Gulf Stream Police Chief Richard Jones is the new president of the Palm Beach County Association of Chiefs of Police. Circuit Judge James Martz, a former police officer and prosecutor, presided over Jones’ swearing-in on Jan. 18 in West Palm Beach. Beside Jones (center) are (l-r) Capt. John Haseley, Town Manager Greg Dunham, Martz and Mayor Scott Morgan. Photo provided

By Mary Thurwachter

Lantana officials aren’t certain of the age of the sea wall at Bicentennial Park, but they do know the last time repairs were made there was at least 20 years ago, and a restoration is due.

To that end, the Town Council, at its meetings on Jan. 8 and 22, accepted grants from Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection to get the sea wall hardening project underway.

While officials don’t know exactly how much the project will cost, they expect it will be a multimillion-dollar endeavor.

“We won’t really know the extent of this until we get into it,” said Eddie Crockett, public services director. “We have applied for as many grants as possible” — two to date. “There will be some overlap because the sea wall extends from the property next to the fishing tour company over to the complex west of Bicentennial Park.” 

One of the DEP grants is for $200,000, with the town putting up a matching $200,000. The second one has the state and town each contributing $900,000.

The latter grant covers rehabilitating the entire 2,100 feet of sea wall directly adjacent to high-density, multi-family housing, commercial structures and a major roadway. The other grant covers only the Bicentennial Park portion of the sea wall.

In both cases, the town will pay its share from available reserves.

Before any work can begin, an engineering study will need to be done. On Jan. 22, the council voted to pay its engineering company, Baxter & Woodman, Inc., $131,934 to tackle that job.

Crockett said water has frequently breached the sea wall.

“The primary concern is the walkway, which has been undermined,” he said. “The repairs will likely entail a rebuild of the walkway and extending the height of the sea wall.”

Possible reasons for the damage, he said, “are sea level rise and coastal impact.”

The council also accepted a grant agreement with the state DEP for improvements to Maddock Park on West Drew Street, which is home to the town’s dog park. In this case, the $150,000 project will be paid for with $112,500 from the state and $37,500 from the town’s reserves.

Stormwater utility fee considered — Because the Town Council is considering a non-property tax assessment for stormwater utility fees, council members voted on Jan. 8 to adopt a resolution making county officials aware of their plan.

“The only thing recommended for adoption is to make the property appraiser and tax collector officially aware of our intent,” Town Manager Brian Raducci said. “No related fees are being considered at this time.”

In his report for December, Raducci wrote that the town will soon issue a request for qualifications for a contractor to review the current and future operating and capital costs to deliver stormwater services.

The contractor would then determine how to allocate that cost to determine a potential stormwater utility fee for the council’s consideration later this year, to be included in the next budget.

Future of Kmart property — The council has scheduled a special workshop for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in the council chambers to discuss conceptual plans for the former Kmart property at 1001 S. Dixie Highway.

An earlier proposal from another developer was denied by the council in August 2022.

Last July, Integra Investments paid $14.85 million for the strip mall where Kmart was located, with plans to turn a portion of the property into affordable housing.

New truck for the Police Department — Police Chief Sean Scheller says the newly purchased 2024 Toyota Tundra Crew Max SR5 came with a $49,059 price tag. “We’re using extra ARPA money,” he explained to the Town Council, referring to the American Rescue Plan Act. “We have to use it or lose it.” The vehicle came from Alan Jay Fleet Sales in Sebring.

— Mary Thurwachter

Annika Kielland with her whippet, Bodhi, at home on Hypoluxo Island. She was first attracted to the house’s outside, ‘which is like a Balinese tropical jungle.’ Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Annika Kielland’s job history runs the gamut, from waitress and bartender to Home Shopping Network saleswoman to transformational teacher, healer and guide. But no role has been more intriguing than the three or four times a year she leads groups on spiritual adventures to places like India, Bali and, every October, to the Mount Everest base camp in Nepal.

“It’s where everyone gets tested,” said Kielland, 52, who is about to mark 10 years as a resident of Hypoluxo Island. “It’s 18,000 feet, and you get headaches just getting there.”

The adventure consists of flying to Katmandu, connecting to the Everest region, then hiking nine days with stops to adjust to the rise in elevation. Sometimes adventurers remain to take on the ascent to the 29,031-foot summit, the highest point on Earth. Others take a helicopter or walk back. It takes about three days to hike down.

“It’s mind-blowing,” Kielland said. “It takes a huge toll on the body. It really depletes you of energy. Some people choose to fly back in a helicopter, but the mountain isn’t done with you. You see the Himalayas from a different perspective, and you see life from a different perspective on the way down.

“So, if you just want to have a mad adventure, I’m your woman.”

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I was born in Sweden to a Norwegian family and on my first birthday we crossed the North Sea to Oslo. My dad was a merchant engineer. I went to school in England, traveled for two years and then went to University of Manchester. It’s a gritty, hardworking town, but there was a lot of art there.
I’m an absolute Viking; I’ve traveled to over 48 countries. I have no fear and I love exploring. I grew up in the Lake District in the north of England with a lot of parks, which gave me a love of nature and the mountains, just being outside as much as possible.
I studied communication, literature, social studies, psychology, film studies, American studies, drama, sociology. Every year you could pick nine things. My major was media studies, film and television, and I also did film study, which led to me having a production company for 20 years.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I’ve had every job under the sun: waitress, bartender, aerobics teacher, nightclub bouncer, cattle herder. When I came to America I produced music videos with a TV production company, and I’m still writer, producer and director for Loudmouth TV. That was health and wellness products for retail, and I also sell fitness stuff on Home Shopping Network. They like the accent and I know what I’m talking about.
Now I see myself as a transformational teacher, healer and guide. So, that’s deep, deep spiritual work, helping people reconnect with themselves. I do healing work with energy healing, certify people, and teach yoga and meditation. I also make jewelry and have a nonprofit, so that’s nine different jobs. I do whatever I feel like doing in the moment.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: The biggest thing is do something that brings you joy. If you’re going to work, do something that sparks you up. So do a ton of work experience, get mentors in the field you want. And be humble, admit when you don’t know what you’re doing. But it’s important to do something that lights you up. That keeps the flame going.

Q: How did you choose to make your home on Hypoluxo Island?
A: I saw the outside of the house, which is like a Balinese tropical jungle, and felt I’d never be inside here. The island is a hidden gem: It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, people are super friendly. This is my 10th year here. I was in Highland Beach for a while, doing sea turtle conservation, but this is my sanctuary. I came to Florida because of the ocean and the gold thing in the sky that never shines in England. I started in Miami, then Deerfield Beach, Highland Beach, Delray Beach and now here.

