By Mary Thurwachter

The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that Lantana Mayor David Stewart misused his position to attempt to obtain a sexual benefit for himself. Probable cause also was found to believe he solicited sex from a constituent based on an understanding his vote, official action, or judgment would be influenced.

A probable cause finding is not a determination that Stewart violated ethics laws, but that there is enough evidence of a violation to allow the investigation to proceed to a full evidentiary hearing, if Stewart chooses, said Kerrie J. Stillman a spokesperson for the Commission on Ethics. If that happens, the matter would go before the Division of Administrative Hearings.

Another option for Stewart would be agreeing to a settlement, the terms of which would be decided by the Commission Advocate and Stewart and his legal representative.

The ethics complaint was filed in January by Lantana resident Catherine Padilla. She claims she and Stewart had become friends when both attended meetings of the Hypoluxo-Lantana Kiwanis Club.
Their relationship took an objectionable turn in 2015, according to Padilla, when, after a morning Kiwanis meeting, the two had lunch after which he drove her to a motel and propositioned her for sex. Padilla, 54, said she “wasn’t interested” and that Stewart drove her back to her car.
She said Stewart called her a week or two later and said he would guarantee her street would get speed tables, a safety measure for which she had lobbied, if she would have sex with him at the motel.
Stewart, who has been mayor for 18 years, has said accusations were totally false and that he has never asked for, or accepted, anything in exchange for a vote.
In August 2015, the Town Council voted in favor of the traffic-calming speed humps for Padilla’s street.
Padilla filed an amendment to her first complaint on Jan 11, when the mayor came to her house to talk to her about the complaint and she called police.
Stewart, according to the police report, told officers he had learned of the ethics complaint filed with the state and had gone to Padilla’s house to talk with her about it.
Padilla, according to the police report, said that when she opened the door and saw Stewart, she shut it, locked it and took a photo of Stewart in his car before he left. The two never spoke during the incident, both told police.

 Another complaint was filed by Padilla on March 27, accusing the mayor of using sexual innuendo during a Kiwanis Club dinner at the Whistle Stop Lounge on Oct. 24 of 2017. Town Manager Deborah Manzo was also in attendance. Padilla claimed she heard Manzo say she wasn’t happy with her choice of entrees and that Stewart remarked, “You haven’t tried my meat yet.”
The Ethics Commission dismissed that complaint in July “due to a lack of legal sufficiency,” according to a news release from the Ethics Commission.

By Mary Hladky

 The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that suspended Mayor Susan Haynie violated state ethics laws in eight instances.

A full evidentiary hearing can now be held on the allegations. A probable cause finding is not a determination that Haynie violated ethics laws, but that there is enough evidence of a violation to allow the investigation to proceed.

Haynie, 63, was arrested on April 24 on seven public corruption charges, including official misconduct, perjury, misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflicts. Gov. Rick Scott suspended her from office.

She pleaded not guilty and waived her right to a speedy trial.

The week before her arrest, Haynie reached a settlement with the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics which investigated her for voting on matters that financially benefitted downtown landowner James Batmasian.

She admitted to violating the county’s ethics code and agreed to pay a $500 fine for failing to disclose a conflict of interest. The commission dismissed a second allegation that Haynie misused her public office.

The state criminal charges and ethics violation allegations all concern Haynie’s financial links to Batmasian and his company Investments Limited, as well as on alleged conflict of interest in voting on matters involving Batmasian that came before the city council.

The state investigation found that Haynie failed to report $335,000 in income in disclosure forms required by the state, including $84,000 from Batmasian or Investments Limited, from 2014 through 2017. She also voted four times on matters that benefitted Batmasian, the state has charged.

The state ethics commission issued the probable cause findings on Oct. 19. Five of the allegations involve Haynie filing inaccurate financial disclosure forms for 2012-2016. Probable cause also was found that she misused her position to conceal a business relationship with Batmasian and his wife, and acted to benefit her and her husband’s businesses and the businesses of the Batmasians.

In addition, probable cause was found that she voted on matters she knew would benefit herself or her husband, and that she had a conflicting contractural relationship because of her business relationship with the Batmasians and their companies while they or their representatives appeared before the city council.

Former BocaWatch publisher Al Zucaro, a Haynie adversary who was defeated by her in the 2017 mayoral race, filed complaints against her with both the county and state ethics commissions after The Palm Beach Post published an investigation that detailed financial links between Haynie and Batmasian or his company Investments Limited.

Mark Bannon, the county ethics commission’s executive director, has said he did not act on the complaint because he received it after his office had launched an investigation.

Haynie denied she acted improperly and said she had requested in 2013 an opinion from the county ethics commission on whether she should recuse herself from voting on matters involving Batmasian. The opinion said she could vote.

But the opinion was narrowly written, and Bannon has said Haynie should have understood the opinion to mean she should not vote when Batmasian was a developer or applicant of a project coming to the city council for approval.

The county ethics commission levied the stiffest fine it could levy. But the state ethics commission has the power to seek her removal from office. While she is suspended from office, she has not resigned.

By Sallie James

Burning eyes. Tingling throats. Coughing and wheezing.

As a spreading toxic red tide algae bloom makes its way down Florida’s east coast, beachgoers and those who live near waterways are complaining of irritating respiratory issues.

Not the sun and fun you’d typically associate with the beach.

Although emergencies rooms at Boca Regional Hospital and Bethesda Hospital East haven’t reported any ailing patients, an internist with Bethesda Health Physicians Group in Palm Beach says he has received some queries. 

“It’s not surprising that nobody is ending up in the emergency room with it. The most common symptoms are relatively minor,” said Acey Albert, M.D., a board certified internist. “It really consists of upper respiratory irritation caused by toxins the algae releases into the water. It stays very high in the water and releases a toxin that can then be aerosolized. The surf will create a sea mist that also contains the toxin.”

Albert said onshore winds the past week carried the toxin inland, which is why some people may have experienced a burning sensation in their nose or a scratchy irritation in their throat dubbed the “red tide tickle.”

“It’s all relatively mild but annoying enough that it causes a cough.People can develop a minor skin irritation if they don’t wash the water off,” Albert said. People most at risk as those with asthma or chronic lung diseases like emphysema or chronic bronchitis.

“We are typically advising them to stay away from the coastal areas,” Albert said. “Keep your windows shut, keep the sliding glass doors shut and stay inside the air conditioning or a filtered air environment and the symptoms will go away fairly quickly,” he said.

