By Jeffrey Cassady

New croquet courts might be coming to Delray Beach, but city commissioners want to know more about the costs and impact of bringing the game to city recreational facilities before they decide if — and where — to build.

The commission directed city staff at its regular meeting on May 19 to develop a plan that includes costs, building timelines, site plans and potential funding sources for new croquet facilities — with Mayor Tom Carney urging they be built at Veterans Park. 

The discussion, which occasionally sparked heated exchanges among commissioners, comes after the commission asked city staff last year to begin researching the feasibility of bringing croquet to the city.

“We have an idea here, but we have no plans,” Deputy Vice Mayor Tom Markert said at the meeting. “You can’t possibly expect any of us up here to make a decision on this today. I mean, I gotta see a business plan.”

Croquet is a growing sport in South Florida, said David McCoy, chair emeritus of the West Palm Beach-based Croquet Foundation of America. At the meeting, McCoy gave a presentation about croquet’s appeal and its history in the area.

At least nine resorts and private clubs between Pompano Beach and West Palm Beach — including The Boca Raton resort — play host to croquet clubs, according to material in McCoy’s presentation. Even in Gulf Stream, where polo mallets once ruled the town’s social season, croquet mallets are now swung on courts at The Little Club and at St. Andrews Club.

McCoy said he estimates that about a thousand croquet players are associated with those various clubs.

Veterans Park and the city-owned Delray Beach Golf Club emerged last year as leading candidates to play host to Delray Beach’s proposed croquet facilities. 

“It’s consistent with your mission of providing recreation and a meeting place for the community,” McCoy said of croquet courts at Veterans Park. “I think you can expect a very high utilization.”

McCoy estimated that installing croquet courts would cost $200,000 each. He added that using artificial turf for the lawns could help keep ongoing maintenance costs down.

“I think putting in artificial turf is the way to go there,” McCoy said. “You have room for two beautiful courts.”

Carney said croquet could benefit both Veterans Park, a waterfront park at 802 NE First St., as well as the surrounding area by attracting more people.

“All the demographics suggest that this will be a great success,” Carney said. “It’s something that will bring people downtown.

“And when they’re downtown, (they’ll) stay downtown and go utilize the facilities around it,” Carney added. “And because it’s a low-impact sport, you can be 9 or 90” years old.

Veterans Park currently boasts shuffleboard and lawn bowling courts, either of which may be affected by the introduction of croquet.

Commissioner Juli Casale said parking poses a challenge at Veterans Park and that the city should consider putting croquet lawns at the golf club instead.

She also expressed concerns about how installation and maintenance of the croquet facilities would be funded and whether it made sense to have city staff continue to work on potential plans for croquet before funding sources could be identified.

“We don’t have the money,” Casale said. “I don’t understand where we’re going to find it. … Until we have the money, I don’t think we should have another meeting on this.”

Carney proposed using excess park-improvement bond funds as a way to pay for the croquet lawns without affecting the general budget.

However, City Attorney Lynn Gelin said installing croquet lawns at Veterans Park might not be an appropriate use of those funds.

Carney, also an attorney, disagreed, saying a plain-text reading of the bond’s language provides flexibility to fund additional projects. Gelin said she’d investigate the issue further.

Carney also raised concerns about how placing the croquet lawns at the Delray Beach Golf Club could affect bond issuance associated with that property.

The golf club is undergoing $28.5 million in renovations. It is expected to reopen in November, according to the golf club’s website.

Further, by installing the croquet lawns at the golf club west of Interstate 95, the downtown area would miss additional business that croquet players could bring there, Carney said. 

“If you put it at the golf course, you are not doing anything to help downtown,” Carney said. If croquet players “have to get into their cars to go to lunch, they’re not driving downtown.” 

Mayor, not liking discussion, ends meeting — Rather than allow Delray Beach city commissioners time at their June 2 meeting to decide whether to request the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics investigate him, Mayor Tom Carney adjourned the meeting.

Commissioners Juli Casale and Tom Markert wanted the City Commission to request the investigation after a May 27 Sun-Sentinel editorial questioned the mayor’s decision to contact city Planning and Zoning Board members regarding a development before them that he previously represented and his brother now has a stake in.

Casale had given Vice Mayor Angela Burns, who said she had not heard about the editorial, a copy of it and was asking to see if she would agree to the request when Carney unilaterally ended the meeting without a motion to adjourn even being made.

— Larry Barszewski

Free off-street parking Wednesdays — The City Commission on May 19 unanimously approved free parking at city-owned garages and surface lots downtown every Wednesday this summer.

The promotion started June 3 and runs through Aug. 26. Parking at eligible lots will be free all day and night. On-street parking and private lots are not included. For maps and information about downtown parking, visit downtowndelraybeach.com/parking.

City worker raises coming — The City Commission voted unanimously at its regular meeting on May 19 to approve cost-of-living wage adjustments for city employees and retirees.

The 3.5% adjustment for current employees will go into effect Oct. 1. It will affect about 400 non-probationary general employees, who are employees not represented by a union. The city estimates the adjustment will cost about $1.2 million.

The commission also unanimously approved a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for general retirees.

— Jeffrey Cassady

Bulldozers and backhoes work the grounds of The Little Club as part of the remake of the property. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star 

By Steve Plunkett

Just as road and drainage construction winds down in Gulf Stream’s Core area, members-only The Little Club has torn up its golf course in a major restoration of its tee boxes, fairways and greens.

