Boca Surf Park LLC's proposal to bring its Wavegarden wave-making technology to Boca Raton's North Park was rejected by Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioners on Nov. 3 in the face of opposition from residents of the nearby Boca Teeca condominiums. Photo provided 

Related: Surf park draws most interest among North Park proposals

Boca Raton’s surfer dudes and dudettes will have to keep on looking for spots with good waves.

The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District voted 3-2 on Nov. 3 to reject a private firm’s proposal to build a surf park in North Park, which surrounds the Boca Teeca condominium complex.

 “It’s a beautiful project. I just don’t think it’s the right location,” said Commissioner Bob Rollins, who surprised his colleagues by asking for the vote.

 District commissioners said Boca Teeca residents bombarded them with emails opposing Boca Surf Park LLC’s project and the noise and traffic it would bring.

 The company said it would spend $50 million building the surf park without district help. It would have paid the district at least $600,000 a year in payments in return for a 49-year concession agreement with two 25-year renewals.

 —Steve Plunkett

Seasonal high tides, compounded by distant storms, leave beaches scoured and stairs broken. November promises to bring another threat.

Visitors to the beach just south of the Boca Raton Inlet in October contend with a cliff of sand taller than they are, which was  created by the pounding surf. Photos by Tim Stepien, Jerry Lower and Mary Kate Leming/The Coastal Star

Related: Along the Coast: Surprise storm soaks region; Boca hit the hardest by flooding

By John Pacenti

Christy Turnquist looked like she was walking on water at Sportsman’s Park Marina in Lantana.

“So somehow I literally, by the grace of God, just ended up there. And it just happened to be my favorite time of year, which is king tide,” said the West Palm Beach woman who tries to go to a park or the beach daily to say her prayers.

Christy Turnquist wades through the water at Lantana’s Sportsman’s Park.

The Sportsman’s Park parking lot was flooded on Oct. 9, practically right up to the doors of Kona Bay Cafe alongside the Intracoastal Waterway. The Bar Jack Fishing charter, The Lady K, was docked, unable to traverse under the Boynton Inlet’s fixed bridge. At Lantana Municipal Beach, the ocean came right up to the steps that usually lead to the sandy beach.

The Lady K was sitting so high, customers could not board.

The harvest moon put on quite a show, both day and night, but this king tide came on the tail of some rough surf churned up by the twin hurricanes of Imelda and Humberto in late September, causing severe beach erosion. 

Beach stairs off Anna Street and Edith Street in Ocean Ridge were damaged and sand was piled up in Boca Raton higher than 6 feet. 

“The beaches that align with these access points are also closed due to dangerous debris and the immediate drop-off caused by erosion,” Ocean Ridge posted on its Facebook account on Oct. 8.

‘Double or triple whammy’

Andy Studt, environmental program supervisor for Palm Beach County’s coastal resource management, said the seasonal king tides — combined with the hurricanes  — created a one-two punch for the area’s embattled coastline.

“Those storms kind of set the conditions that followed from there. So, we didn’t really get too much from Humberto, but Imelda definitely started us off in the wrong direction with some hurricane-based swell,” he said. “And then that wrapped into king tides, which was, you know, a bit of a double or triple whammy in terms of waves and timing of elevated tides.”

Humberto reached Category 5 before passing north of Bermuda, generating dangerous swells that felled some coastal homes in the Carolinas. Imelda followed close behind and made landfall in the Bahamas as a Category 2 storm. Like celestial objects, the two hurricanes interacted, with Humberto influencing Imelda’s track.

King tides are the highest high tides of the year, caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon aligning during specific points in their orbits. The tides are natural and predictable phenomena but are becoming more significant due to rising sea levels, providing a glimpse of what normal tides may look like in the future. 

Another round of king tides is coming Nov. 4-8, with coastal flooding expected to be at its worst Nov. 5-7. 

Studt said a lot of sand movement occurred throughout the county in early October. “I saw a photo last week that Boca Raton Inlet has sanded in,” he said. “We’ve seen upper beach and dune damage, I would say definitely from Ocean Ridge north through the county line, most intensely. And then you know, there’s definitely been some damage down in Delray and Boca.”

Beach access stairs in Ocean Ridge were damaged by high waves and king tides in October.

Stairs take a beating

After the steps were damaged, Ocean Ridge Town Manager Michelle Heiser got on the phone to Studt.

“So the wave action has now contributed to the sand erosion in those areas, and the sand erosion, of course, then contributes to the damage to the facilities, which are the staircases and the crossovers,” Heiser said. “And then subsequently on Anna Street and Edith Street, we’ve lost both of the staircases, so no access at this point.”

Heiser said the town has reached out to its insurance company and is working with the county to determine options for replenishment. 

In February 2020, Ocean Ridge declared a state of emergency after winter storms damaged 1,700 feet of the town’s coastline, crumbling sea walls and tearing up dune lines.

The Town Commission approved a plan that would allow a half-dozen oceanfront homeowners to build protective sea walls along their eroded dunes, with three of those homeowners agreeing to spend $70,000 of their own money to build a 20-foot section of sea wall for the town along the Anna Street crossover.

Some residents saw the stair damage as an opportunity at Edith Street.

“This isn’t the first time this has happened,” said Lisa Ritota. “I loved those stairs, but I would like wider stairs when they get replaced.” She said she brings big, bulky items to the beach, but the Edith Street stairs were the narrowest in all of the town.

The privately funded sea walls in Ocean Ridge near Anna Street did protect the homes of residents who paid for them, but could not protect the stairs down to the beach. Before October the sand at this location extended at least 5 feet beyond the concrete wall at high tide.

Boca gets pumping

Down in Boca Raton, the sand had piled up near the sea grapes, while city crews did some emergency repairs during the king tides. Paul Baker, a stormwater supervisor, was up to his chin fixing a portion of the sea wall cap along the south end of Wavecrest Way in the Por La Mar neighborhood on Oct. 9.

Eleven Boca Raton city employees assist Paul Baker, a stormwater supervisor, who was up to his chin fixing a portion of the sea wall cap along the south end of Wavecrest Way in the Por La Mar neighborhood on Oct. 9.