He said he’s had patients who experienced burning eyes and burning throats but after they went inside, the symptoms vanished.

“I try to head them off at the pass and tell them as long as you go inside the symptoms should go away pretty fast,” Albert said.

He said he also gets lots of questions about seafood and whether it’s safe to eat local seafood if there is a red tide.

“The big concern is oysters, clams and mussels,” he said. “The filter feeders. Shrimp, crabs and stone crab from this area is absolutely safe.”

Fish sold at stores and markets has to be first inspected by the state before it goes to market, he noted.

By Jane Smith

City and county beaches were open Oct. 5 in the southern half of Palm Beach County, but signs are posted and flags are flying to warn of red tide conditions.

Water samples tested Oct. 3 came back showing low to medium levels of red tide at south county beaches, said Michael Stahl, deputy director of the county’s Environmental Resources Management department.

The next water sampling dates are Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, Stahl said.

“It’s an evolving situation with weather conditions,” Stahl said when asked about whether the beaches would be open this weekend. “It’s difficult to keep anyone off the beach. Beachgoers will have to make their own decisions. Everyone reacts differently.”

Ocean rescue staffs are flying two flags: a red one that indicates hazardous conditions and a purple one for sea pests.

Lifeguards are likely wearing masks while they staff the towers and patrol the beach.

“Our numbers (of beachgoers) are down today,” said Kevin Saxton on Oct. 5, spokesman for Delray Beach Fire-Rescue’s Ocean Rescue Division. “That has been the trend since the weekend.”

Red tide is caused by the Karenia brevis bacteria, a known respiratory irritant. People with asthma or other breathing conditions are urged to stay away from the beach. When the toxic algae are in the medium range, they can cause wheezing, mild coughing and itchy eyes in healthy people.

The county Environmental Resources staff is sending the water samples to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for testing.

Tests results can be seen on this interactive map, created by the FWC: http://myfwc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=87162eec3eb846218cec711d16462a72.

Two tests done on Oct. 1 in the week showed low levels of red tide at Red Reef Park, said Chrissy Gibson, Boca Raton spokeswoman. Results less than 100,000 organisms per liter are considered to be in the low range. The counts from Boca Raton’s first two samples averaged about 18,000 organisms per liter, according to the FWC.

Two more results for water tested Oct. 2 at Spanish River Park and the South Beach Park showed medium levels of red tide. Water tested Oct. 3 at the two sites again showed medium levels, Stahl said. Medium levels contain between 100,000 and 1 million organisms per liter.

At Ocean Inlet Park, near Boynton Inlet, water tested Oct. 2 showed medium levels of red tide, according to the FWC. The Oct. 3 results also showed medium levels, Stahl said.

But, the samples taken Oct. 2 at Gulfstream Park showed low levels. The Oct. 3 tests showed the same results, Stahl said.

Fish including parrot fish, snapper and smaller bait fish have washed up in large numbers at Boynton Inlet and have been found scattered in smaller numbers along other South County beaches. 

Anyone who sees a diseased or dead fish is asked to call FWC Fish Kill Hotline at 800-636-0511.

Dozens of reef fish washed up dead on the beach Oct. 3 just south of the Boynton Inlet as the red tide effects continue to be felt along the coast of Palm Beach County. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Capt. Robert Wagner who has been with Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue for 26 years, says this is as bad as he has ever experienced on this coast.  He was installing red-tide warning signs on Oct.3.

If you are just returning from your summer in cooler climes, welcome back.

There are a few things you should know as you return:

We’ve had massive amounts of seaweed wash up on our beaches most of the summer. No one is sure where it’s coming from, but some scientists suspect a changed ocean current is moving it into the Gulf Stream from Brazil.

Because of high water levels in Lake Okeechobee, the Army Corps of Engineers has been pumping water mixed with a toxic algae bloom into area canals. The worst of this is turning our East Coast waterways in Martin and St. Lucie counties into a smelly blue-green soup.

On top of the dark, murky outflow from Boynton Inlet that has kept the ocean water in the south part of Palm Beach County unattractive for swimming, in late September a rare outbreak of red tide blew ashore, causing rashes and respiratory problems for local beachgoers.

In the Gulf of Mexico the normal red tide bloom exploded this year, causing extensive deaths of fish and other wildlife, including manatees and sea turtles.

The king tides will arrive this October and November and once again challenge our efforts to keep rising water from our yards and streets.

And iguanas are everywhere. Love them or hate them, it appears they are here to stay.

Sound unattractive? Like something from a horror movie? It may just be. This summer brought out the worst of Florida nature (short of alligator attacks and hurricanes), and without some action it’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Florida is a unique ecosystem — that’s why we all love it here, right? The balmy evenings, salt spray on our skin, vast grassy horizons of the Everglades, sunrise over the Atlantic. It’s all balanced in a sort of scientific petri dish on a peninsula sandwiched between the Atlantic Gulf Stream and the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Ever since the government began its drainage projects in the 1920s, we’ve been stirring it up and adding elements,  creating some new, untested compound that’s sloshing over the edges. That’s where we are today.

Nature is resilient, but more than 20 million people are now in Florida, and each one has brought his or her own definition of paradise to the mix.

While it’s tempting to say “stop everything, give nature a chance to rebuild,” we know this will not happen. We have to believe — and invest — in scientific research and creative solutions to fix what’s overflowing Florida’s petri dish.

And we have to evaluate the records of political candidates and determine where they stand on this most fundamental issue. Then, we have to vote.

Voter registration deadline for the Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 9.

Every election is important. For Florida’s environmental future, this election may be critical.

— Mary Kate Leming, Editor

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach has another bragging right.

Its Fire-Rescue Department worked to improve the Insurance Service Office rating from a 2 to a 1 in areas it serves.

Fire Chief Neal de Jesus told the City Commission on Oct. 2 that the Fire Department was evaluated on nine criteria, including personnel training and age of the equipment.

“Property owners will have to request that their brokers review their premium costs,” he said.

“We will send out a notice to all property owners via their utility bills,” he said. “We will encourage them to reach out to their insurance carrier to let them know that their Fire Department was designated a Class 1 and request a quote.”

The improved rating will go into effect on Jan. 1.

The decrease in the nonwind premium will be modest.