Q: What is your favorite part about living on Hypoluxo?
A: Walking to the beach every day, two miles round trip, and the people I meet who are absolute characters. I say hello to everybody, the ladies, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and seeing the lifeguards and people who clean the beach. The guys fishing off the bridge, Nancy at Publix. I wave to everybody, which is very English, and they all wave back. I say good morning and it’s really a community. A real little oasis.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I’m reading two at once. One is American Veda, by Philip Goldberg. It’s about how Eastern mysticism came to the West, and was spread by Emerson, Thoreau, Walt Whitman and even the Beatles in the ’60s. It came from the trades in the East in the late 1800s. It’s where we know meditation, karma, yoga, all these things have become part of our culture.
Also Stolen Focus, by Johann Hari. It’s about how we’re unable to concentrate now because of electronics. How Google and the like have changed us, made it harder to focus, and it’s really important for kids. That helps with how I’m working with people, throwing you back into yourself as opposed to looking into the magic rectangle.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: My range is like my bloody jobs. Classical music, Tibetan yoga music if I’m reading or studying. Pink Floyd because I grew up with it and my brother passed it on. Reggae makes you feel like sunshine; when I was in Miami, I produced a lot of reggae videos. I teach to Pink Floyd and always put on Dark Side of the Moon.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: My mother, Anne, for kindness and sense of humor. She’s really open-hearted and is absolutely out of her mind in a funny way. When I went to Nepal she watched the dogs and the neighbors said she went to every open house, thinking it was a neighborly gathering. Also my female friends mentor me. I studied with a man, Kute Blackson, a transformational coach from England, who I trained with when I went to Bali. But everybody you meet has a message for you. Just talk to people, you never know what’s going to happen.

Q: If your life story were a movie, who would play you?
A: It has to be someone who isn’t afraid to ride motorbikes and jump out of airplanes, like a female James Bond. Cate Blanchett is good. She’s complex, does every different role.

Q: Is there something people don’t know about you, but might like to?
A: I drove 18,000 miles in nine months solo with the two dogs after the pandemic. Visited every national park and ended up living on a houseboat in Sausalito for six weeks, which is my other happy place. I hope to go back this summer to write; I’m writing four books. But when I got home my house had flooded the day before, so I wasn’t supposed to leave.

By Tao Woolfe

Boynton Beach city commissioners sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency’s governing board pulled the plug last month on a creative proposal that would have transformed the historic Magnuson House into a restaurant.

“This is really hard, really difficult to discuss,” said Commissioner Aimee Kelley, one of three commissioners on the dais at the CRA’s Jan. 18 board meeting. “We were really excited and wanted to see it happen.”

She was speaking of the proposal of restaurateur Anthony Barber, who owns Troy’s Barbeque restaurants in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach.

Barber had hoped to turn the Oscar Magnuson House, 211 E. Ocean Ave., into a 3,000-square-foot, full-service American-style restaurant consisting of the historic home and five shipping containers that would have been moved onto the property.

The project seemed to be going well until November, when Barber told the CRA board that he and his partner, Rodney Mayo, were having trouble securing the necessary funds to make it happen.

The CRA board gave Barber and Mayo a 30-day extension to get the site plan application submitted, but when the board met on Jan. 11, the members said they had not heard from Barber — by phone, email, or in person — since the November meeting.

Commissioners unanimously agreed, 3-0, to place Barber’s proposal “in default.”

The board did give Barber one statutorily provided last chance to get his financing and paperwork together by the CRA’s Feb. 13 meeting or forfeit the deal.

“We had a very detailed discussion in November,” Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin said. “The purchaser had said, ‘Hold my feet to the fire,’ so that’s what we’re doing.”

In June 2023, the CRA granted the partners a six-month extension to submit a site plan application. Barber said at the time he had submitted two site plans to the city, but they were rejected for being incomplete. At the November meeting, Barber told the CRA board that he might have to ask the city to remove the property’s historic designation — and its attendant restrictions — to make the project more acceptable to lenders.

He said costs had been escalating and banks were generally less optimistic about funding new developments.

“The cost is not the cost we originally projected,” Barber said in November. “We have owner financing of $800,000, but the [construction] cost now is looking like $1.2 million.”

Making matters worse, Barber said, the cost of borrowing money has escalated.

Barber wanted to renovate the two-story Magnuson House, built in 1919, for inside dining. The shipping containers would be used for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar, and a rotisserie grilling area.

The CRA bought the property for $850,000 in 2007, intending to use it for CRA office space, but sold it for $255,000 in 2016 to a restaurant developer after its plans changed.

The CRA took back the property two years later when the restaurant project fell through after the developer realized how expensive it would be to bring the house up to code for a commercial operation.

Barber’s plan seemed more economically feasible. Although he would have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the house, he theoretically would have been able to avoid more costly commercial upgrades by placing the kitchen and other operations in stand-alone shipping containers — a first in Boynton Beach.

Barber offered to pay the city $240,000 for the property, but that was offset by his intent to seek $50,000 in a CRA commercial improvement grant and another $200,000 in tax incentives.

Rather than make the deal more complicated, commissioners suggested just conveying the property to Barber with deed restrictions — including that it always be a restaurant — and a requirement for specific design features requested by the city.

The house was built around 1919, according to the city historic preservation records.

Hurricane Alley lease extended for a year
The CRA board granted a one-year extension on the lease of the building at 529 E. Ocean Ave. to allow the popular Hurricane Alley restaurant to continue doing business.

A new home is planned for Hurricane Alley adjacent to The Pierce, a proposed mixed-use development that has been sidelined by a lawsuit over the CRA’s street abandonments for the project.

By Jane Musgrave

SOUTH PALM BEACH — When Robert Kellogg was hired as manager of South Palm Beach in 2019, Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she got more than a wise administrator. She got a comedy sidekick.

During normally staid meetings, the two would banter back and forth. “What would you do if I did that?” she remembered asking Kellogg when he was defending an elderly condominium owner who faced code enforcement charges. “I’d throw the book at you,” Mr. Kellogg shot back.

“It was so light. It was very fun,” said Fischer. “I’ve never been like that with anyone in my life. Neither one of us knew where it came from.”
Mr. Kellogg — who was raised near Akron, Ohio, and spent his career administering small towns in Ohio and coastal Florida — died Jan. 12 in a hospital near his hometown. He was 70.

Jacqueline Kellogg said her husband of 37 years had succumbed to COPD and emphysema, brought on by a lifetime of smoking.

True to his wishes, his family and friends wore Ohio State University shirts and hats to his funeral. “He wanted it to be a celebration of his life, not for people to come to mourn,” his wife said. Though a graduate of Kent State, he was buried in an OSU jersey and his casket was draped in scarlet and gray, the colors of his beloved Buckeyes.

During the 17 years he worked in Florida, which included prior stops in Sewall’s Point and Hillsboro Beach, he would travel back to Ohio on weekends for Buckeye home games.