The cap had become delaminated, allowing tidal seawater to collect in the roadway during the king tide event, said city spokeswoman Ileana Olmsted.

City staffers were immediately dispatched to the site to implement emergency mitigation measures, including setting up a continuous pumping system and strategically placing fill. This system will remain operational throughout the tidal season to protect the neighborhood. 

The city has met with a contractor and is reviewing a proposal for full sea wall reconstruction, Olmsted said.

In Briny Breezes, water-filled plastic bladders sit atop the sea walls, and industrial size sump pumps in multiple locations on the west side of the community provide some protection from the king tides.  

A sight to see

Back in Lantana, plenty of sightseers witnessed the power of nature during the king tides.

“I’ve been to Florida a bunch of times and I’ve never seen it like this,” said Billie Malone, visiting from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Lifeguard Sam Janssen nearby had his eyes peeled. “It gives my heart a start every time someone’s at the bottom of the stairs and a big wave comes in, water splashes everywhere,” he said.

Meanwhile, fishermen ate their lunch at Kona Bay, saying everyone makes a big deal about king tides, but this flooding is routine during October.

“How many people were telling you it’s global warming?” said Frank Umbrecht. “It’s not getting any worse. It’s like it’s always been.” 

The Palm Beach County Office of Resilience says the next king tides are expected during the high-tide periods of Nov. 4-8. Another round of king tides is expected Dec.3-6.

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach commissioners agreed recently that having smaller commercial signs in town would be beneficial and had just started the ball rolling on passing new rules when the process hit a snag. 

Delray Beach officials had plans in the works for the development of an Atlantic Avenue conservation district that Mayor Tom Carney says would preserve the charm of the buildings there. It, too, was stopped in its tracks, at least for now. 

The roadblock in the way of both municipalities is a provision in a new state law, added to the bill in the waning days of this year’s legislative session, that prevents local governments from passing any land-use changes that are more restrictive than what currently is on the books. 

The legislation, known as Senate Bill 180, is drawing fire from municipalities across the state, and many have joined a lawsuit claiming that the “legislation represents the largest incursion into local home rule authority in the history of Florida since the adoption of the (revised) Florida Constitution in 1968.”

Among the more than two dozen municipalities that have joined in the lawsuit, asking that enforcement of the law be stopped, is Delray Beach, whose mayor says the state has gone too far. 

“It’s a big overreach and there are unintended consequences,” Carney said.

Carney said that the city staff had already been working on plans for a conservation district along Atlantic Avenue that would provide a process where buildings that may not qualify for historic preservation but contribute to the charm of downtown could still be saved from demolition.

Defending the law

Senate Bill 180, according to State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, is intended to protect property owners who suffer damage from hurricanes that is compounded when local governments make changes that negatively affect their property rights. 

There were numerous cases on the state’s west coast, Gossett-Seidman says, where local governments changed zoning or land-use regulation in the aftermath of hurricanes that made it difficult for property owners to build back to what they had before the storm. 

A land-use change implemented after a storm could, for example, mean that a home that was two stories before the storm could be rebuilt only as a single-story home. 

“There were hundreds of complaints,” said Gossett-Seidman, who voted for the legislation. “Based on what was coming out of the west coast following three hurricanes, the state felt it necessary to allow people to rebuild in a fair manner.” 

Much of the bill is focused precisely on that. But there are portions — including the section added on the last day of the session — that affect all municipalities in the state. 

More than what’s intended

One portion of the law says that if a county or municipality is listed in a federal disaster declaration of a hurricane, it is considered an impacted local government. As part of the legislation, impacted local governments cannot implement more restrictive development rules until at least October 2027. 

In reality, says Highland Beach Town Attorney Len Rubin, all municipalities in Florida are impacted local governments because the whole state was considered a federal disaster area. 

“It ties the hands of communities that weren’t impacted by hurricanes at all,” he said. “This goes beyond the scope of what was intended.”

For Highland Beach, it means changes that make most commercial signs smaller — including real estate signs — will have to wait another two years unless changes are made to the state law. 

Town leaders, who said standardizing signs to be smaller and with just two colors would be less intrusive, were planning to get input from the Planning Board when Rubin discovered that sign ordinance changes are covered by Senate Bill 180.  

Other impacts

To demonstrate additional impacts the law could have on local governments, Rubin provides a possible scenario where a municipality may want to update obsolete parking regulations. With the legislation in place, the community would not be able to make any changes that were more restrictive. 

The legislation also gives those who feel they’ve been hurt by local government changes, dating back to August 2024, the ability to sue the government agency and collect reasonable attorney fees and costs. 

Gossett-Seidman recognizes that some areas of the state were impacted more than others, but says the state law has to be applied equally. 

“We can’t say you on the west coast have to follow the new state law but you on the east coast don’t,” she said. 

Carney and Rubin both see Senate Bill 180 as a further incursion into the ability of local governments to determine what laws govern their communities. 

“This is part of a larger issue of the legislature preempting local governments,” Rubin said.

By Steve Plunkett

Water bills in Gulf Stream went up sharply as of Oct. 1 to make up for the higher rates that Delray Beach is charging the town — turning a potential $230,000 loss into a $107,000 surplus.

“Delray is essentially gouging us at $4.90 (per 1,000 gallons),” Mayor Scott Morgan said.

The city has been raising its rates to pay for a new water plant. It also adds a 25% surcharge, the most state law allows, for the drinking water it sends to Gulf Stream. The town then customarily adds an extra percentage to customer water bills to pay for repairs to the town’s water system and capital improvements.

The rate increase charged by Delray Beach to Gulf Stream is the sharpest hike yet — up 28.6% — from $3.81 per 1,000 gallons to $4.90.

Gulf Stream charges water customers in town using four “tiers” that are based on total usage and lot size. The town charges increasingly higher rates for customers using increasingly greater amounts of water — a system designed to discourage property owners from watering their grass too much. Despite that, officials noted, some sprinkler systems are still turned on twice a day seven days a week.

