On the shore of Florida’s Gulf Coast, the islands of Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach all have very low elevations, rich in sand and no rock outcrops. The area of Gulf Ridge on Sanibel is only 3 feet above sea level
Read more…Florida has a history of learning from damaging storms and adopting effective reforms
By John L. Renne
If history is a guide, Floridians will digest and respond to the lessons from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, thus becoming more resilient.
Such was
We began in response to a neighborhood crisis. In 2007, a Canadian firm had made a “too good to be true” offer to acquire the tiny town of Briny
Read more…In the first four months of 2021, deaths reached 723; in all of 2020, 637 died in the state. There’s not enough sea grass to support all of them
We love manatees in Florida.
We put them on license plates. We name our school mascots after them. We bra
Some politicians predict long-term solution will be a ‘managed retreat’ from state’s coastal communities
By Jim Carroll
With not much state or federal assistance available, Florida communities have been left to pay most of the costs to defend their t
Read more…After Eta’s deluges, Floridians looking for all the help they can get
ABOVE: North Atlantic Drive looked more like a lake than a road on Hypoluxo Island after Tropical Storm Eta blew through Nov. 8-9. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
BELOW: Boca Raton re
Towns, cities and counties across Florida recently wrapped up their fiscal year 2020 budgets. Highland Beach passed its own budget on Sept. 19 by a 4-1 vote, with myself, Commissioner Evalyn David and Mayor Rhoda Zelniker and Vice Mayor Greg Babij su
Read more…By Shelly Petrolia
“Florida’s New Sweet Spot” is how the Wall Street Journal described Delray Beach in a headline. The article went on to describe three perfect days in our city, noting it had been transformed and “now has a distinctly different vibe
Read more…Former County Commissioner Mary McCarty was first in line to register to vote on Jan. 8. Rich Pollack / The Coastal Star
By Mary McCarty
On Jan. 8, 2019, my life had come full circle. It was 10 years to the day that I had resigned in disgrace from 21
Read more… This legislative session demonstrated a political will to reform the Florida’s Public Records Act. However, that will was misguided in both SB 1220 and HB 1021.
Those bills targeted the attorney’s fees provision of Chapter 119 and attempted to
Two days after the Florida Legislature completed the 2016 session, a Sun Sentinel editorial headlined “Open government under attack,” indirectly referred to a failed bill that attempted to address abuse of the Public Records Act by a cottage indust
Read more…I have followed with interest the planned development around the Mizner on the Green site in Boca Raton, where the owner, El Ad National Properties, has proposed to replace this outdated 244-unit project and reportedly seek discretionary height incre
Read more…Florida’s manatees are at a crossroads. Well, actually, the agencies that protect manatees are at a crossroads, and manatees themselves are in the crosshairs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is busy working behind closed doors deciding whether to d
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fishing is an important part of the Florida lifestyle as well as its economy. In spite of the obvious benefits, this leisure-time activity, on occasion, can lead to problems for birds and other wil
As the editor of Florida Sport Fishing magazine, I’ll be the first to admit there’s nothing wrong with the sustainable harvest of fresh seafood to feed family and friends. However, it is imperative that recreational anglers respect the ocean and it
Read more…What kind of city do you want to live in? Do you want a first-rate, full-service city that provides the full range of municipal services, or would you settle for a second-class city where some services are provided by other government entities ove
Read more…When Uptown Delray, the Strand, Atlantic Crossing, SofA I & II, SofA Offices & Lofts and Depot Square apartments are occupied, Safety as Floridians Expect estimates that there will be 448 more bicycles and more than 2,000 new downtown residents bicyc
Read more…As the year draws to a close, and we take time to be grateful, I would like to thank our local community for the continued support for the Y and its diverse goals.
Together, we created opportunities, ensured future growth and spread knowledge thr
Florida real estate seems to be making a solid recovery. That is good news.
At the same time, large-scale developers see investment opportunities in our coastal communities and are seeking more height and density in new multifamily and mixed-use
Once upon a time in a trailer park by the ocean,
A billionaire came by and caused a great commotion,
He promised to make us all millionaires and life would be thrilling.
“Whoopee” said the lawyers “on this we will make a killing.”
We all knew that there
