Upset victories by two new members of the Palm Beach County Commission could upset a developer’s plan to build 1,000 luxury homes in the county’s Agricultural Reserve Area.
Republicans Sara Baxter and Marcie Woodward raised far less money than their Democratic opponents, Michelle McGovern and incumbent Robert Weinroth. They had far less name recognition. But Democratic turnout dropped, as it usually does in midterm elections, and the newcomers won.
It will take Baxter and Woodward, who now represents Boca Raton and Delray Beach, time to learn the issues. One of those issues comes back to the commission in May, and the new commissioner lineup could change the outcome.
That would be the proposal by GL Homes to trade land near West Palm Beach for permission to build those homes north of Stonebridge Country Club in the southeast portion of the reserve area. Under current rules that limit development, the company cannot build those homes.
GL executives tout the swap by saying that the company would use the northern land to improve water quality. Even conservation groups, however, oppose the deal because it would increase suburban-type growth in the reserve and set a precedent for similar trades. Opponents say the deal would undo what voters wanted in 1999 when they approved $100 million in bonds to buy reserve land for preservation.
County commissioners were prepared to vote on the deal in September. But GL, sensing that the proposal would fail, asked for a postponement until May.
Weinroth had supported the swap, saying “things have changed” since that vote 23 years ago. He and other supporters noted that GL would build nearly 300 workforce housing units near those luxury homes.
Though McGovern didn’t express support, she also didn’t express opposition. She and Weinroth received many campaign contributions from the development industry.
Baxter and Woodward both opposed the swap. With Commissioner Maria Sachs, who represents the reserve and also opposes it, that would be three votes against GL. They would need just one other vote to kill the deal.
In the meantime, an online petition against development in the reserve has gathered more than 300 signatures. That number surely will grow before the May vote.
The petition correctly notes that the roughly 22,000-acre reserve—which is between Clint Moore Road and Lantana Road west of State Road 7—acts as a buffer between the Northern Everglades and the suburbia of South Florida.
As noted, the swap wasn’t a sure thing before the election. It might be even less of one after the election.
Nachlas fills Thomson’s city council seat
Speaking of elections, Boca Raton again will have a full complement of city council members for the next meeting on Dec. 12.
Andy Thomson’s resignation from Seat A became effective this month, after he lost a bid for the Florida House. Also this month, Francine Nachlas won her bid to succeed Thomson without opposition.
The new term, however, doesn’t start until March. So last week, city council members voted unanimously that Nachlas should fill the seat until then. Having a full council eliminates the risk of deadlocking 2-2 on big issues. Christen Ritchey and Mark Wigder are running to succeed Andrea O’Rourke, who is term limited.
PBC School Board vote goes awry
Still speaking of elections, things went awry last week when the Palm Beach County School Board gathered to choose a chairman and vice chairman.
It’s standard procedure every year. Because there is only one new board member—Edwin Ferguson—after this year’s election, it seemed almost certain that Frank Barbieri—who represents Boca Raton and West Boca—would remain as chairman with Karen Brill as vice chairman.
That’s how the votes came out. Barbieri got three votes. The other nominees—Alexandria Ayala and Erica Whitfield—got two votes. Similarly, Brill got three votes, while Whitfield and Marcia Andrews got two.
The board’s attorney raised no objection. Now, however, the Florida School Boards Association says Barbieri and Brill needed majorities of four votes, not pluralities of three. On Wednesday, the board will hold another vote. Unless someone changes his or her mind, that vote will take a while.
Though the job may seem ceremonial, it’s more than that. The chairman consults with Superintendent Mike Burke on the agenda. Running the meetings for Barbieri the last three years has been anything but easy because of the pandemic. Residents opposed to mask-wearing and other policies have sent Barbieri long, profane emails.
Now Gov. DeSantis has injected partisan politics into board meetings with laws that limit discussion of race and gender issues and allow parents to sue school districts. The job is not for the faint-hearted or the overly indulgent.
FAU fires Willie Taggart
Willie Taggart couldn’t replicate the Lane Kiffin magic as Florida Atlantic University’s football coach.
FAU fired Taggart after the Owls lost their last game of the season to Western Kentucky. Taggart, who before coming to Boca Raton had been fired at Florida State University, went 15-18 over three seasons. Next year, FAU moves up in class to the American Athletic Conference.
Taggart succeeded Lane Kiffin, who was forced from the highest levels of college football—he was head coach at Tennessee and offensive coordinator at Alabama—and got a lifeline from FAU President John Kelly. The Owls went 27-13 under Kiffin, twice won 11 games and twice won the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium.
Having made himself a hot item again, Kiffin got the head coaching job at Mississippi. Though his record since 2020 is just 23-12, he just got a raise to $9 million, or roughly 10 times what he made in Boca Raton.
To really understand the nutty world of college coaching, however, consider that Florida State had been paying Taggart more than FAU. Taggart’s buyout clause in his FSU contract brings him $3.5 million a year not to work for FSU.
Brightline to open in Boca before end of year
Brightline will open its Boca Raton station “by the end of the year,” company vice president Brian Kronberg told the city council last week.
Kronberg declined to give a date, but he told council members that things “look really good.” He was at the meeting to discuss a mural that the company has commissioned for the 60-foot-long, 12-foot-high wall between the parking garage and the station near the downtown library.
The mural is the work of local artist Ben Heller. Elements include, among other things, the city’s name, the gold dome of the original City Hall—now the historical society—and a flamingo.
O’Rourke said the mural has “the cool factor.” When getting off at the station, Monica Mayotte, “you know you’re in Boca.” Yvette Drucker said the mural quickly would become “an Instagrammable moment.”
