Condo balconies are cantilevered.
Rendering by GS4 Studios
By Sallie James
A proposed six-story, 70-unit condo complex slated for the southwest corner of South Ocean Boulevard and East Palmetto Park Road got a thumbs up from Boca Raton’s Planning and Zoning Board last month.
Next, the Ocean Palm project will head to the City Council for review.
Planning and Zoning Board members also unanimously voted to recommend amending the future land-use map and change zoning in the area to make way for the nearly 300,000-square-foot project, which will rise to 65 feet. They reviewed the project for consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan, compatibility with surrounding development and availability of public services.
Traffic studies indicated the project would produce fewer trips per day than if the land were developed to its maximum allowed density.
If approved, the project would add an estimated $127 million in taxable value to the city, up from the property’s current taxable value of $12 million, said attorney Bonnie Miskel, who represents the developer.
The 3.52-acre property is across the street from an entrance to South Beach Park. It’s bordered on the north by East Palmetto Park Road, on the east by South Ocean Boulevard, as State Road A1A is called there, on the south by Palm Avenue and on the west by Southeast Wave Crest Way.
If the City Council approves the contemporary-style condo, it would be flanked by 8-foot-wide sidewalks and include an underground parking garage with 150 spaces. A public linear park would also be constructed near the project, Miskel said.
The property for the project consists of three parcels: one vacant, one with an unoccupied office building and parking garage and one with a 20-unit condo. The condo building and office building and garage would be torn down to make way for Ocean Palm, Miskel said.
Jan Grenell, who lives in the 100 block of North Ocean Boulevard, warned that the area is already congested without adding more residences.
“We have an issue with traffic right there,” Grenell said. “I have seen almost more tragic accidents in the past couple months than I have ever witnessed in my life. You have cars that are almost taking out those bikers. It is ridiculous. It needs to be addressed before you do anything else there.”
Cynthia Wohl, who lives in the 200 block of Wave Crest Way, wondered if flooding would get worse with more development. “The flooding in the area is horrible,” she said. She worried more water would get pushed down her street, along with more traffic.
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