An avid traveler, he and his wife visited all 50 states and many countries in Europe. On his 70th birthday, he took his wife, three children and their families on a cruise to Mexico. Even with his time running out, he continued making travel plans, Jacqueline Kellogg said. Shortly before his death, he suggested to his two sons that they all go to this year’s Super Bowl.

His work in South Palm Beach was initially consumed by the coronavirus pandemic. During the initial phase, he established a testing site in the Town Hall parking lot and helped shepherd the town of 1,400 residents through the crisis.

He also laid the groundwork for a new Town Hall, Fischer said. When he left in May, he asked her to invite him to the grand opening of the building that is still in the planning stages. “It saddens me that he wouldn’t see it accomplished,” she said.

Although committed to his job in South Palm Beach, he never lived there. He commuted to work from his home in Palm City. He also had a long-distance marriage. His wife remained in Ohio, where she worked as an executive with Columbia Gas, and they traveled to be together on weekends.

“It was different, but it worked for us,” she said.

Town employees lauded Mr. Kellogg for both his work ethic and his sense of humor. “He was kind, intelligent and funny, which made him the perfect sounding board,” one wrote in an online tribute. “He always knew the right thing to say.”

Jacqueline Kellogg said her husband was drawn to small towns. “He liked to be close to the people of the town and the employees,” she said.

When Mr. Kellogg decided to step down, he initially offered to stay through November, Fischer said. In retrospect, she said, she’s glad he didn’t. He got extra time to spend with his family and to travel. “At least he had some semblance of retirement.”

In addition to his wife, Mr. Kellogg is survived by three children, Kory (Susan) Kellogg of Plano, Texas; Kelli (Jeremy) Welch of Haslet, Texas; and Carter Kellogg of Palm City, who is named after Jimmy Carter, his father’s favorite president. He is also survived by three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a sister and a brother. He was preceded in death by a sister.

A moment of silence was observed in Mr. Kellogg’s honor at the town’s Jan. 16 council meeting.

By Ron Hayes

LANTANA — When Gerson Fabe arrived at The Carlisle Palm Beach in 2014, he brought all the things an elderly gentleman entering an assisted living facility in Lantana would bring.

But he brought hundreds of poems, too.

And when he died at 102 on Jan. 20, he left hundreds more behind, along with all the friends who had looked forward to a poem a day for nearly 10 years.

“Any poem that deals in some way with age everybody loves, because they see themselves as the poem unfurls,” he told The Coastal Star in a 2017 profile.

My stamina and I
Are no longer speaking.
My left knee joint
Is loudly creaking
But I’m glad to be here.
— The Lament of Old Age, by Gerson Fabe

“My father started writing poetry regularly in 1996, after the death of his wife, Joan,” Mr. Fabe’s daughter, Sondra, said. “She was the love of his life.”

At The Carlisle, Mr. Fabe began sharing his daily poems, leaving copies in the dining room at breakfast. Eventually, residents asked for them, and a small breakfast group formed, five or six friends sharing a table.

“People would give him boxes of paper to print the poems on,” said Bobbi Horwich, who came to The Carlisle three years ago and soon joined Mr. Fabe’s breakfast club. “There was nobody like Gerson, his poetry, his sweetness. I can’t imagine anybody here that didn’t like him or wasn’t touched by one of his poems. They ranged from humor to love and how important friendship was. I don’t know who can fill that empty chair.”

Gerson Fabe was born in Cincinnati on Sept. 28, 1921. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, but left during World War II to serve as a test pilot.

Among the first fliers to test planes after they had been repaired, he took pride in never having had to ditch a plane during his six years in the U.S. Air Force. After the war, he sold insurance for Connecticut Mutual, where his sales unit led the company for 15 consecutive years.

Lantana Mayor Karen Lythgoe met Mr. Fabe in 2021, when she read a proclamation to the Town Council marking his 100th birthday. They became friends, and she attended his 101st and 102nd birthday parties.

This past Christmas Eve, she was invited to The Carlisle for happy hour.

“I was led to the back room where the breakfast club had a private dining room reserved, and I was invited to stay for dinner.

“Gerson was just out of the hospital. An aide wheeled him in, and he started to eat, when a violinist who had been in the lobby when I arrived came in and asked, ‘What would you like to hear?’ He said Sinatra. ‘Which one?’ My Way. And Gerson sang My Way the whole time. He knew every word.”

He was, after all, a man who loved words.

Memories flit in and out of a fog
That grows denser as we age.
The moment in which they reveal themselves
Is as swift as just turning a page.

— Through the Fog, by Gerson Fabe

“I loved him, but I also respected and admired him,” his daughter said. “He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. He wanted to die in his own home, in his own bed, in his own time, and he did.”

On Friday afternoon, Jan. 26, The Carlisle held a small memorial for him.

In addition to Sondra Fabe, of West Palm Beach, Mr. Fabe is survived by two stepsons, Larry Berlin of Baltimore and Mark Berlin of Jacksonville; a step-grandson, Geoffrey; and a step-granddaughter, Samantha.

Forest Hills Memorial Park in Palm City is in charge of arrangements.

By Steve Plunkett

Halfway through the school year, the private Gulf Stream School would get an A for starting a new preschool but a C-minus or lower on its communication skills with town commissioners.

Patrick Donovan, president of the school’s board of trustees, gave commissioners an update on Jan. 12 of the school’s progress since he announced in September that it was buying the Early Childhood Academy in mainland Delray Beach.

“I am pleased to report that the first half of the year has been a resounding success for the school,” Donovan said.

The Gulf Stream School obtained the necessary license and assumed operations of the preschool on Dec. 13, he said. County property records show the school paid the now-shuttered St. Joseph’s Episcopal School $3 million in October for its preschool at 2515 N. Swinton Ave.

Donovan said the school has also launched a “highly successful” in-house lunch program on its main campus and shaved its average pickup time for parents dropping off and retrieving their children from 20 minutes down to 14.

And he expects the line of cars outside to drop once the school starts running a bus between the Gulf Stream and Delray Beach campuses in the morning and afternoon.

“We feel this would be a great service for the Lake Ida-based families. Just an easy drop-off there; they’ll come over. We’d be able to probably reduce the car line by 20, 30 cars maybe,” Donovan said. “A lot of those families come over individually with one child. Putting them on this bus I think will make it a lot easier for them.”

To ease the traffic even more, Mayor Scott Morgan and Town Manager Greg Dunham had news of their own — they’ve been talking with the town’s consulting engineers to widen Gulfstream Road between Lakeview Drive and at least Old School Road from its current 18-foot width to 20 feet wide.

Dunham said that would make it a little easier for southbound cars to navigate past the line. The work would be part of the town’s Capital Improvement Project, which is scheduled to begin in the Core District in March or April.

“That sounds great,” Donovan said. “And if you need us to change our traffic pattern during some of that construction we’d love to work with you on that.”