Commercial property owners could see as much as a 4 percent drop in their nonwind insurance premium, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

“It will again be determined by how the companies have set up a rating system and many policyholders may see no change in premium due to the better protection class,” Karen Kees, Insurance Office spokeswoman, said in an email.

Homeowners who have nonwind coverage through Citizens Property Insurance Corp. would see no reduction, Kees wrote. That insurer groups classes 1 through 6 together. Homeowners with private policies could see a 1 percent drop in their nonwind premiums, Kees estimated.

The city provides fire-rescue services to Gulf Stream and Highland Beach on the barrier island. De Jesus said property owners there could also qualify for the rating discount. 

Last year, the Witches of Delray ride had one group with a Lily Pulitzer theme. This year, participants will ride through the city on Oct. 27 wearing black and purple. Photo provided

By Rich Pollack

When the Witches of Delray ride their bikes on Oct. 27, it might be difficult to tell just which witch is which.

That’s in large part because most of the more than 200 — maybe even 300 — witches taking part in the seventh annual Witch Ride for Charity will be dressed in black and purple and wearing pointy hats.

“If you want to be a witch, you just have to have something black,” says Alpha witch Andie DeVoe.

DeVoe, Beta witch Tricia  McFadden and several other members of the impromptu coven have been planning this year’s ride — and the Witches Brew Happy Hour fundraiser —  for months.

The event began as a rogue ride and is part of a growing trend of similar rides throughout the country.  It has become an integral part of the Halloween season in Delray Beach  — held in coordination with the Parks and Recreation Department and the Police Department.

“We’ve made it safer, we’ve made it more fun and we’ve made it bigger all because of the community support,” says DeVoe, who is in her fifth year as the lead witch.

This year’s ride will start at 9 a.m. at City Hall and continue along Swinton Avenue, George Bush Boulevard and State Road A1A before ending up at the Delray Beach Green Market in the ark at Old School Square Park.

There, witches will be judged on best broom (bike), best costume, best witch’s cackle and, new this year, best group. Witches are typically free to disband by 11:30 a.m.

The gathering of witches begins at about 7:30 a.m. in the City Hall parking lot. Witches are encouraged to register at witchesofdelray.org, but registrations are accepted on-site. Registration is $25 in advance and $30 at the ride.

“One of the best things is when people start showing up and we see how creatively everybody has decorated their bikes,” says DeVoe. “That just makes this witch go wild.”

Safety is a priority, DeVoe says, and in recent years all witches have been required to have their bikes go through a safety check by the Delray Beach Bicycle Club and Richwagen’s Bike and Sport shop. Delray Beach police escort the witches along the 41/2-mile route.

While the ride is the main event, many witches make their first appearance of the Halloween season during the Witches Brew party, which is set for Oct. 19 at Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub, 2885 S. Federal Highway in Delray Beach, beginning at 5 p.m.

Like the ride itself, the brew, which includes silent auction items and witches singing karaoke, raises money for the Achievement Centers for Children and Families. 

Last year more than $8,000 was raised.

For more about the Witches of Delray, visit the website or find them on Facebook. 

The Witches of Delray ride is Oct. 27, with a gathering at City Hall, 100 NW First Ave., at 7:30 a.m. and ride at 9. Entry fee is $25 in advance, $30 the day of the event. witchesofdelray.org.

Tony Allerton of Delray Beach directs the Crossroads Club, which helps people beat addictions. A coin reminds him of the day he stopped drinking (below). Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Tony Allerton remembers a day he could have easily died.

It was Sunday, May 9, 1982, and Allerton was driving back from West Palm Beach to his home in Delray Beach along State Road A1A. He’d had a few drinks earlier and dozed off for a few seconds. He was awakened as his tires left the pavement and, had he not jerked the steering wheel to stay on the road, he would have plunged into the Boynton Inlet.

The next day, Allerton went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and, although he had been to meetings before, this time he would stick with it. “I didn’t want to die,” he said.

“I wanted to live.” And that’s what he has done — for more years than most.

Last month, to celebrate his 90th birthday, he drove to Rochester, N.Y., to visit an old Navy buddy before heading off to West Dover, Vermont for a family birthday celebration.

The annual vacation is a break in Allerton’s busy life, which includes his job as executive director and general manager of the Crossroads Club, a 7,200-square-foot facility that hosts about 160 meetings a week for organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous.

A fixture at the club since its first meeting in 1982, Allerton is there at 7 each morning for a meeting and stays until noon, when he heads out to lunch.

For most of his 35 years at Crossroads, he has been a driving force behind the club’s success, having served as president of the nonprofit that oversees Crossroads and led the effort to build the club’s current home in Delray Beach.

He remains a key figure in the day-to-day operations of the organization, which sees about 750 people a day. He’s also one of its most active fundraisers, tapping into the strong relationships he’s built in Delray Beach, his home since the 1950s. 

Allerton serves on the board of the Delray Beach Playhouse, where he is a past president, and on the boards of Wayside House and the Drug Abuse Foundation of Palm Beach County. He has been chairman of the Delray Beach Drug Task Force and president of the Delray Beach Rotary Club.

But Crossroads is his strongest passion. Over the years, more than 7 million people have come through its doors and in some way been touched by Allerton’s efforts.

“Probably 98 percent of those have no idea who I am,” he said, adding that he’s perfectly fine with that.

Yet for all that he has done for Crossroads, Allerton says he still owes a tremendous debt to the club. “I could never do as much for Crossroads as it had done for me,” he said. “If it wasn’t for Crossroads, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Ask Allerton how he has managed to live to 90, despite some tough years in the rear-view mirror, and he shrugs.

“I guess whoever is in charge has decided that he, she or it isn’t through with me yet,” he replied.

His daughter Tracy had another explanation.

“I think the secret to his longevity is that he has found his true calling and has been able to fashion a life for himself that fulfills that calling on his own terms,” she said. “I watch him and marvel at what a difference one person can make in so many lives.”

Tracy Allerton is a designer and editor at The Coastal Star. He also has another daughter, Mimi, and a son, Colby.

Allerton, who is divorced, lives a healthy lifestyle and wakes up every morning to a routine and a purpose.

“I don’t smoke and I don’t drink,” he said. “My doctor says if I keep doing what I’m doing, I’ll live another 15 years.”