Town commissioners on Oct. 10 approved new rates for town customers starting at $4.90 per 1,000 gallons for the first 20,000 gallons, and rising in tiers to $10.60 per 1,000 gallons for use deemed excessive.

Those tiers all increased by $1.30 per 1,000 gallons — to $5.13 for the second tier, $6.64 for the third and $10.60 for the most punitive fourth tier.

The new rates in town have increased even more than Delray Beach’s rate increase because of steps the town took last year to hold the line on its water rates.

“Right now, actually, we’re subsidizing slightly the first tier of water at $3.60,” Morgan said, before voting to raise the rates.

Last year, the town kept the same $3.60 first-tier rate despite the increase in the Delray Beach charge to $3.81 per 1,000 gallons. The town ate the difference for customers consuming less water while still recouping dollars from residents who heavily irrigated their lawns.

Despite this year’s stiff increases, the future should be brighter for water customers in town.

Gulf Stream is in the process of switching providers and connecting to Boynton Beach’s system. When it does so in a year or more from now, the cost to the town will plummet to $3.75 per 1,000 gallons under a 25-year agreement Gulf Stream and Boynton Beach signed last fall.

Before that can happen, a water main must be laid from Seacrest Boulevard east along Gulfstream Boulevard to a connection just inside the entrance to Place Au Soleil on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Delray Beach told the town last year it had to leave the city system. The city says it can only afford a new water plant large enough to serve its own population, which is expected to grow by 7,000 residents. It has supplied Gulf Stream with water since at least 1976.

Along with lower rates, Gulf Stream expects to get better water pressure from Boynton Beach once it connects. 

Construction drawings for new sea walls along the west side of Briny Breezes are on their way following authorization of a $1,124,196 contract with consultant Brizaga Inc. 

The Town Council voted on Oct. 23 to let Mayor Ted Gross sign the contract on behalf of the town.

In return for monthly payments, Brizaga will provide engineering services for the town’s “Coastal Protection Upgrades and Replacement Project.” Specifically, the firm will deliver:

• Review of the existing condition assessments of existing coastal infrastructure,

• Engineering design and preparation of construction documents,

• Development of cost estimates and phasing strategies,

• Permitting at local, state and federal levels,

• Additional data collection and analysis necessary to support design and permitting,

• Bidding and procurement support,

• Construction administration and inspection services,

• Grant and funding support documentation,

• Coordination with utilities and other stakeholders, and

• Community engagement and public communication support.

The sea walls, which in some sections are riprap, are currently rated fair, poor and serious.

— Steve Plunkett

Florida Power & Light has started its project to bury power lines in Ocean Ridge. The project area (shaded on map) covers 1.43 miles and affects 86 customers. Map provided

By John Pacenti

It was a utilities open house at the monthly Ocean Ridge Town Commission meeting on Oct. 6, and residents got some exciting news: Electricity lines will be buried, new water meters will be installed and the town is exploring the idea of bringing in natural gas.

There were some caveats, though. For instance, not all of the town would have power lines put underground and it still must be determined if it’s feasible to bring natural gas to Ocean Ridge.

Ari Monzon, the representative with Florida Public Utilities, said natural gas is 3.3 times more affordable than electricity and households that use it for heating, cooking and drying clothes save on average $1,000 a year. It is nearly 100% reliable, he said.

Monzon said he met with town staff and the next step is a feasibility study conducted by the utility to determine the cost of extending the company’s gas line from Gulf Stream along State Road A1A.

The problem is the line is a feeder, Monzon said, and “we’re not sure if we extend it all the way, whether or not we’d have gas to feed” Ocean Ridge.

Preliminary estimates suggest connection fees of around $4,000 per household, though this could be reduced through appliance conversion rebates, he said. 

Mayor Geoff Pugh said the town explored spending about $1.3 million in 2006 to connect all homes to natural gas. He said natural gas could feed the town’s generators, which now rely on diesel fuel — something that can become scarce in the aftermath of a hurricane.

“What it does is actually goes to the next step of the infrastructure we’re trying to do here in town,” Pugh said. “This town needs natural gas.”

Florida Power & Light updated the commission on the underground power line project — covering 1.43 miles and affecting 86 customers — to improve storm resistance. FPL is footing the bill after choosing the section of town because it was found to most benefit from undergrounding due to the extensive vegetation, which is the number one reason for power outages.

The boundaries for undergrounding run south from the Boynton Inlet along A1A and then the homes in the neighborhoods to the west, buttressed by Island Drive and Sabal Island Drive.

“We are already well underway, about 30% or so within the project,” said Amy Kemp, a government liaison for FPL. However, no construction has started yet, with FPL focused on design, permitting and customer outreach.

“We are still very early on in the outreach phase where we’re trying to place the transformers, right?” Kemp said.

Kemp wanted to tell residents that there is never any reason for any power company employees or contractors to go inside a home. All conversations about the project occur outside the properties, she said.

So are those ugly utility poles going bye-bye? Not necessarily, because they are still used by cable and telecommunication companies and the town would need those companies to agree to bury their lines as well.

Pugh pressed Kemp on when the whole town would have its power lines buried, but she said it depends on whether state requirements are met.

Last but not least on utility open house night, Poonam Kalkat, utilities director for Boynton Beach, updated commissioners on how the town gets its water. She said the city is preparing to modernize its two water treatment plants.

The utility has 37,000 water meters that are past their lifespan and are being replaced.  

So far, 200 meters have been replaced in Ocean Ridge, with the 500 remaining to be swapped out in the next year, she said. 

Manufactured panels untested against storm surge, council hears

The proposed two-story South Palm Beach Town Hall is about 11,000 square feet. A consultant told council members that making it smaller would require another design on a project the town has been studying for almost 10 years BELOW: A side view of the planned Town Hall. Renderings provided

By Jane Musgrave 

When South Palm Beach Town Council members began imagining what a new Town Hall would look like, they agreed they wanted an eye-catching building constructed with energy-saving pre-fabricated panels.

After spending more than three years hashing out various details of the estimated $6.5 million project, they learned last month that their two goals were incompatible thanks, in part, to rising sea levels.