At the opposite, south end of town, the Gulf Stream Golf Club is launching a redo of its clubhouse. 

The Little Club golf course was constructed in 1968, according to documents filed with Gulf Stream and with the South Florida Water Management District. 

Changes are being made to its drainage, which consists of interconnected lakes that convey runoff to the northwest corner of the golf course, where two pumps discharge water to the Intracoastal Waterway.

The club plans to excavate 0.93 acres of new lake and fill 0.77 acres of existing lake for a net increase of 0.16 acres of lake. Minor changes will be made to the existing grading of the golf course to facilitate better drainage collection and runoff, the documents said.

The town’s Architectural Review and Planning Board approved a landscaping plan in late March to let The Little Club clear the land and remove 36 trees from within 100 feet of its property boundaries. They will be replaced with 74 new trees: specifically 21 green buttonwoods, 11 silver buttonwoods, four date palms, 13 royal palms and 25 sabal palms. Additionally, 35 trees will be transplanted, while 159 will stay where they are. 

“Tree health, invasive species, proposed site grading, golf course layout adjustments, and maintenance concerns are the primary reasons why trees are being removed or transplanted,” landscape architect Aaron Elswick wrote in the club’s ARPB application.

As for the Gulf Stream Golf Club, work is planned for the southeast corner of its 102-year-old, Addison Mizner-designed clubhouse after Town Commission approval of a small modification on May 8.

The commission first approved the golf club’s plan in June 2023. 

“We’re increasing the setback from the ocean. … We’re actually reducing the square footage of the addition, but we’re bringing that addition a little bit further north,” club attorney Jamie Gavigan said. 

By Jane Musgrave

When Daniel Hassan looked at the long abandoned Ocean Ridge home of one of the ex-wives of notorious automaker John DeLorean, he didn’t focus on the peeling paint, the rotting wood or the plywood covering the windows.

“It’s a gem,” the 43-year-old Boca Raton real estate investor declared days after plunking down $3.6 million on May 28 for the oceanfront home that town residents have long derided as an embarrassing eyesore.

Then, acknowledging the home’s reputation in the community, he laughed.

“I’ve been called crazy a few times,” he said.

Rather than tear down the home that sits at an odd angle on an overgrown lot on Old Ocean Boulevard just south of Tropical Drive, Hassan said he plans to renovate it to recapture its half-century-old charm.

“Why tear down a perfectly good house?” he asked rhetorically. “Wow, this is a home from the 1950s.”

An artist’s rendering illustrates his vision for the home, which was long ago converted into a duplex. It shows a white house under a shake-tiled roof with blue shutters and window boxes brimming with flowers.

Daniel Hassan, above, has started the daunting task of rehabbing the former DeLorean duplex on Old Ocean Boulevard in Ocean Ridge. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

He plans to restore it as a 1950s-style bungalow, below. Rendering provided

While the property may one day be developed into something far more grandiose, that is years into the future, Hassan said.

“Our intent is to rehabilitate it and keep it in the family portfolio as a beach bungalow,” he said. “We want to restore it to what it was back in the 1950s.”

Ocean Ridge resident Terry Brown, who for years has pushed the town to raze the home and turn it and an adjacent parcel that Hassan purchased into a natural area, questioned the viability of planned renovation.

“Water comes up from the dune into the structure,” he said. “It’s been filled with water and sand on at least two occasions.”

Still, he said, if Hassan can figure out a way to keep the ocean at bay and comply with myriad other state and local regulations, it would be an improvement.

“Fixing it up is better than looking at it the way it is now,” Brown said.

Hassan said he has met repeatedly with town officials. “The tone from city hall has been extremely professional,” he said.

Real estate agent Dorian Hayes, who represented owner Howard Goldsmith in the sale, said she is convinced Hassan’s plans will become reality.

“He’s prepared to go through town approvals and do whatever needs to be done,” said Hayes, who works for Douglas Elliman.

Since Goldsmith put the house on the market last year for $5 million, Hayes said she has fielded numerous phone calls from would-be buyers. Given that the property is on the ocean, the interest wasn’t unexpected. 

But, given the oddities of the property, those who followed through had to be creative. One man suggested that he would raze the house and build a cabana for his family to use when they came to the beach on weekends, she said.

Little has been done to the house since Elizabeth DeLorean purchased it in 1980, roughly 11 years after her 14-year marriage to the famous automaker ended. But the deeds became more complex.

In 1984, now retired Boynton Beach contractor Robert Larkie, who was renting half of the duplex, convinced DeLorean to divide the house so he would own half and she would own the other half.

Then, in 1987, DeLorean and Larkie bought the adjacent lot. That meant that three different pieces of land were involved in the recent sale.

Eventually, Larkie said he tired of paying high taxes for land that he couldn’t do much with. He couldn’t touch the vacant lot because it is environmentally sensitive land. Further, town officials insisted he couldn’t build a bigger house than the existing one.

Disgusted, in 2000 he sold his half to John Dragonas, who had befriended DeLorean. Roughly four years before her death in 2004 at age 81, DeLorean did the same.

But, Dragonas encountered the same resistance from Town Hall that had confounded Larkie. With no air conditioning in the house, he slept in his van in the driveway. His health suffered.

In 2023, Goldsmith purchased the three parcels for $2.6 million after Dragonas defaulted on a loan. The Boca Raton real estate investor didn’t want to develop the property, Hayes said. He just wanted to sell it.