His day begins at 5:30 a.m. when he gets up and says a prayer before doing 15 to 20 minutes of stretching exercises. He then eats a mini-breakfast of cereal with low-fat milk or yogurt. “If I’m feeling reckless, I might have an English muffin,” he said.

Some ask why he doesn’t just relax, sleep late and enjoy a retirement.

“I don’t want to die yet because I’m loving life,” he said. 

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach leaders are trying to put together a pilot people-mover program after two free shuttles stopped operating on Oct. 1.

The Delray Roundabout Trolley died because it didn’t get a city subsidy.

The popular Downtowner also stopped operating. It used open-air electric vehicles to shuttle residents and hotel guests for free. The founders, Stephen Murray and Travis Gleason, relied on advertising to cover their costs and requested tips for the drivers.

Murray wrote on Facebook that they were changing their business model from what was called “Downtowner 1.0” to one that needed a city subsidy. They made a bid to provide an on-demand point-to-point and a fixed-route service that would stop at the Tri-Rail station and city garages, but were notified they did not get the bid.

Soon, the commissioners were blamed for killing the Downtowner when they did not play a role in the selection process. The purchasing director tallied rankings made by a four-person team of city, Community Redevelopment Agency and Downtown Development Authority employees in late August. Commissioners never saw the bids.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia sent an email to a concerned resident explaining how the rankings never made it to commissioners.

She later surveyed residents, asking whether they want the city to subsidize a shuttle service. Many favored that idea, Petrolia said.

“But that was for the open-air vehicles. That’s the thrill of being in a Downtowner,” Petrolia said about her unscientific survey. The Downtowner is moving to electric automobiles because they hold a charge longer and can be used in rainy weather.

City employees are checking on PalmTran bus routes that stop at the Delray Beach Tri-Rail station and travel east into the city’s downtown. They didn’t want to disrupt workers who relied on the trolley to get to and from the downtown.

Delray Beach city commissioners, who also sit as the city’s CRA board members, tabled their decision Sept. 11 on whether to pay $475,000 for another year of trolley service, deferring it to the Oct. 9 meeting. The trolley stopped running at 11 p.m. Sept. 30.

“I don’t see value in the trolley,” said Adam Frankel, who pulled the trolley item off the consent agenda for discussion.

CRA Vice Chairwoman Shirley Johnson agreed: “It’s a polluter … why can’t we just kill it?”

Their action to table the matter terminated the trolley. 

At the end of the Sept. 25 City Commission meeting, the trolley was brought up again. The contract with First Transit was canceled, said Assistant City Manager Caryn Gardner-Young. She also suggested that because the city’s CRA had the money set aside that its staff take the lead. The pilot program will collect data on the popular times and destinations needed for the next bid process.

Murray of the Downtowner was called up to talk about putting together a possible pilot program. He said it would take about three weeks to get a program started.

But in late September, CRA Executive Director Jeff Costello said he might have to put the program out for bid. Costello planned to meet with the Downtowner founders and consult with the CRA attorneys before letting the mayor know.

The Downtowner’s demise spurred passion on social media.

“My clients are devastated that the Downtowner would no longer be available in Delray Beach,” said Realtor Allyson Sullivan, reached by phone. “We’re praying for a resolution with the city.” 

Michael and Deidre Neal with their teacup chihuahua, Tinkerbell, and their Cockapoo, Finlay, at their Ocean Ridge home. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

For Michael Neal, a happy workplace is a successful workplace. And by any standard, his workplace has been a successful one.

Neal, 62, is CEO of KAST Construction, which has grown from a $30 million company in 2011 to one valued at more than $500 million by the end of 2017. During that time it has branched out from a single office in West Palm Beach to Tampa and Miami, and holds licenses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina in addition to Florida.

KAST was recently named by Fortune magazine as one of the best places to work, adding to similar honors from the South Florida Business Journal, Tampa Business Journal and Florida Trend magazine. Customer satisfaction is reflected in the fact that 80 percent of his orders come from repeat customers.

“My leadership style is very focused on building teams, building morale, building culture, having respect for people and creating a feeling,” said Neal, who lives in Ocean Ridge.

“So much of life is based on how you feel, and how you make people feel. I really don’t think many people get that because they’re always focused on numbers, numbers and numbers.

“Our turnover rate is under 5 percent in an industry where it’s 15-20 percent. We try to hire really smart people and say, ‘Hey, do your job, man.’ We don’t tell them what to do, we let them do it. And they typically do it better than when you tell them what to do.”

KAST projects involve two of the tallest buildings in the state. The One St. Petersburg condominium is the tallest in southwest Florida, and 100 Las Olas is the tallest in Fort Lauderdale. Both are 42 stories.

Outside of work, Neal enjoys bike riding. “I get up at 5 a.m. several days a week and ride my bike from Ocean Ridge to Boca or to Palm Beach. So if you see flashing red lights on Ocean Avenue early in the morning, please don’t hit me!”

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?

A: I grew up in Hollywood. I attended Hollywood Hills High School. The biggest influence was that Hollywood was a great small town, small community and I was lucky to stay in one place through my childhood all the way through high school. I had a small but very close group of friends that I grew up with and we remain best friends today. This strong sense of community and closeness with my best friends and their families reinforced my sense of values regarding community and family.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

A: I have spent my entire career in the construction industry. After graduating from the University of Florida in 1979, I went to work in the construction industry in Miami. After three years I was recruited to a national company based in Charlotte, N.C. I spent more than 22 years with this company living in multiple cities and states across the country, building large commercial projects and/or leading regional offices for this same firm.

I am most proud of raising a great family who were my “road warriors,” my beautiful wife of 35 years, Deidre, who raised our kids on the road as we moved from Florida to California, then on to Charlotte, Richmond, Orlando and finally back to Florida. Without the support of a great family my career would not have been what it has been.

Professionally I’m very proud of the companies and teams that I have been fortunate to lead.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?

A: Stay curious. Explore our world and see the big picture. Question things. Dream big. Most people fail to see their potential and because of that don’t realize their dreams. Read, read, read. Knowledge is the new currency! Get involved in your community and give back to your community.  

What I look for in young people who are looking to join our firm is attitude. In fact, our philosophy is “hire for attitude and train for skills.” Skills are much easier to train. Overcoming a difficult or negative attitude is difficult.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?