Dispute on enrollment cap
Then came time for the town commissioners to consider Donovan’s other goal in attending the meeting: endorsing the development agreement between the school and the town that has let the school enroll 300 students, up from a longtime 250 limit.

Morgan was willing to extend the pact until 2027.

“I think a three-year review on the development agreement would be a wise idea,” he said.

Donovan was not pleased and noted that he would probably not be president of the board in three years and that there might be new commissioners by then. He was hoping to have the 300-student limit become permanent and the issue to be resolved.

The school already has agreed to report to the town each October how many students are enrolled, he said.

“We’re going to interject a lot of new parties to this and I believe it adds a little bit of disruption that I would like to avoid for the next president and the next commission,” he said.

But Morgan told him he would not have been at the meeting if the mayor had not inadvertently discovered that parents had already received a document from the school detailing its new plans.

Commissioner Joan Orthwein supported building a better relationship.

“Unless the mayor had reached out to you, nobody would ever come back with your plan so I think that is my problem, right?” she said. “Because you said you were going to come back. That’s how we left it with you, the commission, and I just think nobody ever came back.”

In the end commissioners approved extending the agreement for the three years.

Before the meeting began, new Commissioner Robert Canfield took his oath of office.

Donovan said the Early Childhood Academy, renamed the Gulf Stream School Delray Beach Academy, will cater to children between 1 and 3 years old and offer a full-time preschool program from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 4-year-olds will remain on the Gulf Stream campus.

The Gulf Stream School had 293 students in 2022-2023 despite enrollment being capped at 250. This year its enrollment is 294.

Commissioners amended the agreement in January 2023 to raise the cap to 300 children after Dr. Gray Smith, the head of school, told them having more students gives the school a “modest” budget surplus instead of a deficit.

Commissioners were going to vote later on making the higher limit permanent but after hearing in September about the Delray Beach preschool purchase decided to wait at least 90 days so Donovan and Smith could develop and share with them more specific plans.

By Brian Biggane

After a pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run driver on State Road A1A last November, South Palm Beach Mayor Bonnie Fischer worked to have a representative of the Florida Department of Transportation come to Town Hall to address residents’ safety concerns.

Those efforts came to fruition Jan. 29, when Jonathan Overton, the traffic engineer for the five-county South Florida FDOT district based in Fort Lauderdale, spent 90 minutes answering questions from a near-capacity crowd of about 80.

Nearly 20 residents voiced their concerns, the vast majority of whom asking Overton what needs to be done to establish one or more crosswalks in the town which, while only five-eighths of a mile long, is the most densely populated along the A1A corridor south of Palm Beach.

Overton didn’t offer any quick solutions, pointing out that while there is an asphalt walkway running along much of the west side of the road, there is nothing similar on the east side.

“I don’t want to lead someone to a dead end,” he said. “There needs to be connectivity.”

James Donatelli, a resident of the Palm Beach Harbour Club, proposed as many as four to six crosswalks, including from his condo on the west side to the Barclay on the east side.

The Barclay is the former home of Hatixhe Laiqi, 73, who lost her life while attempting to cross A1A at dusk on Nov. 10.

“A pedestrian was killed here … largely because she was invisible,” Donatelli said. “The lighting is terrible and we don’t have crosswalks. (Putting one there) would serve over 300 residents of the two buildings.”

Barclay resident Alan Stern said he had contacted an FDOT official who works under Overton, who wrote him that crosswalk placements “are based upon a strategic plan and would require an engineering study to determine need.”

Overton said a study would cost “a couple of thousand dollars” and needs to be paid for by the condos or the town.

As the questions continued, Overton often referred to the problem created by the absence of a sidewalk on the road’s east side. He said he drove up and down A1A several times prior to arriving at Town Hall and saw an elderly couple struggling to walk through the grass.

One suggestion that drew applause was cutting the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 or even 15 mph. The Town Council could approve such a change, but Overton was wary and FDOT would have the final say.

“If I posted an unreasonably slow speed limit some people would say ‘I’ll stay at that,’ but others would be tearing their hair out, and pass on the right or the shoulder or cross the yellow line.”

One problem the town has faced for years is a lack of beach access. Some properties on the west side of A1A pay those on the east side to use their easements, but there is no public access north of Lantana Beach.

Residents on the east side also cross to use the west side walkway. There were several complaints that the walkway is in poor condition, and Overton promised to address those with his maintenance people.

Vice Mayor Bill LeRoy has been adamant that a solution must be found and suggested an ad hoc committee be formed to address the situation. Several residents agreed to serve on it.

“I was thrilled with the turnout, thrilled with the comments,” LeRoy said afterward. “We have to solve this, because it’s not going to go away. It’s going to get worse.”

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach residents will have a chance to learn more about this summer’s $8.8 million State Road A1A resurfacing project through the town during a public meeting and open house next month hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation.

State officials will be at the Highland Beach Library on March 7, hosting a virtual meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. and an in-person meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. to preview plans for the resurfacing, restoration and rehabilitation project that is expected to last more than a year and cause major traffic disruptions.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that while meetings with state officials held last year focused on the design — which will include drainage improvements and a 5-foot bicycle lane on each side of the road — the upcoming meeting will focus on how the design work will be implemented.

Residents can question representatives from the FDOT, the project management team and the contractor who will provide answers on a one-on-one basis following presentations.

The state calls the sessions the State Road A1A/South Ocean Boulevard Resurfacing Project Virtual Public Meeting and In-Person Construction Open House.

“It’s highly recommended for residents to attend either the free online virtual public meeting or the in-person construction open house for this project,” said Melissa Readling, the project’s spokesperson. “This will give them a better understanding of the project details and any anticipated impacts.”

During the meetings, the presenters will provide details about the number of lanes that can be closed, along with approved detours and days of the week and hours during which lane closures will be permitted. Town leaders acknowledge that the project will be disruptive to residents and people using A1A, but say the result will be improved conditions.

“At the end of the day, A1A is going to be a better road in Highland Beach, but we’re going to have to walk over a lot of glass to get there,” Labadie said.

In addition to road resurfacing work that will lead to periodic lane closures, work will be done on swales to help with drainage along the highway. That work should not impede traffic, engineers have said.

Hoping to minimize traffic on a 3.3-mile stretch of A1A — which will be repaved in all of Highland Beach and a small section of Delray Beach — the FDOT will place signs on the west side of both the Linton Boulevard and Spanish River bridges warning motorists to expect construction-related delays. Engineers hope the signs will discourage motorists from using A1A if alternative roads are an option.

In Labadie’s monthly message to the community, he said that input is valued and asked residents to mark their calendars so concerns and suggestions can be heard.

Those who cannot attend will be able to view a recording of the virtual public meeting afterward at www.d4fdot.com.