“It’s a beautiful building, but it doesn’t lend itself to typical SIPS construction,” architect Joe Barry told the council on Oct. 14, using the acronym for structural insulated panels.

Council members agreed with Barry’s assessment of the nearly 11,000-square-foot art-deco-style building that will feature large half-circle windows, curved corners and a flat roof.

“The building is absolutely gorgeous,” Vice Mayor Monte Berendes said.

They also agreed that neither money nor time would be saved by using the panels. They opted instead to use traditional reinforced masonry and poured concrete for the building that could be completed in early 2028.

That timeline could change if the council at its November meeting opts to send Barry and his team at the Fort Lauderdale-based CPZ Architects back to the drawing board to reduce the size of the building.

Echoing the sentiments of many town residents, Berendes again questioned whether the town really needs an 11,000-square-foot headquarters when its current building is just 7,000 square feet.

“It’s very large and I would like to look at the costs,” Berendes said. “From 7 to 11 is an awful lot. I see us in the 9 to 9½ range.”

Barry warned that shaving some 2,000 square feet off the building would require a “significant” redesign. Still, he agreed to calculate the costs of the additional work for the council’s consideration.

Already, his firm crunched the numbers to determine whether the SIPS construction was feasible and cost effective.

One of the problems with using the panels is that they haven’t been tested to determine how they hold up against storm surge from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, Barry said.

“There’s no way to know how these panels will perform in those conditions,” he said. 

That would mean the panels could only be used on the second floor — and because of the large windows, their use on the second floor would be limited. The panels typically are used on buildings with conventional rectangular windows, he said.

Estimates his team made showed that the building would cost about $6.41 million if built out of mortar and poured concrete, about $70,000 less than if the panels were used. Any time saved by using the panels would be minimal at best, Barry said.

Rising sea levels also forced the council to reconfigure the office space in the building. To comply with FEMA regulations, the first floor of the building would have to be about 7 feet higher than the existing one, Barry said.

However, if no offices are located on the first floor, it could be just 4 feet higher than the current Town Hall. That would make it more accessible and slightly less expensive, he said. 

The council agreed to move the office for the Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies to the second floor with other town offices, meeting rooms and the council chambers. The first floor would be used for parking, storage, a small lobby and a cafe.

While hopeful that the building size and cost could be shrunk, Berendes said he can live with the building as currently designed. “If we can’t, I think we’re OK,” he said.

Earlier this year, the council shaved about $1 million off the project cost by eliminating a proposed third story that would have added about 1,700 square feet of space.

Town Manager Jamie Titcomb reminded the council that the building will be part of the town for decades. It’s important to build for the town’s future growth, he said.

“If we build it, we will fill it and use it,” he said. 

South Palm Beach Town Hall timeline

1976: South Palm Beach’s current Town Hall is built as a public safety building. It contains 3,320 square feet.

1993: A 1,354-square-foot expansion is completed, allowing town offices and town meetings to be moved to the building from the fire station.

1996: A second, 2,016-square-foot expansion is finished, bringing the building to its current 6,690-square-foot size.

2016: The Town Council hires Alexis Knight Architects with a $50,000 contract to study the building and the town’s needs.

2017: Alexis Knight Architects proposes a $6 million plan to replace Town Hall with a five-story structure. The council unanimously rejects the plan as too extravagant and costly.

2018: North Palm Beach architect John Bellamy, hired to advise the town for $5,000, recommends ’adaptive reuse’ of the building. He said despite many of the building problems that were uncovered in the Alexis Knight report, the building can be upgraded and repaired.

2020: The council decides to focus on the Bellamy report, but the pandemic scuttles the town’s efforts.

2021: The council reconsiders whether to renovate or rebuild. In October, the council hires the Synalovski Romanik Saye architectural firm with a $63,000 contract to do a feasibility study.

2022: Synalovski Romanik Saye presents a $6.5 million design proposal. A few months later, Mayor Bonnie Fischer shows off an alternative construction material — SIPS, or structural insulated panels — that she saw during a trip to Georgia. Fischer said the SIPS construction method would cost only about $2 million — leading the town to change its focus to the new construction style.
Later in the year, the council launches another round of solicitations and selects yet another design firm, Slattery & Associates. But at its next meeting, the council tables consideration of the $15,000 contract so staff could do more research on the firm’s capacity to design a SIPS structure.

2023: The town puts out a new design bid for a SIPS building and only one company responds, leading the council in October to order two new requests for bids — one for designing and building the project and the other for hiring a representative to oversee the construction.

2024: The council signs a design contract with CPZ Architects of Fort Lauderdale for a SIPS structure, after four months of fruitless negotiations with Moonlight Architecture of Cincinnati, which was the council’s first choice. The town seeks a $4 million budget, which CPZ says will force the building’s size down from a proposed 10,000 square feet to about 7,000-7,500 square feet.

2025: CPZ Architects present options for a two- or three-story building, with a cost estimated in February at $6 million for the two-story structure and $7 million for the three-story one. The architects tell officials using SIPS construction will not produce substantial savings and hasn’t been tested in storm surge situations, leading to the council’s October decision to go with a two-story building using traditional construction methods.

By Jane Musgrave 

When a Tallahassee-based state appellate court in September ruled that Florida’s 1987 prohibition on openly carrying firearms was unconstitutional, gun rights activists cheered.

But even though open carry became the law of the state on Sept. 25 after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier refused to challenge the decision, there remain few places where gun owners can publicly exercise what they — and now the courts — have said is their Second Amendment right.

“It’s important to know that the open and concealed carrying of firearms remains restricted in numerous places,” Boca Raton police officer Jose Martinez said in a Facebook video, explaining the far-flung limitations.

Explaining that it is a “founding belief” to follow all laws, Publix is one of the few major retailers that said it would allow customers to carry firearms. Winn-Dixie, Walmart, Costco, Target and Trader Joe’s are among the vast majority of big retailers that said they would not allow guns to be carried in their stores.

Firearms will also remain off-limits in city, county, state and federal government buildings, including during public meetings. 

