers of The Aletto at Sanborn Square—two office buildings just east of the downtown park—submitted their application two years ago. Yet staff, Wigder said, had not scheduled a hearing before the planning and zoning board and then the council, acting as the community redevelopment agency that oversees downtown.
Staff comments about the project could explain that delay. Aletto would be two office buildings—one of them 139 feet tall—on seven small properties in a low-rise area. Four are on East Boca Raton Road. Three are on East Palmetto Park Road. One building would feature a rooftop restaurant and bar.
The first round of staff comments raised questions about whether Aletto would have enough parking. The developer first proposed a mechanical garage, but the current version includes a standard garage. Proposed apartments were eliminated.
Monica Mayotte and Fran Nachlas joined Wigder in telling City Manager Leif Ahnell to schedule the project. It will go to the planning and zoning board May 18 and to the CRA four days later. Yvette Drucker dissented, calling that “too quick a turnaround for a project of this nature.” Mayor Scott Singer was noncommittal.
I asked Wigder and Nachlas if they had read the staff comments. Neither had. They acknowledged that the developer had sent a letter to Wigder—as CRA chairman, he runs the meetings—asking to schedule the project.
Wigder and Nachlas said their vote did not indicate support for Aletto. Wigder said he wants more “transparency” in review of development projects. Nachlas said the developer might be taking a risk. “If the votes aren’t there, they lose.”
Delray removes CRA appointees, creates board
Delray Beach will change the makeup of the city’s community redevelopment agency.
During Tuesday’s meeting, four commissioners expressed support for removing the two appointed members from the CRA board. The mayor and commission would form the board. City Attorney Lynn Gelin will prepare an ordinance that the commission will need to approve.
Not surprisingly, Mayor Shelly Petrolia opposed the idea. One of her first acts as mayor in 2018 was to abolish the seven-member, independent board that had governed the agency since 1985. After that takeover, the commission added the appointed seats. On Tuesday, Petrolia said she acted five years ago to get more money to poorer areas within the CRA.
In addition, the commission will create a five-member advisory board that Rob Long hopes will function as a “task force. It’s an exciting thing.” Angela Burns said the group would provide “more diversity.” Each commissioner will name one member of the board.
Petrolia likely will be the lone vote on other major topics. She worked to defeat Long and Burns this year and Ryan Boylston and Adam Frankel in 2021. They joined Long and Burns in expressing support for the change.
Also not surprisingly, Petrolia praised Angie Gray, one of the appointed members who will lose their posts. Petrolia backed Gray against Burns. The mayor said Gray had “excelled.” No one joined that tribute.
Alexan Delray approved
Petrolia also was the only one Tuesday to vote against final approval of Alexan Delray, the 267-unit apartment complex on South Congress Avenue. Just one speaker, who lives near the site, spoke in opposition.
Pointing to the workforce housing portion of Alexan, the man wondered how having “low-income people” nearby would help his community. Workforce housing is for employees such as first responders and teachers who have been priced out of South Florida’s real estate market.
Old School Square workshop scheduled
Tuesday brought one other example of the new commission dynamic in Delray Beach.
On Tuesday, the commission will hold a workshop meeting about Old School Square. Among the participants will be board members of the group that named the downtown arts complex and ran it for 32 years before Petrolia and two former commissioners ended the group’s lease of the site.
The goal is to encourage cooperation between Old School Square and the Downtown Development Authority, which has a contract to manage the complex through September 2024. Boylston and Frankel, who opposed the lease termination, and Long and Burns support the effort as a way for the DDA to tap into Old School Square’s institutional knowledge.
Boylston asked that the city “support” the Old School Square Foundation with its May 12 fundraiser. He didn’t want the commission to provide money or the staff to let Old School Square cut corners. He proposed it as “a sign of good faith” and a way to “mend fences.”
But Gelin, who handled Old School Square’s lawsuit against the city, warned against “overstepping.” Petrolia said the city shouldn’t seem to be playing favorites. Their comments seemed like needless overreaction. It makes you wonder how the Tuesday meeting will go.
Delray golf course bids rejected
In just a few minutes Tuesday, the Delray Beach City Commission ended the idea of renovating the public golf course with money from development on a portion of the course.
Commissioners unanimously rejected all remaining bids and voted down the proposed public-private partnership. More than a year ago, the previous commission had unanimously embraced that approach after saying that the city couldn’t afford to renovate the course at a cost of at least $15 million.
Just as the city’s consultant finished analyzing what at first had been six bids, opposition arose from golfers who considered the proposals too intense and neighbors who worried about traffic. Opposition grew after four public meetings.
Even Boylston, who had championed the idea, acknowledged the lack of public support. But Mayor Petrolia noted that the issue remains. Referring to comments about the terrible condition of the course, Petrolia said, “I can’t disagree.”
Former Mayor Jay Alperin, a course regular who opposed the partnership, said, “There are a lot of talented people in this community” who could help to develop a plan. Petrolia suggested charrettes, public forums that Delray Beach has used for other major topics. At this point, it’s the only option.
BRIC plans go to council
Changes that would allow a transformation of the Boca Raton Innovation Campus (BRIC) go before the planning and zoning board tonight.
The ordinance for the 127-acre campus emerged from 18 months of discussions between city staff and CP Group, which owns BRIC. It would allow many new uses, most notably housing and hotels. It also would allow, the staff memo says, music and entertainment venues seating up to 5,000 people.
CP Group intends to make BRIC the most desirable startup location in the Southeast. Board members likely will have many questions before the proposals gets to the city council. I’ll examine the proposal in more detail after the meeting.