State officials say they will soon provide information on how residents can participate in the virtual meeting.

By Brian Biggane

After four architectural firms made their proposals for a new Town Hall at a Jan. 16 special meeting of the South Palm Beach Town Council, and after the scoresheets of the council’s four members were tallied, Town Clerk Yude Davenport announced an unexpected result: a tie.

Cincinnati-based Moonlight Architecture and CPZ Architects, which has multiple offices in South Florida, amassed an identical number of votes, prompting a brief discussion among the council to determine a winner.

Moonlight was ultimately the choice.

“It was a very hard decision because CPZ is very professional,” Mayor Bonnie Fischer said. “It was very close but I scored Moonlight higher.”

The tipping point may have been Moonlight’s affiliation with Fort Lauderdale-based Erik Scheuermann, who owns Archetype Homes, has an extensive history of working with structural insulated panels, and has appeared before the council multiple times.

The council decided some time ago the new Town Hall and community center would be constructed with SIPs, which are expected to be both better able to withstand extreme climate and less expensive than more traditional building materials.

“Erik is a very unique, innovative person and has a lot of experience with SIPs,” Fischer said.

Council member Monte Berendes gave CPZ a slight edge in his vote, but opened the discussion by saying his only concern with Moonlight was that it was based in Ohio, and concluded that was minor. He said he was impressed by the presentation from Moonlight President Andy Roehl.

“He can do the job, that’s the important thing,” Berendes said of Roehl, 45. “He has a wealth of experience. I’m 99% sure SIPs is the way to go.”

Roehl is a board member of the Structural Insulated Panels Association, serves on its Education and Development Committee both nationally and internationally, and is licensed in 31 states.

“I’m the go-to guy with the association; when a project comes up regarding SIPs I’m usually the first call,” he said.

A variety of materials, including wood and concrete, can be used to fill the panels. While other bidders designated a specific material they would use, Scheuermann said that because of the coastal climate, he wouldn’t state a preference until the process is further along.

“We use a combination of one or the other; we just utilize what we need to solve the problem,” he said.
Roehl also promised significant energy savings as compared to the current structure, which was built in three phases between 1976 and 1993.

“These buildings are fighting the Florida summer, so what we would do is lock it out. ... If we added solar panels we could get to zero energy. Net zero has been a goal of mine for years now. It’s the right thing to do,” Roehl said.

“When we say it’s green,” Scheuermann added, “over the life of the panels it saves the town a lot of green.”

While Roehl has used SIP designs in fire stations and libraries, he said the unique nature of the Town Hall was sure to generate national publicity.

At the SIPA national convention scheduled later in January, Roehl planned to talk “a lot about this building and expect it to get a lot of support.”

“If you want to put the town on the map, we could put the town on the map with the project,” Roehl said. “It’s good stewardship of the funds of the people who are paying into it. Make them proud of what they have; make it a crown jewel. This is the opportunity to do that.”

That concept got Berendes excited.

“I like the idea of our building being a beacon, of everyone else looking at it,” he said. “I want people to say, ‘Damn, these people did it right.’ We’re a tiny little town but let’s be something special.”

Asked about a time frame for the project, Roehl said 8 to 12 weeks to formulate a design, then another month to obtain construction permits. The panels will be built off-site and the town must negotiate contracts with the various subcontractors before work can begin.

Construction “is quicker with the SIPs,” Roehl said, “but if conditions are perfect, you could be in the building in eight months from the start of construction.”

The council tabled a motion to interview for an owner’s rep position and Scheuermann said he feels he could serve in that capacity to save the town money.

If the town is unable to work out a contract with Moonlight, the council agreed it would move on to negotiate with CPZ. But Roehl said he doubts it would come to that.

“I have every reason to believe we’ll be moving forward and I’m excited to get going,” he said.

By John Hughes and Tao Woolfe
 
East Boynton Beach Little League has filed a lawsuit against the city of Boynton Beach alleging that a proposed renovation of Little League Park would interfere with league activities and disrupt the 2024 baseball season, which is already underway.

“Boynton Beach (City) should be enjoined from its planned shutdown of the available fields during this 2024 season which EBBLL youth players need in order for the program to successfully operate,” says the lawsuit filed Jan. 18 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

Further, the league says it would suffer “irreparable harm” if the city goes through with its plans to partner with two sports-development organizations —Athletic Angels Foundation and Primetime Sports Group.

The plan of Primetime and Athletic Angels has been to turn Little League Park into a state-of-the-art sports complex, complete with indoor training facilities, artificial turf, accommodations for baseball players with disabilities and a make-over of concession areas and bathrooms.

“It’s going to make Boynton Beach the epicenter of youth and youth sports,” City Manager Daniel Dugger said last winter.

This winter, though, the park has become a point of contention in the baseball community.

East Boynton Beach Little League alleges that the city’s agreement with Athletic Angels and Primetime would give those businesses undue control of Little League Park, where Little League baseball in Boynton Beach was first played in 1957. It was home to the 2003 United States National Little League champions.

“We appreciate the devotion that East Boynton Beach Little League has to its players and families, and as a city, we are as dedicated to maintaining and improving the park for our residents,” Dugger said in a written statement. “It’s unfortunate that there is pending litigation involved that prevents us from commenting in further detail.”

Boynton Beach Recreation and Parks Director Kacy Young said city agreements with Athletic Angels and Primetime Sports “are continuing to move forward as planned.”

Permits submitted by Athletic Angels have been approved and renovation is “scheduled to start (early February), maybe sooner,” Young said in an email.

The city is reviewing Primetime plans for the indoor facility, which the City Commission would have to approve, Young said.

The league alleges that the city did not give it a chance to “advise … on the grave impact that shutting down Field 1 during the EBBLL’s entire program would have on the program.”

Field access is not the league’s only complaint.

The suit also accuses Primetime President Phil Terrano of “terrorizing the EBBLL community” as disputes between Terrano and league members erupted after the city granted Primetime Sports a comprehensive agreement for a ground lease and training facility in November 2022.

Project plans were amended when a similar contract was issued to Athletic Angels in April 2023, putting the current season in jeopardy of being disrupted by the renovations, the lawsuit alleges.

This lawsuit is not the first time bad blood between the league and the developer has sparked litigation.

Terrano sued members of the league in August for slander and libel relating to comments some members made on social media after his plans became known, including several that called him a “criminal.”

Then, last October, according to the latest lawsuit, the EBBLL board of directors met to “terminate Philip Terrano’s involvement with EBBLL and his ability to attend EBBLL events.”

Last December, Gavin C. McLean, an attorney representing the league, met with the Boynton Beach city attorney to ask the city to rein in Terrano.

The city, though, said that regardless of Terrano’s standing with the league, he, like any other citizen, has a right to be in public spaces, which would include the park’s parking lot and common areas.