After Hassan bought the property, he spent the weekend cleaning out long abandoned artifacts from past owners. Most of what he recovered was owned by Dragonas and returned, Hassan said. 

While the house is unconventional, Hassan said it is ideal for him.

A self-described car guy, who converted a former Baer’s Furniture store in Tamarac into a car museum called the Patina Collective, he said he was intrigued that the house had been owned by DeLorean.

He is also intrigued by old Florida and wants to protect what remains of it.

“I’m an anti-development real estate guy,” Hassan said. “Since COVID, everyone who moves here wants to tear things down and build something bigger.”

He said he isn’t convinced bigger is necessarily better.

“Not everything has to be a megamansion,” Hassan said. 

By Mary Hladky

All but one southeastern Palm Beach County community saw their property values increase this year — though most performed below the countywide growth percentage.

South Palm Beach’s values declined for a second consecutive year.

The county’s taxable property values increased by nearly 7% over the past year, according to data released on May 27 by Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks.

The preliminary estimates, which will be revised at the end of June, show that while the countywide taxable value jump of 6.9% was below the 7.7% increase recorded last year, it still is a healthy rate of growth.

In southeastern Palm Beach County, Briny Breezes led the way with an 11% taxable value increase, followed by Gulf Stream with a 7.7% jump, the only two in the area to outpace the county. 

In order of growth, the other municipalities experienced the following increases: Delray Beach 6.9%, Lantana 6.7%, Ocean Ridge 6.3%, Boca Raton 6.2%, Boynton Beach 4.9%, Manalapan 4.8%, and Highland Beach 4.1%.

South Palm Beach, the only one of the county’s 39 municipalities to see its values decrease, posted a 1.24% drop — double last year’s 0.62% decline. The year before that, the town posted a 10% increase.

Jacks said the county’s overall increase was assisted by almost 4,000 new residential units — including single-family homes, condominiums and townhomes — added to the tax roll.

“Somewhat similarly to 2025, we are seeing value increases focused in the new construction space, particularly in new residential construction,” Jacks said.

Last year, a total of 2,700 single-family homes and 22 new apartment complexes were added to the tax roll for a gain of 3,773 units. 

Taxable values dropped countywide after the 2008 economic crash, but recovery started in 2013. Since then, taxable values have gained every year. Of the county’s municipalities, Boca Raton continues to have the highest taxable value, at
$42.5 billion, followed by Palm Beach’s $37.5 billion.

Taxable value increases are welcome news for municipal leaders as they work to finalize their budgets for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Local governments use taxable values to calculate how much property tax money they can expect. They then set annual budgets and tax rates.

An increase in taxable value means they will collect more money from property owners even if they keep their tax rate the same as the previous year. 

Unless governments lower their tax rate, homeowners will face higher property tax bills at a time when inflation and rising interest rates are straining family budgets.

To prevent a tax increase entirely, elected officials would have to use the “rolled-back” rate, which state law requires them to calculate. That rate would generate the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous year, not counting any taxes that come from new construction.

Municipalities rarely go to the rolled-back rate because of their rising costs.
For example, Boca Raton usually lowers its tax rate by a minuscule amount, which allows city leaders to say they have cut the rate while the city still benefits from increased tax revenue.

Homeowners with homesteaded properties, however, don’t feel the full impact of rising values because state law caps the taxable value increase to 3%. Non-homesteaded properties are capped at 10%.

Taxable value numbers are based on market conditions as of Jan. 1, so they do not reflect any changes in 2026. They will be submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue once finalized at the end of June. Local governments set their property tax rates in September.

But there’s a wild card this year that could reduce the amount of revenue governments can collect from homeowners in the future.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he would like to see property taxes eliminated for almost all homesteaded properties.

State lawmakers on June 2 passed his initiative calling for a November ballot measure to amend the state constitution to allow the legislature to reduce property taxes on a large portion of homesteaded properties through property tax exemptions.

The potential for a massive revenue loss is deeply concerning to local officials who are expected to provide a host of services ranging from running water and maintaining parks to providing public safety. 

 County takeover would affect Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes and Gulf Stream

By Larry Barszewski

Coastal towns relying on Boynton Beach for their drinking water or for fire-rescue services could find themselves dealing with Palm Beach County instead if the city moves forward with a plan unveiled by City Manager Dan Dugger in May.

Dugger, who told city commissioners they “have the possibility to create a municipal utopia,” suggested the way to do so includes selling off the city’s water utilities to the county and merging the city’s fire-rescue department into the county’s.

Money gained from the sale and merger — potentially upward of a half-billion dollars — could be placed into a “municipal endowment fund,” with the city using about $25 million to $40 million in annual interest from the fund to pay for city projects and to reduce property taxes until they eventually are eliminated, Dugger said.

“The endowment fund means a stable income even if our tax base does shrink,” he told commissioners. “The ultimate goal is to lower our millage rate continually, year after year after year, while maintaining the same level of services.”

He also said no city employees would be laid off under the plan that calls for a smaller workforce. Those affected would be transferred to the county, while other positions would eventually disappear through attrition.

The commission will have to determine if Dugger’s plan is the “no-brainer” that Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin said it was, or if the math behind the city manager’s “transformative property tax reduction” doesn’t add up.