A: In 2011, I was trying to commute from Miami to West Palm Beach every day. I’ve always been a Dade/Broward county guy. The commute started getting very old and my wife and I decided to relocate to make my commute and quality of life a bit better. Deidre and I looked at homes further north. We met local Realtor Val Coz (who is our neighbor in Ocean Ridge) and she showed us a few homes in the Ocean Ridge area and we instantly fell in love with the “small town feel,” being near the beach, proximity to Delray, and other cool spots which are so accessible to this great town. We love it here and don’t see ever leaving.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?

A: There is a long list, but the sense of community that we feel here that we’ve never experienced anywhere else. The Ocean Ridge police are awesome, they stop to say hello and there is a tremendous sense of security knowing that there are professionals protecting the community. We are definitely water people and boaters, so being so close to the Boynton Inlet is a treat.

We can be off our dock and in the Atlantic Ocean in less than 10 minutes!

Q: What book are you reading now?

A: I am reading RFK: His Words for Our Times. I’ve always been a big fan of John F. Kennedy, and I knew who Bobby was, but I learned that he was into writing his own speeches and that intrigued me.

The book talks about him at different times in his life and has excerpts or even actual copies of his speeches. I get inspired by people who are able through their words to communicate an idea or passion and reach you at an emotional level. RFK was able to do that.

Q: What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?

A: I am all over the map on music. I love the blues, jazz, classic rock and some country. Deidre and I love seeing live shows at the Arts Garage and the Funky Biscuit, two of our favorite local live music venues.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?

A: This quote from the late John F. Kennedy is one that I refer to from time to time mostly as I reflect on my attitude in business: “The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.”

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?

A: I’ve had a few amazing people who shaped my life. My dad worked in the construction industry and spent his whole career working with his hands as a journeyman electrician. He was all about working hard and never giving up. I worked many summer vacations with him on job sites across South Florida and I’m pretty sure I got his work ethic ingrained in my DNA.

My mom was an amazingly strong woman who was the heart of our family and gave me my love for books and family.  

I had the privilege of working for an amazing CEO named Bob Street who owned the firm that I spent a huge part of my career with and where I learned a lot of great lessons on how to treat, motivate and lead people and teams. He was a big believer in creating a great and dynamic culture which embraced people and treated them with respect and dignity. This firm became one of the largest construction firms in the county under his leadership. I have applied the principals I learned from Bob in every company I have led, and these lessons have certainly contributed to the success of my companies.

Q: If your life story were made into a movie, who would play you?

A: Wow, this is a really tough one. I love the tough “old guys” so I’d pick someone like Paul Newman [if he were still alive].

By Dan Moffett

An architect’s review of the South Palm Beach Town Hall building has determined that the structure meets standards for renovation and doesn’t have to be completely reconstructed to be upgraded.

John Bellamy, of Island Designs Inc. in North Palm Beach, said an elevation survey of the building found it sits high enough to satisfy flood plain code requirements. Town officials worried that the 42-year-old structure might have to be rebuilt from the ground up to comply with current restrictions in the Florida Building Code.

But Bellamy said the base of the structure has enough elevation (7 feet) to make renovation possible.

“It would be reasonable to conclude that the building can be renovated and modified in a cost-effective manner to comply with the current codes for all existing Town Hall occupancies except the police and EOC,” Bellamy said, referring to the Emergency Operations Center.

Because of tougher flood and storm requirements for public safety operations, Bellamy recommends constructing a separate police and EOC building behind the existing Town Hall with a covered walkway linking the structures. This building would be elevated by 2 additional feet. He said the police would be able to remain in their current space during the construction.

“The result would be a code- compliant, storm-hardened, energy-efficient and accessible community center with dedicated multipurpose area with storage, a new council meeting hall and new interior layout with increased space for all existing Town Hall administrative activities,” Bellamy said.

The architect did not present construction plans or cost estimates. Town Council members have said they would discuss his report and recommendations during the coming weeks.

Bellamy’s proposal is the council’s second attempt at finding a solution for the largely obsolete hall, which was constructed in 1976 as a public safety building and has undergone a series of additions and repairs in recent years. In early 2017, Alexis Knight Architects of West Palm Beach evaluated the building and recommended replacing it with a five-story structure — but the council quickly rejected the $6 million plan as too extravagant.

In other business:

• Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan says she isn’t happy with changes to the 3550 South Ocean condo project and wants a survey to make sure the building complies with the town’s height restrictions.

Persuaded by Jordan, the council voted unanimously on Sept. 12 to hire a surveyor to measure the building, which is on schedule to open its doors next year to 30 homeowners — some of whom will pay as much as $3 million for their units.

“I think there’s been a sham pulled on us all,” Jordan said.

She said the town’s building officials and architectural board members may have approved changes to the original plans that have allowed the builders to build too high. Jordan said changes should have come to the council for approval but never did.

The town’s building code allows for six floors, or 60 feet, above a parking garage. But some officials have said the code is unclear about how tall the garage can be and what structures are allowed on the rooftop.

Jordan said developers may have violated town rules by putting a swimming pool on the roof, in effect creating a seventh level. “I’m objecting to the extra floor,” Jordan said.

• A familiar face returned to South Palm Beach on Sept. 17. Yudy Alvarez has come back to reclaim her former position as town clerk.

Town Manager Mo Thornton said she rehired Alvarez to fill the vacancy created when Maylee De Jesus resigned in July to take an assistant city clerk position in West Palm Beach.

Alvarez worked in South Palm for nine years until resigning as clerk in 2015 and moving to North Carolina. She will earn $50,000 a year, Thornton said.

• The council gave unanimous final approval to the full rollback rate of  $3.79 per $1,000 of taxable property value for the 2018-19 budget, down from this year’s $4 per $1,000. “It’s the third year in a row we’ve lowered the rate,” said Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb. 

By Dan Moffett

Briny Breezes Town Council members are exploring the possibility of expanding their control over a roadway that could be critical to a proposed residential development nearby.

Town Manager Dale Sugerman told the council during its meeting on Sept. 27 that, based on his conversations with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office, the town actually owns only the northern 30 feet of the 45-foot-wide Briny Breezes Boulevard right of way.

Sugerman says the county still maintains ownership of the 15 feet that make up the south side of the street.

The boulevard has gained importance in recent months as a main access road to Gulf Stream Views, a proposed development that would build 14 luxury three-bedroom townhouses on about 2  acres of unincorporated land.