Little League Baseball has a zero-tolerance policy for the kind of behavior EBBLL says Terrano is exhibiting. According to McLean, EBBLL fears losing its Little League charter if such behavior continues.

In his own lawsuit, Terrano alleges that he has been the victim of an assault on his reputation at the hands of EBBLL. His determination in fulfilling this project, he says, has always been inspired by his own life-shaping experiences gained when he played on the very fields from which he is now accused of wrongdoing.

He says that he doesn’t see any hope that he and league members will get along in the future, “not after what they have done to my reputation.”

Despite the major league distance between the opposing parties and personalities, they cite the same mantra about what drives their actions: concern for the youngsters in the program.

Terrano said he is disheartened that so much ill will has been generated by an organization that is supposed to be focused on youth athletics.

“This is hurting the kids and that’s not right,” he said.

On the other side, league attorney McLean said: “What I don’t want to get lost here is that the main focus should be on the kids. We’re talking kids here. This isn’t the place for this.”

Another point of contention about the ball fields: At City Commission meetings over the last several months, residents have said that the land beneath Little League Park should be repurposed as city cemetery space.

For at least the past 20 years, residents who have family members buried in Boynton Beach Memorial Park cemetery — which is adjacent to the baseball fields — have lobbied the commission to drop plans for developing the ballfields. They also want the ballpark to give way to an expansion of the city’s burial ground.

Lee Lipton, Jesse Bongiovi and Jon Bon Jovi (l-r) met at Benny’s on the Beach before announcing their partnership. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

Lee Lipton, owner of Benny’s on the Beach restaurant on the pier in Lake Worth Beach, recently announced his partnership with rock musician Jon Bon Jovi’s Hampton Water Rosé.

The announcement came after a recent visit to the restaurant by Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, co-founder of Hampton Water Rosé.

The two, with Lipton, sampled the restaurant’s Captain’s Platter and ahi tuna tostada, finishing with a slice of Benny’s famous Key lime pie. 

Jon Bon Jovi, a longtime fan of the seaside eatery, acknowledged that Hampton Water Rosé complements Benny’s coastal atmosphere and cuisine, and he solidified his connection to the restaurant.

Wine Enthusiast describes the wine this way: “Lovely top notes of peony and baby’s breath grace the bouquet of this rosé, with supporting notes of ripe melon, white cherry and strawberry at the core. The palate is medium in weight but well balanced, with a sweet orange flavor and bright acidic thread that keeps the momentum moving from the fruit-fueled palate to the vibrant, refreshing finish.”

Now, with Hampton Water Rosé the only rosé available on Benny’s menu, locals and visitors alike can enjoy it along with the restaurant’s ocean views, tasty dishes and Key lime pie. 

“We’re excited to elevate the dining experience for our guests with such a distinguished and acclaimed wine,” Lipton said.

***

Pebb Capital secured a $173 million construction loan from Monroe Capital and J.P. Morgan for Sundy Village on 7 acres at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton Avenue, at 22 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.  

The $240 million mixed-use development broke ground early in 2023, with delivery anticipated for summer 2024.

Among the expected tenants are the Barcelona Wine Bar, Vertical Bridge communications, Double Knot restaurant, and chef and restaurateur Michael Schulson’s Schulson Collective.

Joe Freitas and John Criddle of CBRE oversee Sundy Village office leasing with Sara Wolfe of Vertical Real Estate handling the retail leasing. 

***

James and Kimberly Caccavo flipped their estate on a half-acre with 178 feet of waterfront at 71 Curlew Road, Manalapan, for $13.9 million in December.

They bought the property in November 2022 for $10.5 million. The buyer is Drwelruc, a Delaware limited company.

Nicholas Malinosky and Michael O’Connor, agents with Douglas Elliman, represented both sides. James Caccavo is the founder and managing general partner of the California-based Steelpoint Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Kimberly Caccavo founded Face Your Grace, a motivational e-learning platform.

***

In January 2022, five big-ticket real estate sales were listed in this column. Last January, three big-ticket sales closed. This year, there’s one. What’s happening? Is the local luxury real estate market cooling off?

Not really, says Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of New York City-based Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers and the author of a series of market reports covering more than 50 U.S. markets for Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

“The intensity of the sales has diminished,” he said. “The Fed’s policy pivot these past two years has played somewhat of a role, but there’s still a fair amount of sales and at bigger numbers” in price. 

His records show eight sales of properties more than $50 million in 2023 for Florida, with most of them in Palm Beach and a few in Miami. In 2022, there were 13 in Florida, dominated by sales in Palm Beach, Manalapan and Boca Raton.

“The point is, after peaking in 2021 during the pandemic era housing boom, it still continues through 2023 as we were exiting the pandemic era surge, and as mortgage rates rose at their steepest ascent in four decades,” Miller said.
 

***

Concierge Property Solutions was named the exclusive property management company for Royal Palm Residences, a nine-story three-tower condominium at 475 E. Royal Palm Road, Boca Raton.

“We are dedicated to enhancing the living experience for residents of Royal Palm Residences and to maintaining the highest standards of luxury, service and community engagement,” said Tricia Schmidt, director of operations for Concierge Property Solutions.  

***

The management team of the Boynton Beach Professionals leads group presented Eleanor Balash, a mortgage professional at Premier Mortgage Associates, with its quarterly recognition award.

“Eleanor strives to be a trusted business adviser to her clients,” said John Campanola, chairman of the group and an agent with New York Life. “She has been tirelessly working to promote the group and all of its members.” 
  

***

The Lowe’s Foundation recently presented Palm Beach State College with a $1 million grant to support the college’s skilled trades training program. It also announced new nonprofit partners: Goodwill, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and National Center for Construction Education and Research. Additionally, Lowe’s is partnering with Klein Tools to outfit the college’s training labs with HVAC and electrical tools and equipment.

***

The Institute for Regional Conservation, a Delray Beach nonprofit, held six ecological restoration events at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton this past summer. With help from more than 100 volunteers, beach dune and coastal strand habitats within the park were restored.

Because of funds and support provided by the city of Boca Raton, more than 500 plants representing 40 native coastal species were installed in areas where volunteers removed nonnative invasive species.

The Institute for Regional Conservation will hold eight more volunteer events at Red Reef and South Beach parks beginning in early February. To volunteer, contact Liz Dutra at ldutra@regionalconservation.org. 

***

Jalesa Worthen was promoted to the position of chief operating officer of the Achievement Centers for Children & Families in Delray Beach. Previously, she served as the center’s director of early learning programs, and prior to that, she was the education supervisor at Lutheran Services Head Start.

***

The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency board decided to postpone interviews with applicants for the CRA director’s job, due to a shortened Jan. 18 meeting. Interim CRA Director Timothy Tack said some 64 people had responded to the city’s job posting.