The fire-rescue merger would create net annual city property tax savings of about $20 million, Dugger said, though a separate municipal services taxing unit (MSTU) would be created and would offset any of those savings for property owners. However, the city would be able to eliminate a $145-a-year fire assessment fee charged to homeowners — a fee that Dugger said may need to rise to as much as $350 a year if no merger takes place — and about $100 million from the sale of fire-rescue equipment and buildings to the county could start amassing a city endowment fund.

Dugger estimated the endowment fund would get another $375 million to $470 million or more by selling its water utilities to the county. If the county doesn’t take over the water utilities, the city could face a $300 million bond issue in the not-too-distant future to pay for needed upgrades.

Dugger said the endowment fund, in addition to other possibilities, could also be used to buy up land in the city — to give the city more control over what gets developed and to reduce the impact of state laws that have made it harder for cities to prevent high-density housing developments within their communities.

The changes would impact three coastal towns that get or plan to get services from Boynton Beach: Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes receive their water and fire-rescue services from the city; Gulf Stream is planning to tap into Boynton Beach’s water supply beginning in about a year.

There’s a long way to go before any plan is reality.

“I envision that we will have lots of conversations with the residents about this,” said Commissioner Aimee Kelley, while acknowledging some of the motivation behind the plan, including state efforts to cut back on how much municipalities — except for public safety — use property taxes to cover their costs.

“Being up here over three years, you know we hear the common thread, that of ‘don’t raise the taxes but keep providing services. We want more, but we want to pay less,’” Kelley said.

Dugger’s plan includes elements for restructuring the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which would see its city property tax revenues reduced. It also addresses city pension liabilities and having the city switch the services it continues to provide to more of a fee-based model. 

Construction work is still not completed at the Mandarin Oriental. The condo residences, with plastering, are to the left and the hotel is to the right. Photos by Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

Would-be buyers of Mandarin Oriental condos in downtown Boca Raton once again are filing lawsuits seeking return of their deposits because construction of their units was not completed by the deadlines set in their purchase agreements.

The first wave of litigation took place mostly in the summer of 2024 when four couples and an individual filed suits. After a filing slow-down, seven additional buyers have sought court relief from late 2025 and continuing through this spring.

The recent litigants put down deposits that generally ranged between $1 million and $2 million. They also are seeking their attorneys’ fees and interest.

Most signed purchase agreements in 2022. Those documents state that their units “shall be” completed and delivered to the buyer within three years of the estimated completion date.

But those 2025 deadlines passed and their units still weren’t ready. Failure to meet the deadlines would place Penn-Florida in default of the agreements.

When they sought return of their deposits, they either did not hear back from developer Penn-Florida Companies or were told they were not entitled to get their money back, their suits state.

Many of the recent litigants are represented by attorney James Ferrara, a former Palm Beach County Circuit Court judge who also represented a number of the initial litigants.

Ferrara, who spoke with The Coastal Star in 2024 about that year’s cases, did not respond to the newspaper’s recent inquiries.

Attorney Adrian Alvarez of De Biase|Alvarez in Boca Raton, who represented a Highland Beach couple in 2024 who eventually entered into a confidential settlement agreement with Penn-Florida, now represents Jack Fiorella III, who put down a $1.65 million deposit for a unit in 2022.

When it was not ready for occupancy three years later, Alvarez and his client tried to resolve the matter but were unsuccessful, leading to the filing of a lawsuit in April.

“They have not been in communication at all,” Alvarez said of Penn-Florida and the company’s attorney Robert Sweetapple.

“I think it is extremely disappointing that a developer who is dragging their feet in construction isn’t willing to have more direct conversations with the purchasers,” Alvarez said.

“The developer has received all the benefit of all the interest that could have been accrued on the money, yet these purchasers have gotten zero return on their money.”

A look south on Federal Highway shows the incomplete Mandarin Oriental condo residence construction, followed by the less finished hotel portion of the project, and then the first-phase Via Mizner apartment complex completed in 2016 just north of Camino Real.

Asked why purchasers have resumed filing lawsuits, he suggested that the reason is the Dec. 23 bankruptcy filing by Penn-Florida affiliates on the 164-room Mandarin Oriental hotel that is being built next to the condo building on Federal Highway, just north of Camino Real.

The affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after they were unable to repay lenders about $210 million at loan maturity.

That bankruptcy filing “has gotten everyone worried the condominium development is next,” Alvarez said.

One couple who has abandoned plans to move into a Mandarin Oriental condo is Nilesh and Liliana Undavia of Boston. They relocated to a condo in Boca Raton in 2022 but decided they wanted a larger one.

Based on what they were told, they had expected to be able to move quickly into the Mandarin Oriental.

They have pursued a different litigation strategy than other prospective owners, filing a seven-count lawsuit in 2024 whose allegations include fraudulent inducement and constructive fraud.

“We feel we were fraudulently induced into the purchase and sale contract,” Nilesh Undavia said. “Had we known all the facts, we would have never bought.”

Prospective condo owners aren’t alone in going to court. Contractors that have done work on the hotel and condo building also have filed suits seeking to be paid for their work.

In response to questions from The Coastal Star, Penn-Florida said, “…we remain committed to delivering one of the finest urban resorts in America.

“The overwhelming majority of our future Residents are excited to be a part of this exceptional development. However, we understand that, over time, circumstances may change for a small percentage of Residents. In such cases, we will continue to not only honor our agreements, but endeavor to be as flexible as possible in accommodating their needs, just as we have done thus far.”

Sweetapple did not respond to two requests for comment. A Mandarin Oriental media contact also did not respond.