Sugerman said the county might be willing to convey ownership of the 15 feet to Briny Breezes. Though the town would have to take over maintenance of the additional section, Briny Breezes would gain more leverage in regulating the road’s use.

“I would rather control the roadway,” Sugerman said, and the council agreed.

Council President Sue Thaler told the manager to talk to county officials about turning over their part of the road to Briny. Sugerman said that if the county agrees, it could take months for a transfer to take place.  Construction on Gulf Stream Views is expected to begin soon. Sugerman said the developers are still working on getting all their building permits from the county.

In other business:

• Sugerman said he is continuing negotiations with Boynton Beach Utilities on getting the town lower water rates. But it’s growing more complicated.

Boynton officials said, after an inspection of Briny’s layout, that it isn’t possible to install individual water meters for each unit — a change that would have promoted conservation and allowed residents to pay according to their levels of consumption.

“There is no room physically to do it,” Sugerman said. “It just won’t work.”

Sugerman said Boynton Beach wants to change the contractual relationships with all the municipalities it serves, not just Briny Breezes. Because meters are not feasible, the utility wants to continue selling the town water in bulk distribution but offer Brinyites the in-city rates that Boynton users pay. However, utility officials are proposing to charge the town bulk in-city rates for 488 users, instead of the current out-of-city rates for 351 users.

“Bottom line is our rates will be changing in the near future,” Sugerman said. “But what I still don’t know is whether our water and sewer bills will be going up, or going down based on the proposed changes in the rates.”

• The council gave unanimous approval to a final tax rate of $10 per $1,000 of assessed taxable property value, the statutory maximum that has been in place for the last decade.

Property values in Briny rose about 10.3 percent during the last year, from $44.9 million to $49.5 million, appreciation that should bring the town roughly $30,000 more in tax revenue. 

The residences will be coastal postmodern in style, according to the architects,  Urban Design Kilday Studios. Rendering provided

By Mary Thurwachter

Things are finally beginning to take shape at Water Tower Commons, the 72-acre retail and residential project on Lantana Road east of Interstate 95. Fences are down, the main entrance road is being built for construction access to the residential areas, and the first phase of residential development, with 360 rental units, is expected to come out of the ground soon.

And on Sept. 24, the Town Council gave residential developer The Related Group thumbs up on plans for the second phase of residential development, with 348 units on 18 acres. The plan calls for four multifamily buildings, 18 big houses, a main clubhouse, resort pools and open recreation areas.

Sandra J. Megrue of Urban Design Kilday Studios told the town the architectural style of the second residential phase would be coastal postmodern, inspired by Robert A.M. Stern and Graham Gund, two architects who designed buildings at Disney’s Celebration.

Water Tower Commons has been in the offing since 2014, when Lantana Development, a partnership between Southeast Legacy, headed by Kenco Communities’ Ken Endelson, and Wexford Capital, bought the land. They paid the state $15.6 million for property, which previously housed the A.G. Holley tuberculosis hospital.

Also approved for the second phase of residential development was the landscape plan, which will feature a variety of trees including various palms, live oaks and crepe myrtle along with an assortment of shrubs.

Developers were able to get the Town Council to sign off on two of three special exception amendments, one for a reduction in the number of parking spaces to allow 2.15 spaces per unit, and another allowing three additional monument wall signs.

The town, on a 3-2 vote with Mayor David Stewart and council member Lynn Moorhouse dissenting, turned down the third request — for a 6-foot decorative fence along North Eighth Street in lieu of a masonry wall.

“I can’t agree with a fence on Eighth Street,” said council member Phil Aridas. He said it was a privacy issue and was concerned about traffic noise. He suggested a metal fence might be less expensive, but that didn’t matter to him.

Ken Tuma, a principal with Urban Design Kilday Studios, said the metal fence was chosen from a design perspective, not to reduce costs. A wall would limit the view from the architecture, he said.

Moorhouse, who preferred the metal rail fence over the concrete wall, agreed, saying, “The sun doesn’t shine through a wall very well.” Besides, he said, with hurricane doors and windows residents wouldn’t have to worry about traffic noise.

Stewart said he felt good about the residential portion of the project, but asked what was happening with the commercial portion.

“We’ve talked in the previous years about commercial development, from an upscale Walmart to other type of businesses, and I’ve yet to see one business come out of the ground,” Stewart said.

Tuma said the climate for retail has been challenging.

“There’s no doubt we have been in the middle of change in the retail industry and this project has been on the wrong side of that change,” Tuma said. “But things are much more positive now. We want to let you know that there has been a significant amount of interest, particularly as the project has come to fruition.”

Having the residential units on site, Tuma said, has made the commercial development “much more marketable because of potential people living within the community.”

Michael Langolf, vice president of the development for the mixed-use project, echoed Tuma’s sentiments. 

“The retail environment has been challenging for us over the last couple years and with the grocer that was originally signed leaving,” Langolf said. “But we have a lot of interest. I do have a letter of intent for a grocery store as a replacement. I can’t at this time announce the name as we are still working through that document.

“But I think with the main street going in, and certainly now with this exciting new phase, it will even further enhance the overall community. We’re seeing a lot more excitement from other types of users that I think the town would welcome.”

One fellow very excited about Water Tower Commons and other recent development in Lantana is Chamber of Commerce President Dave Arm, who spoke at the meeting.

“This is beautiful,” Arm said after viewing the plans. “I’m impressed as heck. I’m hearing a buzz in town that we haven’t heard in a long time about this project, about the whole Water Tower Commons, the fact that they’ve got Eighth Street developed, that they’ve got the palm trees in and started construction of the entrance road. Everybody is talking about this in a positive way and even the negative Nellies, and we have quite a few of those in town, are really starting to come around.”

Arm said what was happening in Lantana lately is terrific, from the new 7-Eleven at 112 E. Lantana Road, to the new Dollar Tree being built where the old Grumpy Grouper was located beside the railroad tracks near the southeast corner of U.S. 1 and Lantana Road.

“All this new construction is finally starting to get some attention and to get some money and development, and I think it’s all terrific,” he said. 

By Mary Thurwachter

Town Council members adopted a $20,372,098 budget for fiscal year 2019 and kept the current tax rate — $3.50 per $1,000 of taxable value. 

During Lantana’s final budget hearing on Sept. 26, Mayor David Stewart said the $3.50 rate represents a 6.31 percent increase over the rollback rate of $3.30. The town is expecting property tax revenues of $3,416,290, an increase of $238,457 compared to this year’s $3,177,833, according to Town Manager Deborah Manzo.