The City Commission, which serves as the CRA board, is expected to help winnow the responses and select a few candidates to interview at the agency’s February meeting.

The commission fired Thuy Shutt from the job on Oct. 10 for largely unspecified reasons.
  

***

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County will host speakers Dr. Brent Schillinger, Renata Bozzetto, Ph.D., and Kate Renchin at its Hot Topics luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 21. The event is a roundtable on health care, immigration and voter rights.

Schillinger is co-chair of the league’s health care committee, past president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society, and currently chairs its opioid health care response initiative. He will focus on the status of health care in Florida.

Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, will discuss immigration and democracy.

Renchin, co-chair of the Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition and the Palm Beach County Election Program, will discuss the coalition’s work to inform people about pending legislation and litigation and the efforts to recruit nonpartisan poll monitors. 

The luncheon will be at the Airport Hilton, 150 Australian Ave., West Palm Beach. The registration fee is $35, and attendees must register by Feb. 14. Visit https://lwvpbc.org/event/february-hot-topic-2024/ 

Tao Woolfe contributed to this column.

Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach town leaders this week agreed to continue negotiations with the Milani family, offering several favorable land-use adjustments in exchange for the family’s vocal opposition to development of a beachfront park on land they sold to the county specifically for a park.

In their continuing efforts to persuade Palm Beach County commissioners to halt development of the 5.6-acre Milani Park at the south end of Highland Beach, town leaders have sent Lucia Milani a multi-pronged proposal that would make it easier for her family to develop adjacent property in exchange for the family publicly speaking out against the plan.

“If you’re naming a park after someone and you now say you no longer want the park, that has credibility,” said Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie.

Labadie said the Milani family and the town have yet to come to agreement on all of the terms. With the Town Commission’s support, he will go back to the Milanis to iron out differences and hope to have that completed in time for a Feb. 1 public meeting hosted by County Commissioner Marci Woodward.

Included in the proposal would be an extension of a 30-year-old settlement between the town and the family that expires in 2025 and essentially grandfathers in land use improvements on two parcels owned by the family. A five-year extension on Milani property east of State Road A1A would enable construction of three homes on the parcel that under current code is only permitted to include one single-family home.

The proposal also includes a three-year extension of the settlement agreement on the west side of A1A, with two one-year additional extensions. The town is also offering to allow the family to build townhouses on that property that would exceed the height limit set under the settlement agreement but that is acceptable under current height limits.  

Also included in the proposed agreement is a zoning change the town would offer on the property, now zoned for public use, should the county agree to sell the property back to the Milani family if it abandons plans to build the park. The town would also transfer the Cam D. Milani naming rights from the park to the old fire station, which will be used as a public meeting facility once construction of the new fire station is complete.

In exchange for the land use changes, the Milanis would be required to attend public meetings and voice opposition to the development of the park, put their opposition in writing and put together a good faith offer to the county for purchase of the park property based on appraised value.

The family sold the property to the county more than 30 years ago for $4 million.

“I think this is a real good start,” Town Commissioner Don Peters said. “We have to build up trust with Mrs. Milani.”

In a recent email to The Coastal Star, she said she preferred not to comment on "ongoing public processes."

Gulf Stream Mayor Scott Morgan speaks with (l to r)  Felipe Costa, president of the Galera do Pedal cycle club; Cameron Oster, a cyclist from Boca Raton; and Jeramy Pritchett, a cyclist from Deerfield Beach, at Gulf Stream Town Hall following the Jan. 12 Town Commission meeting. The group of cyclists attended the meeting advocating for safer roads and looking for a way to prevent future crashes following one Jan. 4 on State Road A1A that sent six bikers and the driver of the SUV who crashed into them to the hospital. That stretch of A1A in Gulf Stream has no designated bike path. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A new cycling coalition formed in the wake of a Jan. 4 crash has asked the town to act to make the roads safer 

By Anne Geggis

Emotions spilled over as members of the cycling community appeared before the Gulf Stream Town Commission as it met for the first time since a motorist’s Jan. 4 collision with cyclists sent seven to the hospital.

Felipe Costa of Deerfield Beach, who started the bike group, Galera do Pedal, was briefly overcome Friday as he started his plea to make the town’s stretch of State Road A1A safer.

“Today, my group that I helped create — we have 300 riders from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale — unfortunately the injured riders from last week …” Costa said, his voice faltering.

“They are in your group?” Mayor Scott Morgan said, jumping in to fill the silence as he signaled for someone to bring Costa a bottle of water he had with him.

“Yeah,” Costa replied, struggling to keep his voice level.

No official explanation has emerged as to why a 77-year-old Lantana woman southbound in a subcompact SUV crossed the center line and knocked into the pack of cyclists who were heading north, pedaling alongside the Gulf Stream Golf Club.

That stretch of the road has little pavement to the right of the white line demarking car lanes.

Costa said that one of the riders, a mother of three young children, was finally discharged from the hospital Thursday. Her husband is still on life support from his injuries in the accident, and another is undergoing intensive rehabilitation, recovering from a dislocated shoulder, a shattered pelvis and stitches.

“It was a terrible accident,” Town Commissioner Joan Orthwein said.

The sheer number of casualties in the Jan. 4 crash and the footage of the accident, along a road that attracts sightseers from all over the world, has brought new visibility to the tight space between motorists, cyclists, joggers and walkers along A1A and other area roads.

There were 670 bicyclist-related crashes in Palm Beach County in 2023 that caused 11 fatalities, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department.

Last week’s incident, captured on a bicycle tail light camera’s video, has sparked a request from the town to the state for bicycle safety signs to go along A1A. It also galvanized a new coalition of South Florida bicycle groups, Florida Share the Road Coalition, joining together to make the case for spreading the word about cyclists’ rights and the need to improve road safety. Two other speakers at Friday’s meeting came there on behalf of the new group.

After the meeting, though, the mayor told the group that the idea of adding to the width of the road is a nonstarter. And the town wouldn’t have anything to say about it either because the state has authority over A1A. However, past proposals by the state to widen the road have been met with opposition from the town.

The close proximity of the road to homes and protected Australian pines make it impossible, Morgan said.

Cameron Oster, 37, of Boca Raton, of 3R Cycling Experience, which hosts cycling events, also spoke at Friday’s meeting. He asked for bicycling sharrows — symbols on the pavement that indicate to motorists that they should expect to share the road.

Morgan also has more education in mind.

“We really need to promote single-file cycling through the town of Gulf Stream,” he said.

Morgan, a resident sea turtle at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center from 2014 until being ordered removed last year, has returned and is now in the center's shipwreck aquarium, Boca Raton city officials announced on Jan. 10. Photo provided

VIDEO: Morgan back home

By Mary Hladky

Morgan, one of Gumbo Limbo’s resident sea turtles who state officials ordered to be removed last year, has returned to the nature center.