It is still illegal to carry guns in police departments, jails, courthouses, polling places, airport terminals and schools, from elementary through college, including at athletic events. That prohibition extends to professional sports. Bars, including bar areas in restaurants, remain gun-free zones.

Private landowners also continue to have the right to ban firearms. Homeowners associations can vote to prohibit the open carrying of guns at meetings and in common areas, like clubhouses. 

Likewise, the owners of banks, office buildings, shops, amusement centers, museums, places of worship and golf courses can prohibit people from carrying firearms and have violators charged with trespassing.

In the video, Martinez said basic rules remain in place. People must be at least 21 years old to purchase a firearm and over the age of 18 to possess one. Further, those with felony convictions or people who have been stripped of their ability to possess firearms by court order remain unable to carry guns in public. 

A special election to fill the seat of former state Rep. Mike Caruso will be held March 24, four days after the Florida Legislature is scheduled to adjourn for 2026. In setting the timetable, Gov. Ron DeSantis also said a primary election for the House District 87 seat would take place Jan. 13.

District 87 includes most of Manalapan, the eastern part of Lantana, plus South Palm Beach and points north to Juno Beach.

The governor picked Caruso, a Republican, to be Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller in August, after then-Clerk Joseph Abruzzo was hired as county administrator.

Announced candidates for District 87 include two Republicans — Lake Clarke Shores Council member Jon Maples and real estate agent Gretchen Miller Feng — and two Democrats: small-business owner Emily Gregory and comedian Laura Levites.

— Steve Plunkett

By John Pacenti

Ocean Ridge commissioners passed the town’s new $14.8 million operating budget smoothly — a contrast to recent years, when elected officials clashed with the town manager and the math didn’t add up.

Now Ocean Ridge is in the era of Michelle Heiser, the new town manager brought on in May. 

The budget approved Sept. 15, though, is hefty by Ocean Ridge standards, representing a 9.6% increase over the fiscal year 2025 budget. It is also more than $1 million higher than what Heiser originally proposed back in July.

The budget includes $4.36 million allocated for capital projects, with a notable focus on infrastructure improvements. These include potential design and construction of changes to the town’s aging water pipe system in the southern part of town to address hydrant-related challenges.

All this will be done with 4.7% less revenue, in part because of the sunsetting of a local sales tax initiative that expires in December, Heiser said. Gov. Ron DeSantis also vetoed a $600,000 state grant for the town’s water main replacement program.

Operating expenses have increased by 7%, driven by contract obligations, insurance costs and utility expenses. 

Which brings us to property taxes — the money coming directly from residents. Let’s play good news, bad news.

The good news is that the tax rate is staying the same, at $5.40 per $1,000 of taxable property value. The town is using almost $2 million from its reserves to balance the budget and cover the added capital projects.

The bad news is that residents’ taxes are still going up, thanks to a 10.14% increase in property values.

Homesteaded properties aren’t seeing more than a 3% increase thanks to the Save Our Homes state law. The increase for commercial properties and non-homesteaded residential properties is capped at 10%.

Heiser said the extra $1 million added to the budget from estimates in July is due to the commission’s decision to address the water main issue and an emergency caused by poor hydrant pressure along State Road A1A from Ocean Avenue south to Thompson Street.

In July, she said, a $13.3 million budget estimate for 2025-2026 fiscal year reflected that the town was just going to design what is called Phase 4 of the project, but now shovels will pierce the ground in January. 

By John Pacenti

Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long proposed a charter amendment that would restore a four-vote supermajority requirement for removing the city manager, potentially returning to a governance model the city abandoned years ago.

Long argued at the City Commission’s Oct. 14 meeting that the current three-vote simple majority standard has led to organizational instability and a “revolving door” for the city manager. He suggested putting the issue decision directly to voters in the March 2026 election.

“Delray Beach ran best when removing a charter officer took a consensus, not a faction,” Long told his colleagues.

He incorrectly noted that neighboring cities like Boynton Beach already use a supermajority standard. A charter review committee in Boynton Beach has recommended requiring a supermajority when hiring or firing the city manager or city attorney, but no decision has been made on whether to put a charter amendment proposing such a change on that city’s March 10 election ballot.

Long emphasized his proposed amendment would not shield current staff from accountability but would force a broader consensus before city leadership would be destabilized. The final decision would ultimately rest with Delray Beach voters.

The proposed charter amendment is expected to be reviewed in upcoming commission meetings, with potential placement on the March 2026 ballot.

The commission reached a consensus to direct staff to draft the amendment language, with Mayor Tom Carney and other commissioners expressing support for exploring the change. The proposal would require four votes instead of three to remove top city officials hired by the commission.

However, Commissioner Juli Casale brought the issue back up at the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting, saying Carney and Long misrepresented that other cities in Palm Beach County have a supermajority requirement. 

Both Long and Carney interrupted Casale repeatedly as she tried to address the issue, noting City Manager Terrence Moore’s recent uneven evaluation and the reason that voters got rid of the supermajority in August 2014.

At that time, City Manager Louie Chapman Jr. was found by the Palm Beach County Inspector General to have misled the commission about a $60,000 trash bin purchase made without the commission’s consent. 

Chapman was suspended for 90 days, but the commission could not fire Chapman under the supermajority rule because two commissioners stood by the embattled city manager. Delray Beach taxpayers ended up having to pay Chapman nearly $70,000 in a buyout settlement.

Carney did say that at the previous meeting, some statements were made “without a lot of basis in fact.” He said the issue will be put on the Nov. 4 agenda for discussion. “We will have a very lively conversation,” he said.

Casale, after the meeting, said she didn’t know why the commission is trying to address an issue decided by voters 11 years ago. “Especially now, when our current city manager is so challenged. Residents shouldn’t be stuck with a failing city manager,” she said. 

City manager changes

Here is a look at what’s happened with city managers hired in Delray Beach since voters in 2014 approved a charter amendment lowering the number of commissioners needed to fire a city manager from four to three.

Don Cooper: Started on Jan. 1, 2015; resigned for family reasons on Dec. 30, 2016.