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser says the town shows an 8 percent increase in the value of taxable property, from $951.4 million to $1.03 billion.

“Over the last decade, the town experienced tremendous losses in revenue,” Manzo said. “We’re finally recognizing revenues similar to pre-recession levels. Property values have dropped from a high of $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2007-2008 to a low of $678 million during fiscal year 2012-2013, slowly coming back to the current proposed valuation of $1 billion for this budget.”

The town’s tax rate remained consistent during those 10 years, which resulted in significant reductions in property tax revenues, Manzo said. Last year was the sixth year where values had increased.

“Other revenues are also returning to their pre-recession levels,” she said.

Lantana continues to be financially healthy and stable, thanks to the town’s conservative approach to government, she said.

Projected general fund revenues for Lantana include $560,000 from the 1-cent sales tax increase (although that money can be used only for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and drainage, and amenities such as parks), $568,000 from grants, plus a $100,000 transfer from the town’s insurance fund. 
Health insurance rates for employees will likely go up, but dental insurance rates remain stable.

The budget includes a 2.4 percent cost-of-living raise for town employees and merit raises up to 5 percent based on annual performance evaluations. 

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach Oct. 2 delayed its controversial vote to settle a lawsuit by carving the contested properties from its reduced height district on East Atlantic Avenue.

City commissioners voted 3-1 to push the vote to Oct. 16 when all five could be present. Vice Mayor Adam Frankel did not attend the Oct. 2 meeting.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia voted against the postponement. She prefers getting the lawsuit dismissed to preserve the small-town ambience of the downtown.

The reduced height district covers Atlantic Avenue between Swinton Avenue east to the Intracoastal Waterway.

When introducing the ordinance that would change the height district, Development Services Director Tim Stillings said it would be moving the district line to the east and staff recommends approval. The  property owners could then  build 4 stories, or 54 feet.

Only two people spoke.

Resident Mitzi Kaitz, who usually talks about the city’s golf courses, said the amendment would set a precedent.

“The beauty of Atlantic Avenue is the low height,” she said.

The other speaker was Billy Himmelrich, who filed the lawsuit in June.

“I’ve done everything in my power to make Delray a great place to be. It always was a tight vote,” he said. “I hate to see a tie vote.”

The City Attorney agreed.

“A tie vote would mean no action,” Max Lohman said.

In June, bakery owner Himmelrich and his business partner sued the city for $6.9 million for value that was lost on their properties.

They own the .65-acre site that houses two buildings and two parking lots across from Old School Square. Himmelrich once used the building that faces the historic site for his Old School Bakery. The bakery now sits on Congress Avenue, west of the interstate.

Restaurants, Tramonti and Cabana El Rey, occupy the ground floor of the buildings with long-term leases. After the leases expire in 2024, Himmelrich said they would like to develop the property.

In February 2015, a previous city commission passed the reduced height district for East Atlantic Avenue. The height for new buildings is limited to three stories, or 38 feet. Most residents wanted to preserve the quaint look of the downtown.

Himmelrich, though, spoke against the changes, saying they would hurt his property values.

When Himmelrich and part-time resident, David Hosokawa, bought the properties the number of stories was not specified, but the height limit was 48 feet.

They sued under the Bert Harris Act that protects private property rights. It allows local governments to change their land development rules and requires written notice to affected property owners.

Himmelrich said he never received the notice, meaning the clock had not started ticking for the one-year time frame for the lawsuit to be filed.

He wondered about the elaborate lengths the city was going through to settle the lawsuit.

Even so, Himmelrich signed a settlement agreement on the morning of Oct. 2, awaiting city commission approval.

The city commission first voted 3-2 on Sept. 4 to exclude the contested properties after a closed commissioner-attorney meeting. There was no discussion and no public comments.

Commissioner Bill Bathurst and Mayor Petrolia, who often speak about preserving the small-town look of Delray, were on the losing side.

To carve out the properties, the city voted to amend its height ordinance passed in early 2015 after 18 months of community meetings.

That meant the amended height ordinance had to be shown to the Downtown Development Authority on Sept. 10 and go before the city’s Planning & Zoning advisory board.

On Sept. 17, P&Z board member Kevin Osborne asked why were two buildings being pulled out of the district? The board attorney, Bradley Boggs, did not mention that the height ordinance was changing to settle a lawsuit. He said, “It’s a city commission recommendation.”

Two members asked whether they were setting a precedent with the change. Boggs addressed that indirectly by saying, “If the city didn’t notify all property owners, the affected owners could bring a claim.”

Then, he said, all downtown property owners will be notified of the change.

Board member Christina Morrison asked, “Isn’t this spot zoning?”

Boggs said, “No, it’s just moving a district line.”

The board voted 5-1, with member Osborne dissenting.

The amended ordinance came before the city commission on Sept. 25 for its first reading.

The vote was similar to the one they cast after the Sept. 4 meeting, 3-2, with Petrolia and Bathurst voting no.

Commissioner Ryan Boylston said he wanted to clarify for the public that only the carved-out property owners would be able to build four stories. 

In addition to generating 200 kilowatts of power per hour for FPL, two large solar arrays provide shaded parking at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Lona O’Connor

If you happen to score one of the parking spaces under the new sunshades by the beach at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park, you’ll be interested to know that what’s shading your car is also collecting solar energy and feeding it back into Florida Power & Light’s system. While you’re there, you can use that solar energy to recharge your phone and other electronic devices at the small blue solar trees nearby.

The two parking canopies started generating 200 kilowatts of solar power per hour into FPL’s grid this summer and the parking spaces are now available. In six hours on a sunny day, they can generate about 1,200 kilowatts, or enough power for 1,200 average-size classrooms.

Those large solar canopies and two blue solar trees along with another solar tree at the city’s Barrier Free Park are part of FPL’s SolarNow program, which includes six parks in Palm Beach County. The others are Palm Beach Gardens’ Aquatic Center and Joseph Russo Athletic Complex, Riviera Beach’s Barracuda Bay and Howard Park in West Palm Beach. In all, the six parks are providing the grid with more than 300 kilowatts of clean solar energy each daylight hour.

SolarNow is supported by voluntary $9 monthly contributions from about 35,000 FPL customers, for the purpose of constructing solar arrays in public spaces, said Devaney Iglesias, an FPL spokeswoman.