But in court filings, Sweetapple contends that a unit completion date is an estimate, not a guarantee, that is subject to revision due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain disruption, inflation and contractor price increases.

That interpretation, prospective owners contend, is invalid and contradicted by clear contract language.

Sweetapple also citied hurricanes Ian, which hit Florida’s southwest coast, and Nicole, which struck Vero Beach, in 2022 and impacted the supply chain and labor market.

The Mandarin Oriental project, announced with fanfare in 2015, has been exceedingly slow to rise from the ground. The completion date has been pushed back repeatedly and many city residents consider the construction site an eyesore.

After little construction took place for long stretches, the work on the 12-story condo building has moved more quickly in recent months. The hotel building, however, remains a shell.

In its most recent status report to the city, the developer expected the condo tower to be substantially complete by the fourth quarter of this year and the hotel tower by the third quarter of 2027.

But two bankruptcy filings have revealed financial strains.

The first Chapter 11 filing came in early 2025 to head off an auction of Penn-Florida’s 101 Via Mizner luxury apartment building located immediately south of the condos and hotel.

Penn-Florida faced losing that 366-unit building because it failed to pay off a $195 million senior loan provided by an affiliate of Blackstone Mortgage Trust in 2022.

That problem was resolved last summer when Cardone Real Estate Acquisitions — led by real estate investor and social media celebrity Grant Cardone — purchased the building for $235 million and creditors were repaid.

Meanwhile, Mandarin Oriental retains its interest in Palm Beach County. The company announced development of Mandarin Oriental Residences West Palm Beach, a 31-story building, in February. 

The town no longer needs to borrow $7 million — or even 7 cents — to finish its 10-year capital improvement project and hook up to Boynton Beach’s drinking water system.

Gulf Stream has already paid $12.9 million for the Core area’s portion of the capital improvement plan and will owe $1.6 million more as work finishes, Town Manager Trey Nazzaro told town commissioners May 8.

He and Chief Financial Officer Mark Bymaster also estimate spending $1.8 million on the water connection, $4 million on resurfacing roads in Place Au Soleil and $900,000 for similar work in Hidden Harbour. But those costs will not be paid until next year and later, Nazzaro said.

“So, because of this time delay, Mark believes the loan is not needed at this time, if ever,” Nazzaro said. “And if we were to draw any money on the loan now, we would just be paying interest unnecessarily while maintaining healthy reserves well in excess of the $4 million.” 

Mayor Scott Morgan called it a “remarkably favorable result.”

“It’s what we always had intended to do, was to not have to borrow money for these projects, to pay for them as we go and maintain solid reserves,” the mayor said.

Gulf Stream may still ask Seacoast Bank to extend the potential loan’s draw period another 12 months, commissioners decided.

— Steve Plunkett

By Larry Barszewski

Manalapan officials are intrigued by new environmentally friendly technologies being used in sea wall creation and shoreline protection, but they know it will be up to town residents to decide whether to have them installed on their properties.

Representatives from Miami-based Kind Designs made a presentation to commissioners at their May 12 meeting about the living sea wall and offshore wave attenuation devices their company produces that can foster an environmentally improved Intracoastal Waterway and impede the erosion of shorelines.

But in a town where all the beaches are private, the town doesn’t own any sea walls, either.

Instead, the town is looking to publicize the benefits of the products that are out there and potentially create incentives for property owners to consider those more environmentally friendly products.

“The town is kind of an intermediary in this situation,” Town Manager Eric Marmer said during a May 27 interview. “We did some exploration. This is just one company. … They make things that help mitigate some of the risk that the town faces.”

Those risks come from seasonal king tides impacting properties along the Intracoastal and from passing storms that pound the coastline and erode beaches.

Unlike the ubiquitous smooth sea walls that have been built historically, Kind Designs and other manufacturers promote walls with caves and crevices — or specialty tiles with the same features that can be attached to existing sea walls. They  promote growth of oysters and other sea life, or can include mangrove plantings. 

The idea behind living sea walls is to repopulate the Intracoastal with organisms that will filter the water and begin to turn it from murky brown into a clearer shade of blue — while also protecting properties from rising seas and growing king tides.

Living shorelines, on the other hand, seek to protect the coastline. Kind Designs uses 3D printing to create structures that can be placed offshore and promote reef-like coastal environments while also protecting nearby beaches. 

“With 3D printing, we’re able to create any shapes, sizes,” Kendall Jaquez of Kind Designs told commissioners. “It’s pretty easy to install as well.”

At the May 12 meeting, Mayor John Deese, who called in from a cruise off the coast of Africa, suggested the town hold a public meeting for residents on the subject, maybe at the town library.

Marmer said an information session will probably be held in the fall, going over the opportunities that are out there.

Manalapan isn’t the only coastal South County municipality taking a deeper dive into the living sea wall and living shoreline opportunities. 

Presentations have been made on the subject recently to commissions in Ocean Ridge and Boynton Beach, and other communities have explored the subject as well. 

Representatives from the USMC 4th ANGLICO Color Guard, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, the Boynton Beach Fire Department Honor Guard, the Lake Worth High School Air Force JROTC, Santaluces High School Army JROTC, Cub Scouts of America Pack 241, Boy Scouts of America Troop 395, Girl Scouts Troops 24341 and 24547, and the Lantana Explorer Post take part in the procession to start the Memorial Day service. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

RELATED: PHOTOS: Memorial Day ceremony; Boca Raton Cemetery — May 25

Greg Parkinson and Don Lanman, representatives of the Sons of the American Revolution, perform the wreath presentation.