Mark Lauzier: Started on Nov. 6, 2017; fired on 5-0 vote on March 1, 2019.

George Gretsas: Started on Jan. 6, 2020; fired on 3-2 vote on Nov. 20, 2020.

Terrence Moore (current city manager): Started on Aug. 2, 2021. 

Summer construction anticipated as county, town end long feud

By Rich Pollack

The decades-long battle between Highland Beach and Palm Beach County over development of Milani Park could be ending thanks to a compromise reducing the initial number of parking spots — with the county planning to put shovels in the ground as early as next summer for the $8.6 million project.

The town and the county have squared off for almost 40 years as the town fought to stave off the 5.6-acre park straddling State Road A1A at its south end with everything from legal action to residents packing a County Commission meeting.

In September, however, County Commissioner Marci Woodward and County Administrator Joe Abruzzo met with Highland Beach Mayor Natasha Moore and Town Manager Marshall Labadie and came up with a plan to address one of the most contentious concerns: too many parking spaces on the park’s west side.

While county leaders’ hands were tied by a 2010 settlement agreement that requires 100 parking spots on that side of A1A, the county and town leaders agreed to the installation of just 46 spaces in the park’s first phase of construction. The remaining 54 spaces would be part of a second phase that’s left up in the air to a time to be determined by the county.

“This agreement appears to be bringing a resolution to a decades-long battle between the county and the town,” said Woodward, whose commission district includes Highland Beach. “It is a collaborative agreement to bring the most palatable option for a small, peaceful park in a small, peaceful town.”

The agreement signals what could be the end of Highland Beach’s long effort to prevent the property — which the Milani family in 1987 sold to the county for $3.9 million — from becoming a park.

The town, since being notified in the summer of 2023 of the county’s plans to move forward with park construction, stepped up its efforts to stop the park, hiring consultants and lawyers and even proposing the county sell the property for housing development.

An acceptable compromise
Moore, however, said it became clear at some point that the county was not going to halt plans to move forward and that reaching a compromise on the number of parking spaces was a step in the right direction.

“It’s the best outcome we could get based on the circumstances,” she said. “Continuing to battle was a frivolous endeavor.”

Labadie sees the reduction in the number of parking spaces as an acceptable compromise.

“Nobody wants the park, but a parking lot with less spaces is more palatable,” he said.

The idea of compromising on the number of parking spots was not new when county and town leaders met in September and agreed on the 46 spots.

A similar compromise was first proposed in 2022 by then-Mayor Doug Hillman and it was once again brought up by Woodward in 2024 when she heard from residents in a contentious meeting.

It was shelved, she said, after town leaders passed a resolution opposing any park.

After hearing at a recent meeting from residents — including members of the Milani family, who asked for less parking — Woodward went back to county staff to see if a compromise on the number of spaces was feasible.

“The parking has always been the most contentious part of this,” she said.

Less parking, less traffic?
The challenge facing the staff was to find a way to reduce parking without having to reopen the 2010 settlement agreement, which contains more than 40 conditions agreed to by both the county and the town.

The plan the staff came up with includes green space on the western portion of the parking area.

“It’s going to be a large grassy area,” Woodward said. “It will be open space with trees all around it.”

Of the 46 parking spaces, four will be for people with disabilities, four will be for staff and 38 will be for general parking.

Ron Reame, on the board of Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina, which borders the park property, believes some of the area’s outspoken residents might find the reduced number of parking spots acceptable.

“I think this could quiet the turmoil to some degree,” he said. “This solution is certainly more palatable to the residents of Boca Highland.”

Reducing the number of parking spots initially, Woodard said, makes sense since there’s still no way of knowing how much use the park will get.

“Our parks people say that they think 46 spaces will be enough but we just don’t know,” she said.

Labadie says he believes reducing the number of parking spaces could address another concern of residents: traffic.

“One could reasonably deduce that less parking will mean less traffic,” he said.

Park design almost done
Moore said that as the fight to stop a park dragged on, it became clear that the county was not going to relent.

“There was a certain point where there was no opportunity to avoid a park,” she said. “It then became a question of how do we collaborate and cooperate.”

The mayor said that she and a few residents were brought in by Woodward to look at early designs and provide feedback.

“It was important that we were at least involved in the planning,” she said, adding that one of the upsides to the process has been an improved relationship between leaders of the two governments.

Woodward said that the County Commission has approved the budget for the park and that the design of both the west and east sides is almost done.

She said plans are for the heaviest of the construction to be in the summer when fewer residents are in town. She also sees the current plans as helping to preserve the east side of the park’s historical and archeological significance.

“The park is still going to happen, and I believe this will be even better for the residents of Highland Beach,” Woodward said.

Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long has proposed allowing community groups to post “Know Your Rights” flyers on city bulletin boards, providing Constitutional information for residents potentially confronted by federal immigration officers.

Long, discussing the initiative during the Oct. 14 City Commission meeting, said the one-page flyer from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center offers five basic Constitutional reminders and is available in multiple languages. He said he got the flyer from Florida Rising, a statewide voting rights and grassroots organizing group, after meeting with Haitian-American community leaders.

After confirming with the city attorney that these flyers can be legally posted on city community bulletin boards, Long emphasized the importance of providing accurate, neutral information to residents.

“This is a simple public service step allowing advocacy groups to share accurate information about Constitutional rights that apply to everyone, regardless of immigration status,” Long said.

Long noted the proposal comes in response to increased federal and state enforcement actions in Florida this year, which have created anxiety among local immigrant communities.

Long stressed that the flyers are informational and nonpartisan, designed to ensure residents understand their basic Constitutional protections when interacting with immigration authorities.

The initiative aims to provide accessible, clear information to help residents feel more informed and secure, regardless of their immigration status.

— John Pacenti

Related: Along the Coast: Scenes from big surge 

By Rich Pollack and Mary Hladky

More than 7 inches of rain soaked Palm Beach County’s southern coast in just four hours overnight Oct. 26, stranding motorists, flooding the lobby of The Boca Raton luxury resort and sending Boca Raton first responders to as many as 100 calls for help throughout the city.