By the end of the summer FPL planned to have 130 such solar arrays across its service areas.

The blue solar trees at Oceanfront Park each stand 24 feet tall and provide 200 square feet of shade. The two larger canopies shade 60 parking spaces in all and the adjacent sidewalk, said Iglesias.

Statewide, FPL is producing 931 megawatts of solar power, most of that coming from the 14 much larger solar energy centers. Solar power amounts to about 1 percent of energy from all FPL’s sources, but solar power is already outpacing coal and oil combined and is expected to increase to 4,000 megawatts, or 5 percent of output, by 2023, Iglesias said.

FPL shut down two of its coal plants and is in the process of shutting down its third.

Another function of the solar canopies is to educate.

Next to the solar trees are plaques explaining how the solar arrays convert direct current from the sun into alternating current, supplied to homes and businesses.

“Usually [solar panels] are located on rooftops,” said Iglesias. ‘It’s rare that you see it up close. It inspires people.”

The solar canopies and trees “dovetail with what we’re doing in the city,” said Rebecca Harvey, sustainability coordinator for the Boynton Beach Utilities Department. “One of my goals is to promote solar energy as part of a climate action plan.”

Boynton Beach is one of 7,000 cities in the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, through which the city can receive international recognition for such things as climate action plans and reduction of greenhouse gases.

In addition to the solar canopies, Boynton Beach installed solar panels on the Fire Department headquarters in 2010, using a block grant to decrease the cost. The city’s six electric-vehicle charging stations will be temporarily displaced by the Town Square project, which is upgrading city buildings in the downtown area.

The city has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for providing a streamlined three-day process for getting permits for solar installations.

Each canopy at the beach is approximately 33 by 200 feet. What provides shade on a hot day could look like potential projectiles during hurricane season. The canopies are anchored in steel-reinforced concrete, said Iglesias.

And they have already undergone their first real-world test. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, “we had one [solar] tree that needed the bolts to be secured,” said Iglesias, and fewer than 50 of the company’s 250 million solar panels received any damage from flying debris. 

She said that all of FPL’s solar arrays, including the large solar energy centers, are built to withstand Category 5 winds.

In addition to public projects like SolarNow, FPL has about 8,000 private solar power users in its net metering program, which subtracts the customers’ solar kilowatts from their bills.

“I know people who have $10 electric bills,” said Diane Marks of Solar United Neighbors, a statewide advocacy group that educates consumers on solar use. The group has been working for several years to add third-party ownership and financing of solar projects, which would allow, for example, a condo company to lease solar equipment and sell it to individual condo owners.

People from a senior community left a recent informational meeting disappointed when they realized that currently in Florida, they could not add solar without a third-party agreement, Marks said.

Solar United Neighbors and the League of Women Voters are sponsoring two solar informational meetings on Oct. 13: at 10 a.m. at the Gardens branch of the Palm Beach County Library, 11303 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, and at 2 p.m. at the Wellington library branch, 1951 Royal Fern Drive.

Contact Marks at 752-8311 or dimarks@gate.net or visit www.solarunitedneighbors.org/florida.

For more information about Boynton Beach solar projects, visit:

• Boynton Beach Utilities at www.boynton-beach.org/go-solar

• FPL solar at www.fpl.com/energy-my-way/solar/solarnow.html and at www.fpl.com/energy-my-way/solar.html ;

By Jane Smith

Boynton Beach city employees are working in temporary spaces for the next 18 to 24 months while new buildings are constructed in Town Square. City meetings have moved to the Intracoastal Park clubhouse on their regularly scheduled days and hours.

City Hall staffers are working out of a temporary site at 3301 Quantum Blvd., Suite 100. Phone numbers and office hours will be the same for all departments, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Customer service, where residents pay utility bills and buy beach passes, is open at 209 N. Seacrest Blvd., just south of the U.S. Postal Service branch at the southwest corner of Seacrest and Boynton Beach boulevards.

The city library opened in its temporary location at 115 N. Federal Highway. The library has a smaller space, but books and other items in storage can be requested.

The Police Department moved to 2045 High Ridge Road in late September. Its public records and internal affairs also moved to 209 N. Seacrest Blvd.

The Fire-Rescue Department was the last to leave the area.

Staff at Station 1, which also serves Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes, has been split between Fire Station 4 on South Federal Highway and Fire Station 5 on High Ridge Road. One lieutenant and two firefighter/paramedics with a rescue vehicle will work out of the South Federal Highway station, with a similar-size contingent working out of the High Ridge Road station.

Fire Chief Glenn Joseph said he will monitor the response times and make adjustments if they rise more than one minute. Then, city staff will look for space east of the Interstate 95. Joseph knows it won’t be easy to find a building big enough to house a fire truck.

Demolition underway

Demolition of the city buildings began in mid-September with the Civic Center. The city’s total demolition cost is estimated at $2.4 million, said Colin Groff, assistant city manager in charge of Town Square.

“The project would be transformational for downtown Boynton Beach,” said City Manager Lori LaVerriere. “It will bring a whole new life to the area.”

A few days later, city commissioners approved a modified site plan for Town Square that calls for increased setbacks from Seacrest Boulevard and Ocean Avenue for the City Center complex.

The current zoning requires no setbacks, unless the plan calls for public spaces, including sidewalks, fountains or outdoor seating areas.

On Seacrest, the enlarged setback of more than 82 feet will accommodate surface parking for the commission chambers. A walkway with a trellis that supports vines and other plants will be used along Seacrest to shield the surface parking lot from the street.

Commissioners unanimously approved the changes.

On Oct. 2, Northeast First Avenue was abandoned to the project by a unanimous commission vote. The road will still be usable by fire-rescue vehicles.

The $250 million Town Square is a public-private partnership between Boynton Beach and E2L Real Estate Solutions. The city’s estimated share is $118 million.

The 16-acre area, bounded by Boynton Beach Boulevard on the north and Southeast Second Avenue on the south, will create a downtown for Boynton Beach.

When the project is complete by the end of 2020, the city will have a renovated historic high school that can be used for recreation classes on the first floor and a ballroom that can be rented on the second floor, a City Center building that will house City Hall and the library, new Fire Station 1, parks, garages and an amphitheater.

E2L will develop a hotel, office buildings with stores and restaurants on the ground floor, and apartment buildings.