Brenda Fritz, of the Daughters of the American Revolution, proudly displays her pins.

Members of the Santaluces High School Army JROTC, Cub Scouts of America Pack 241, and Boy Scouts of America Troop 395 gather prior to the ceremony during the assembly of colors.

Marine 1st Sgt. Adelynn Montano and Lanman salute during the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Related: PHOTOS: Memorial Day ceremony; Boca Raton Cemetery — May 25 | Save Boca founder at odds with rest of City Council | New ordinance gives residents their say over public lands

By Mary Hladky

Memorial Day is a somber occasion, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their nation.

And so it was on May 25 in Boca Raton, as about 300 residents came to the Boca Raton Cemetery to pay their respects and reflect on the freedoms that those lost to war preserved.

“To the families of the fallen, we offer our deepest respect and gratitude,” said City Manager Mark Sohaney, who served 37 years in the U.S. Navy. “To veterans, thank you for continuing the legacy of service and sacrifice.”

“Let us never forget their sacrifice,” said Mayor Andy Thomson, whose father served in the Vietnam War. “We pray for them and the veterans who served alongside them.”

Yet, in light of a nearly year-long campaign by Save Boca to preserve the city’s downtown campus from development, including the portion named Memorial Park in honor of World War II veterans, it is not surprising that some of the fraught politics intruded.

That was most apparent at a second ceremony held outside City Hall to unveil a new plaque — costing $3,778 — for Memorial Park.

It replaces one debuted in a March 24 ceremony hastily arranged by then-Mayor Scott Singer one week before he left office.

Veterans criticized it for containing inaccuracies, taking place at an event not open to the public, not making clear the original plaque specifically honored World War II veterans and for including the names of City Council members in place in March, and not those who actually created Memorial Park in 1947.

In addition to making corrections, the new plaque recognizes residents who worked to preserve Memorial Park, culminating in a March 10 vote in which residents overwhelmingly voted down the campus redevelopment plans.

Many of those attending the event were Save Boca members, including founder and now City Council member Jon Pearlman, and many wore Save Boca T-shirts.

For them, the plaque re-do was an acknowledgement of their efforts to preserve not only the name Memorial Park but also the open space and recreation facilities that it contains.

“The rededication of this park nearly 80 years later is a testament to how important it is to protect this special and historically significant part of Boca,” Pearlman said after the ceremony.

Once the unveiling concluded, attendees celebrated and gathered for group photos.

Thomson acknowledged that the history of Memorial Park has been largely forgotten, and he thanked residents for correcting that.

“I am so thankful to be able to dedicate and unveil this Memorial Park plaque today for the first time in a meaningful way so that everyone from this point forward knows that this city loves its history and we care about our country,” he said.

Sohaney said: “As we move ahead together, I believe there’s a shared commitment to ensuring this park remains a place of remembrance, reflection and respect for generations to come.” 

By Brian Biggane

Acknowledging that its Town Hall has been deteriorating in recent years amid anticipation of a new building to replace it, the South Palm Beach Town Council authorized Town Manager Jamie Titcomb to begin the repair and renovation process as soon as possible.

After the May 12 council meeting, however, Council member Sandy Beckett reiterated her concern that the decision not to move forward on a new structure ignores the future wants and needs of residents.

Titcomb and Town Attorney Gemma Torcivia informed the council at the start of discussion on the topic that, while only just over $487,000 can be spent on renovations without also requiring the decades-old Town Hall to undergo the costly work of coming into compliance with all existing code and construction regulations, the proposed repairs would not count against that figure.

Titcomb presented a list of 10 items that would fall under that category, with the most pressing and expensive being a new metal roof that he estimates will cost $125,000. Also on the list are turning four bathrooms into three ADA-compliant bathrooms ($60,000 to $75,000) and replacing a metal fire stairway and railings ($19,000 to $25,000).

Other needed improvements include painting both the exterior and interior; replacing carpet and tile; addressing the unused front garage “knee wall”; removing a “lean-to” on the north side of the maintenance office; replacing two fire exit doors; putting in new landscaping; and repaving the parking lot. No estimates were given for any of those projects.

Council members joined Titcomb for a walk-through of the building a week before the meeting and determined repairs need to be made — and soon.

“The bathroom looked apocalyptic, like the urinal was disgusting,” Vice Mayor Fran Attardi said. “It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in like 1,000 years. It was crazy.”

Having said that, Attardi expressed confidence the repairs and improvements can make a significant difference.

“I see the building will be beautiful. Like you said, the bones are there in this building.”

That reference was to a comment Mayor Rafael Pineiro made about the last engineering study done in 2018 that said the building had “good bones,” meaning it was structurally sound. Of course, as Beckett pointed out, that was eight years ago and whatever repairs were needed since were mostly ignored as previous councils worked toward a new building.

“Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s falling apart, but as people have said, it doesn’t meet our needs,” Beckett said. She, along with Council member Ray McMillan, were members of the previous council that had been on the verge of soliciting contractor bids before three of its members were voted out of office in March, giving Pineiro and his allies the power to change direction.

“Whether they are legitimate needs or not, our town wanted more exercise space, space where we could have different events going on at the same time,” Beckett added. “Not where you have to cancel one to have another.