The Boca Raton Airport was shut down for more than seven hours beginning at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 26 as crews scoured the property to ensure it was clear of any water and debris so the aircraft operations could resume safely. The airport reopened at 7 a.m. the next day.

Boca Raton police said they received calls from stranded motorists — some needing rescue from their vehicles. City officials estimated more than 80 cars flooded. One car reportedly stalled out on the Camino Real bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. No serious injuries were reported.

In Highland Beach, fire rescue crews and police officers also responded to several reports of disabled vehicles.
In the Por La Mar section of coastal Boca Raton, standing water on Northeast Wavecrest Way remained ankle deep in the morning of Oct. 27, several hours after the rain had halted.

“It was unpassable,” said Katie Barr MacDougall, president of the Riviera Civic Association, which includes the Boca Raton neighborhoods of Por La Mar, Riviera and Sun and Surf.

Closer to the coast came reports of condominiums being flooded by the rain, according to Emily Gentile, president of the Beach Condo Association of Boca Raton, Highland Beach and Delray Beach, with greatest impact being felt in Boca Raton.

At the Mayfair Condominium on South Ocean Boulevard, board members said that more than 2 inches of water had flooded the lobby, Gentile said.

Street flooding, which was severe in the downtown area where photos showed some cars with water almost to their hoods, seemed to no longer be an issue by mid-morning.

“Our storm water system functioned exactly as planned,” said City Manager Mark Sohaney.

At The Boca Raton, cleanup was still taking place into the early evening of Oct. 27 after water flooded the lobby, destroying furniture and toppling planters. One video posted online showed what appeared to be about 2 feet of water in the hotel’s lobby; another showed what looked like muddied water covering the lobby floors.

A spokesperson for the resort said crews responded quickly — and that guests and meeting attendees checked in without delays.

Boca Raton city officials, concerned the ground was already saturated, urged motorists in the event of more rain to be cautious if they see water on the road ahead. “Turn around, don’t drown,” the city posted on its website.

At the Boca Raton Airport, officials said they were continuing to monitor weather conditions and would notify the public and airport users of any operational updates.

The volume of water that fell in two hours was enough to fill 25 to 30 football stadiums, said Zachary Bihr, the city's public works and engineering director. 

By Patrick Sherry

Bicentennial Park will be closed for eight months starting next year after the Lantana Town Council approved entering into a grant agreement to improve the sea wall there.

The council at its Oct. 27 meeting pushed forward with the agreement with the Florida Inland Navigation District. The town will match FIND’s contribution of $900,000, for a total of $1.8 million, to be used for the Lantana Seawall Hardening Project. 

“Virtually this grant, in addition to the other grant that we got, will cover almost the entire construction cost,” Town Manager Brian Raducci said, referring to a previous $200,000 state grant that the town will match. “This money will expire if we don’t go after it now. You’ve got to get it while you can — it’s only going to get more expensive.”

The grants will cover the rehabilitation of the 2,100-foot sea wall around the park along the Intracoastal Waterway directly adjacent to high-density multi-family housing, commercial structures and Ocean Avenue. In addition to rehabilitation, workers will raise and widen the sea wall. 

Some council members were concerned about closing the park for such a long time. Doing so would cause the town to lose a space for events and parking.

“We’re going to lose a lot of parking — that’s our main staple — where everyone goes, aside from the beach,” said Council member Jesse Rivero. “It’s a very popular area, especially this time of the year. I’m not thrilled about the eight months. … That’s huge for this little town.”

Staff members explained that they need to close the park for safety and cost reasons. Work has to be done from the land side to adhere to environmental regulations. Contractors also need the parking area to place equipment and materials.

Leaving parts of the park open would increase the cost of the project significantly. 

To try to limit the impact of the park closure, the council agreed to look for other places to hold events and locate parking. 

The town is expected to begin construction in January, and Bicentennial Park will be closed for the entire duration. Construction will be done in two phases, with the north side first and the portion closer to the Ocean Avenue bridge second. 

The Delray Beach City Commission, at its Oct. 14 meeting, approved a $28.5 million contract with NMP Golf Construction Corporation to renovate the city’s historic municipal golf course, originally opened in 1926.

The course is one of few in the country featuring designs by both Donald Ross and Dick Wilson, renowned golf architects. The project will restore the nine original holes designed by Ross. The course grew to 18 holes in 1950, with the addition of the holes designed by Wilson. 

The renovation will include new practice facilities, an updated irrigation system, improved parking, bridge replacements, a new maintenance barn, and cart paths. The golf course will close on Nov. 3, with the driving range remaining partially open. 

The clubhouse will stay open until Jan. 3, when it closes for renovations. The course and clubhouse are expected to reopen in November 2026.

Public Works Director Missie Barletto highlighted the project’s significance, noting NMP Golf Construction’s extensive experience with over 300 golf course projects nationwide, including recent work at Quail Ridge in Boynton Beach and the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando.

The comprehensive renovation aims to restore the course to its original design while adding modern amenities, preserving its unique architectural heritage.

At their Oct. 21 meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a $33 million bond issuance for the renovation, marking a significant milestone after years of delays.

Financial adviser Jay Glover from PFM told commissioners the bonds would be sold competitively in November, with the city maintaining its strong credit ratings.

“I’m just thrilled we’re getting it moving,” Mayor Tom Carney said, noting the project’s lengthy journey. “They won’t let me play there anymore because I am not a good golfer, and after the renovations, they’re not going to want me out there again to re-divot the entire place for them.”

— John Pacenti

Delray Beach is warning that an email scam targeting residents, developers and others looking to get on the agenda of the Planning & Zoning Board has been detected.

Anthea Gianniotes, Development Services director, revealed during the Oct. 20 board meeting that scammers are sending emails impersonating department staff, claiming recipients must pay outstanding fees to remain on meeting agendas.

“Some of our customers are getting emails that say they’re from us, and in order to remain on the agenda, you need to remit some outstanding fee in several thousands of dollars,” she said.

She emphasized that the department will never request payments through Venmo or demand last-minute fees. 

“These emails contain typos and mistakes, but could easily trick someone not familiar with the department’s processes,” Gianniotes said.