City officials announced Morgan’s return from a prolonged stay at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach on Jan. 10. But as of that date, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had not made a decision on the return of Cane, the other resident sea turtle that was moved to another center.

The FWC ordered the city to remove Morgan and Cane in March after the city fired its sea rehabilitation coordinator and assistant coordinator.

The terminations came as part of a transfer of the care of the turtles from the city to the nonprofit Coastal Stewards. The nonprofit has since hired a veterinarian and a rescue and rehabilitation coordinator and applied for an FWC permit to resume giving turtles medical care.

Morgan came to Gumbo Limbo after being rescued in 2014. She was hit by a boat and her injuries caused her to be partially paralyzed in her rear flippers. As a result, she cannot be released into the wild.

The nature center is open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday from noon to 4 p.m. The facility’s nature trails are open Monday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to sunset. Admission is free, although visitors can make donations.

Injured cyclists were members of Galera do Pedal, a mostly Brazilian group

By Anne Geggis

An early-morning crash had one bicyclist on life support and another in an induced coma after an SUV driver plowed into a group of cyclists along State Road A1A in Gulf Stream Jan. 4, according to a fellow bike club member.

The Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating the 6:45 a.m. incident in the 2800 block of North Ocean Boulevard, reported late in the day that a 77-year-old Lantana woman driving a 2020 Kia Sol southbound on A1A crossed over the center line and into a group of eight cyclists traveling northbound. 

Seven victims, including the driver of the SUV, were taken to Delray Medical Center and Bethesda Hospital East, according to Delray Beach Fire Rescue.

FHP’s report issued after business hours on Thursday, however, only mentioned two injured: The SUV’s driver, who it said had sustained “non-incapacitating injuries,” and one cyclist, a  43-year-old Boca Raton man who received “incapacitating injuries.”

Felipe Costa, president of  the Galera do Pedal, a bicycle club with members mostly from the Boca Raton-Deerfield Beach area, said he was getting updates from the hospital from fellow members about what happened to the six cyclists taken to the hospital. A husband and wife sustained the most severe injuries among the cyclists, he said

“It’s bad news,” said Costa, after describing the life-threatening condition of the husband. The wife was in an induced coma, he said. The Coastal Star is not publishing their names, which officials have not confirmed, at this time.

The most serious cases were taken to Delray Medical Center, which has a trauma center. Another person sustained broken legs and another one of the seven cyclists had a cut in the accident, Costa said.

The bicycle club, Galera do Pedal, with 813 Facebook followers mostly of Brazilian heritage, has Tuesday and Thursday rides along A1A, Costa said. They begin with bicyclists meeting up in The Cove, a Deerfield Beach shopping center near the Intracoastal Waterway, around 6:30 a.m. Usually, they turn around when they hit Lake Worth Beach. Costa has done that ride many times himself, he said.

This time, the group didn’t reach its northern point.

The crash occurred less than half a mile south of Golfview Drive, 

Michael Simon, president of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club, has pedaled that stretch of road hundreds of times. Usually, it’s quiet and the speed limit is 35 mph, he said.

There was an effort to widen the roadway in this area years ago, he recalled. But sometimes there’s nowhere to go to avoid danger, he said.

“When you’re unprotected on a bike, there’s always the risk of a distracted driver,” Simon said. “This one is a tragedy.”

Palm Beach County's Trauma Hawk Air Ambulance landed at Gulf Stream Golf Club following a Thursday morning crash on State Road A1A involving a group of bicyclists and an SUV, with three reported to be trauma cases. The road was closed between George Bush Boulevard and Golfview Drive for several hours, but has since reopened. Photo provided by Delray Beach Fire Rescue

Related: Gulf Stream: A1A bike club ‘tragedy’ leaves couple fighting for their lives

By Anne Geggis

An early-morning crash involving an SUV driver and seven cyclists — three of them described as trauma cases — closed State Road A1A from George Bush Boulevard to Golfview Drive for a number of hours early Jan. 4, according to Delray Beach Fire Rescue.

The Florida Highway Patrol, which is investigating the 6:45 a.m. incident in the 2800 block of North Ocean Boulevard in Gulf Stream, said late in the day that a group of eight cyclists were riding abreast of each other when a 2020 Kia Sol, driven by a 77-year-old Lantana woman, crossed the center line and collided into them. The crash occured about 20 minutes before sunrise.

According to Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokesman Ted White, crews responded to the scene to find six cyclists and the Kia's driver injured. One other cyclist did not have to go to the hospital, White said, but described some of the bikers’ injuries as “severe.” FHP’s report said there were eight cyclists in the group and only mentioned two injured in its report, including a 43-year-old Boca Raton man.

He was “separated from his bicycle and tumbled/rolled onto the northbound lane of SR-A1A where he came to a rest,” the FHP report says.

Palm Beach County’s Trauma Hawk Air Ambulance helicopter landed at the adjacent Gulf Stream Golf Club course and airlifted an unknown number to Delray Medical Center; other victims were taken to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach, White said.

Bicycling in Palm Beach County has proven a more dangerous mode of transport in the past year than in recent years. According to state records as of Dec. 28, there have been 670 bike crashes in Palm Beach County in 2023, including 11 fatalities. In 2022, there were 486 bike crashes and 14 fatalities. The county recorded 424 bike crashes (eight fatalities) in 2021 and 373 (12 fatalities) in 2020.

News of the crash had Diane Pohanka sick to her stomach. The Gulf Stream woman, profiled in a recent Coastal Star article on the devastating effects of such accidents, knows about trauma alerts. She  is still in recovery from a pickup truck hitting her as she rode her bicycle on A1A  in Boca Raton last August.

The site of the new crash was less than a mile from her home and one she’s biked hundreds of times.

Seeing Delray Beach Fire Rescue’s photo of a trauma alert helicopter on the nearby golf course had her playing out various scenarios of how it happened in her mind.

“I’m assuming that it’s on this little stretch that’s part of the golf course,” she said. “There’s no give in the road at all there. There’s no room for bicyclists.”

She suffered broken bones that involved surgery, metal rods and grueling physical therapy sessions.

For Christmas, Santa brought her a bicycle rack for her car so one day she can bike some trails. But she’s sworn off ever biking along the ocean highway ever again — in its current state.

“Biking is just not the same as it was — there’s too many distractions with cell phones and everything,” she said.

She is, however, heartened by an item on Thursday’s Delray Beach City Commission agenda: A workshop includes an update on plans for a bicycle pedestrian master plan that includes A1A in the area targeted for improvements.

Mostly, though, she can’t stop thinking about those in the accident.

“I'm just praying for all these bikers,” she said. “I just know what the trauma part is and that means that we're pretty injured.”

To go to story, click on link: https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-a1a-bike-club-tragedy-leaves-couple-fighting-for-th-1