“What really discourages me is that it’s almost like the previous council wasn’t working, whether anybody was paying attention. If you weren’t coming to meetings, if you didn’t look at the website, if you weren’t reading The Coastal Star and you didn’t know what was going on.”

Pineiro, who based much of his campaign for mayor on refurbishing and restoring the current building as opposed to building a new one, was the council member who made the motion and it passed 5-0.

Titcomb said he planned on getting to work on the fixes immediately but reminded the council that his financial limit to approve a contract is just $25,000, meaning he will have to wait until monthly council meetings to get most of the work approved. He also pointed out the estimate for all the improvements mentioned in the 2018 study was in the $2 million to $4 million range.

Titcomb also said he expects Mock Roos, the company contracted to build the new lift station, to present an updated status report on the project at the June 9 council meeting. He said efforts are underway to secure help from both national and local government agencies to help defray the estimated $4 million to $5 million cost. 

Sunshine Law update — South Palm Beach Town Attorney Gemma Torcivia delivered a lengthy but necessary annual update on the Sunshine Law, which requires almost all meetings of public bodies to be open, with notice given to the public. Key requirements of the law include open meetings, reasonable notice and no binding actions taken unless done in public.

Budget on the agenda — The arrival of summer means budget hearings can’t be far behind. The council agreed to hold a budget workshop on Aug. 10, followed by the first budget hearing on Sept. 8 and the final budget hearing on Sept. 14.

Beckett volunteers for post — The town needed a representative on the Palm Beach County Issues Forum and got a volunteer for the job when Council member Sandy Beckett offered her services. Beckett said her interest was piqued when the forum was asked to address transportation issues in the county.

Edmunds contract passes — Darrin Love, regional sales director for Edmunds GovTech, made a presentation offering the town his company’s services for a cloud-based accounting software, after which the council approved the long-discussed move for $41,800 per year. Town Manager Jamie Titcomb said the town had been in discussions with Edmunds for years and the move was a step up from its previous accounting model.

Council appointments — Bernadette Schultz was appointed to the Community Affairs Advisory Board and Eric Schultz to the Architectural Review Board. The council also voted to dissolve the Code Enforcement Board and continue the use of a special magistrate, which has been Town Attorney Gemma Torcivia, to rule on code issues.

— Brian Biggane

Shark fishing from shore restricted — Manalapan town commissioners passed a new ordinance — designed to reduce shark fishing from shore — that prohibits fishing activities that “may endanger the health and safety of swimmers or other beachgoers.”

While the state preempts local governments from regulating saltwater fishing, Manalapan officials went after the activities that attract sharks, such as chumming or blood baiting, because of the safety risk the sharks would pose to people in the water. They expect the ordinance to stand up legally because it ties the restrictions to health, safety and welfare concerns — not to fishing itself.

Delray Beach, Boca Raton and Palm Beach also have targeted restrictions seeking to limit shark-attracting activities while attempting to stay within the boundaries of what the state will allow. The Manalapan commission approved the ordinance at its May 12 meeting.

Dancing the night away — People looking to beef up their moves on the ballroom dance floor will be able to get their lessons in Manalapan if they want. The Town Commission on May 12 approved allowing a Fred Astaire Dance Studio at the Plaza del Mar shopping center. 

While some commissioners questioned if noise from the dance studio could affect nearby businesses and offices, town officials said those concerns were for the center’s management to consider when leasing the space, not the town.

The dance studio will take the place of a former dry cleaner at the plaza. A special exception was needed because a dance studio is not among the permitted businesses at the center.

Road-widening moving forward — The town is preparing to widen a portion of Lands End Road to improve safety there.

The stretch, near Audubon Road, is narrower than the rest of the street and can create bottlenecks, Town Manager Eric Marmer said. While Marmer said he was unaware of any reported accidents, officials have heard of close calls, including some involving bicyclists.

The project, which will cost about $30,000, is expected to take place before the end of June and should take three to five days at most to complete, Marmer said.  Residents will be notified ahead of the work, he said.

Meanwhile, officials are still finalizing the details of the new guardhouse on Lands End Road and hope to begin construction before the end of the summer. Final commission approval will be needed once the construction plans are finalized.

Manalapan’s own ZIP code? — Marmer said he will give it the old college try, but he’s making no promises regarding the commission’s desire for Manalapan to get its own personal ZIP code.

The town’s 33462 ZIP code typically carries the designation of Lantana or Lake Worth and is shared with Hypoluxo and Atlantis, too. Commissioners said the Lake Worth or Lantana designation might pop up at the FedEx office or when getting a driver’s license, causing confusion, but they also admitted it seems everyone in town is getting the mail and deliveries coming to them.

Septic-to-sewer grants and loans sought — The town has applied for low-rate funding through the State Revolving Loan Fund to reduce the cost of its planned conversion from septic tanks to sewers. It is also applying for state grants to cover some of the cost, which is expected to run between $14 million and $16 million, Marmer said. Though it could be a half-year or more before the town learns if it will receive any grants or low-rate loans, he told commissioners the project could realistically start in about a year.

— Larry Barszewski

Photos by Tim Stepien for The Coastal StarThe Memorial Day processional is led by the city of Boca Raton Police and Fire Rescue Services Honor Guard, alongside the Boca Raton High School NJROTC Color Guard and cadets.

Related: Boca Raton: On a day for remembrance, city sets the record straight

Related: PHOTOS: ‘A Day to Remember’ Palm Beach Memorial Park, Lantana — May 25

Members of the Boca Raton High School NJROTC perform the flag-folding ceremony.