This is the second such targeting of Development Services customers, underscoring the growing threat of digital impersonation scams, Gianniotes said. 

The department has already taken preventive measures, including removing staff email addresses and phone numbers from public agendas. The legal team is actively investigating the attacks, which Gianniotes noted have become easier with advancing artificial intelligence.

• Development Services customers are advised to:

• Verify any suspicious emails with their project planner.

• Forward fraudulent emails to Development Services.

• Never pay unexpected fees without direct confirmation.

— John Pacenti

Police seek volunteers — The Delray Beach Police Department is encouraging residents to become members of one of its volunteer patrol teams. The teams act as goodwill ambassadors by welcoming visitors and residents alike and answering questions people may have. 

Some teams patrol Atlantic Avenue from Swinton Avenue east to the beach. Other locations include shopping centers along Linton Boulevard and along the east side of Military Trail from Linton Boulevard to Lake Ida Road.

Volunteers must be at least 19 years old, fill out an application and submit fingerprints for a background check. Patrol shifts are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

The program is run by Barry Tantleff, who holds the title of volunteer major. For more information, contact Tantleff at 561-243-7869.

— Larry Barszewski

The Pride intersection in Delray Beach in August, before it was painted over by FDOT. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

After Gov. Ron DeSantis declared war on painted intersections and crosswalks statewide, Delray Beach began exploring ways to honor its LGBTQ community in a different way after it saw its Pride intersection eradicated by the state Department of Transportation. 

After giving up its fight with the state over the intersection in September — only after the state had come in on two consecutive nights to paint over and then sandblast the rainbow colors from the city-owned streets — the City Commission held two meetings about what would replace the intersection. A community engagement forum took place on Oct. 1 and a workshop on Oct. 14.

Yet, the city is nowhere near a solution.

“I want to let the community kind of decide what they want,” Mayor Tom Carney said.

He then opened up the forum for public input. It did not go well.

Some residents urged the commissioners not to spend any taxpayer money on a Pride symbol, whether it be street signs, banners, a mural, or even a sculpture to replace the iconic and beloved rainbow-painted intersection at Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast First Street in downtown’s Pineapple Grove.

After hearing some of these objections, resident Nicholas Coppola — a member of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council — told commissioners, “I could assure you, Jesus would approve of the flag, the rainbow flag, because it is inclusive. It welcomes everybody.”

A man in the commission chambers then shouted, “Not true at all!”

So much for love your neighbor. 

Countering Coppola during public comments, resident Steve Blum said, “How much longer are we going to discuss this issue? And the gentleman who came up and said all the Jews would like it (the rainbow intersection). Bullshit. They wouldn’t like it. OK? They don’t care about it.”

Carney corrected Blum: “I don’t think he mentioned Jews. I think he said, ‘Jesus.’”

Though, if the mayor considered it, Jesus was Jewish.

The two meetings took place after the commission, which briefly considered taking DeSantis to court in September before backtracking, instead decided that the city would replace the intersection with another symbol celebrating LGBTQ residents.

Whose dollars, property?

The original rainbow intersection had been paid for through $16,000 from the Human Rights Council in 2021, and much of the debate at the commission workshop focused on whether the city or the private sector should pay for what comes next.

Vice Mayor Rob Long said that he would compromise on the private funding route but would not relent on the symbol, whatever it may be, being on public property.

“We lost something that was on public property,” he said. “If it’s not on public property, then we are not doing anything. And to me, that’s not what we discussed.”

Commissioner Juli Casale said if the new Pride symbol is on public property, the city could still find itself in the crosshairs of DeSantis or GOP lawmakers who have shown animus toward the LGBTQ community. 

“We still expose ourselves if this is on public property,” she said. “I think that the best thing to do is to allow the private funders and the private property owners to work together to figure out a way.”

Some public comments at the workshop argued against a new Pride symbol, saying it prioritized the LGBTQ community over, say, veterans and “Christian and faith-based communities.”

Resident Connor Corzine called out the hypocrisy of not only those critics but some commissioners, as well: “We have a 100-foot Christmas tree. Is that publicly funded completely? We have a St. Patty’s Day Parade. Is that publicly funded completely?  We have Veterans Park. Is that a publicly funded Veterans Park?” 

The Coastal Star has moved to our new office on A1A, 4600 N. Ocean Blvd., Suite 102, Boynton Beach, FL 33435. The entrance is to the right, at the building's north end.

A couple of months ago, I was bemoaning the fact that we were going to have to move our office to a new location. Our landlord had different plans for our comfortable space, and we were no longer part of them.  

For the third time in 16 years, I was about to rent a truck and help move the computers, chairs, file cabinets and countless records that go with running a small business. 

I knew it would be a simple move, just a few blocks south to a slightly nicer office. At least it would be easy to tell a guest that we are now just across the street from Nomad Surf Shop on State Road A1A.

In the same time frame, I was also reminded of changes shared by a couple of old newspaper friends. Their big-city paper was about to stop its printed edition after 157 years, and continues to trim the staff to be “online only.” I'm grateful The Coastal Star is still able to publish both in print and online.

Reasons to be thankful
I am thankful that we had our last office for more than a dozen years in a building that Matt Gracey owns. A generous and tolerant landlord, he embraced our newspaper’s mission in the community — and our casual office decor. We wish him luck as he pursues his artistic talents and converts our old space into his painting workshop.

As I helped unpack boxes into the new office, our reporters, editors and ad sales staff were all striving to complete their parts in the jigsaw puzzle that makes our community newspaper.

I am thankful to be surrounded by such a talented group of professionals who embrace our shared mission of presenting some of the most accurate and balanced journalism in the state.

During the move, I was working on the display of the stories in this month’s Philanthropy Season Preview, an uncomfortable reminder of the tremendous needs of some people in our community — but also a heart-warming testament to the generosity of our neighbors.  

I am thankful, and happy, to publish a newspaper that honors philanthropy — promoting charitable giving well beyond my own family’s modest means.

So, as we head into November, the month of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all this and more.

— Jerry Lower,
Publisher