(L-r) Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin Menting, his son Kevin Menting II and Jerry Edelman of the Coast Guard Auxiliary pay their respects during the national anthem.

Front-row attendees listen to speaker Mark Sohaney, a retired U.S. Navy veteran and Boca Raton’s city manager.

Delray Beach seasonal resident Elizabeth Koldyke Boolbol, pictured with Stella, is the founder of Partnership to End Human Trafficking, which seeks to help women recover from the trauma of human trafficking. She established the organization in 2016 in the Northeast and is working to expand its programs to South Florida. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

After raising her family, Elizabeth Koldyke Boolbol turned her attention toward helping others, specifically female survivors of human trafficking.

She had seen the “devastating and awful” effects of child trafficking during her international mission trips, which she said made her aware of a growing industry in places like Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. 

Originally, she assumed that child trafficking only happened abroad, but through her studies and reading the work of Nicholas Kristof, she learned that women and girls were disappearing and being trafficked domestically through online mechanisms. Also through Kristof, she learned about Thistle Farms, a Nashville, Tennessee, organization founded by Becca Stevens that addresses the needs of these women. 

Inspired after spending some time at Thistle Farms, Boolbol decided to create a nonprofit that replicated the Thistle Farms model. It included a residential home where survivors could live for two years and receive resources that they needed, as well as job training.

Following her Thistle Farms visits 11 years ago, Boolbol, who lives in Delray Beach and has homes in Manhattan and in Greenwich, Connecticut, began laying the groundwork to create a similar organization, focusing first on fundraising and educating others in her community about domestic human trafficking. 

In 2016, Boolbol founded her nonprofit, Partnership to End Human Trafficking. She and her team opened a drop-in center offering food and hygiene products in Bridgeport in 2019 and in 2021, they launched their Bridgeport residential house followed by the Greater Hartford house in 2024. Currently, nine women survivors are living in these two homes.

In addition to receiving a place to live and services for two years, the women develop work skills by creating products for sale through Partnership to End Human Trafficking’s shop. In May, the organization purchased a highly regarded gourmet specialty food shop and caterer, The Pantry in Fairfield Connecticut, for additional revenue for the nonprofit and to serve as job training.  

“Becca realized early on that if Thistle Farms only offered residential protection and programming and recovery, after 24 months the women had no economic independence, no skill set and no ability to find a job,” Boolbol said. “These women typically have not gone to college or (finished) high school, and they often have criminal records, so it’s very hard for them to find employment. So, they’ll go right back to sex trafficking. Becca realized that in order to give them a chance, they had to be economically independent.”

This year, Partnership to End Human Trafficking (peht.org) marks its 10th anniversary. Since 2020, more than 110 survivors, women ages 22 through 60, have gone through the program. Additionally, other women have received assistance in the way of emergency hotel housing and legal aid through the nonprofit’s community outreach program. 

Boolbol, 61, eventually plans to expand her program to South Florida. “Human trafficking is happening in every single state in the union. Florida is the third-worst state for sex trafficking in the country, so Florida has a real problem,” she said. 

“We’d love to bring our model here. But it’s one of those things that takes time. You have to meet the stakeholders, understand the need and understand if your model would fit.” Already she has offered educational events, with more to come next season.

“In South Florida, we plan to host an event for parents to learn about the dangers of online sexploitation and recruitment. Parents really need to be vigilant about what their kids are doing online, because there’s so many avenues for traffickers to find their children online, and parents don’t even know that’s happening,” Boolbol said.

While trafficking victims tend to be vulnerable to manipulation, there is no real profile for the traffickers, she said. “There is something called the ‘pimp bible’ that’s passed around in prisons to educate people on how to identify vulnerable women. It’s kind of a how-to road map, because weapons trafficking and drug trafficking are not as profitable; they have to buy weapons and drugs (to sell). They don’t really have to buy the women, they can just manipulate them.”

Boolbol is married to Robert. Their children are Lukens and Jackson, both 26, Jesse Katherine, 24, and Rebecca, 22. 

— Christine Davis 

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

A. I grew up in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. Growing up in the Midwest in a small town definitely made me appreciate values related to family and the importance of lifelong friendships. I attended Dartmouth College and because of its remote location in the mountains of New Hampshire and its intimate size, friendships forged there have stood the test of time. I have a deep appreciation for nature and animals, which was deepened living and studying in such a beautiful setting.

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

A. I have worked in business development and marketing and for a few years worked in film/television production. I received a local Emmy award for a TV pilot project that I am very proud of. As a liberal arts graduate, I knew I wanted to pursue creativity in my professional life, and growing businesses through innovative marketing and branding allowed me to foster that creativity. I had always loved storytelling so my move to Hollywood felt organic. 

The pilot show explored the themes of teenage development, centered around teen pregnancy and the complex issues around it. I worked at Hill & Knowlton Public Relations; The Levy Organization; Eagle River Interactive. 

Ten years ago, I founded The Partnership to End Human Trafficking and we have supported hundreds of survivors of sex trafficking and helped them rebuild their lives through our 24-month residential program, community outreach and our social enterprise. It is my life’s work and I love it. 

When I had my children and chose to be a stay-at-home parent, I became active in philanthropy and with my church. Through my work with World Vision I learned that sex trafficking of children as well as adult women is a pervasive and growing issue in the U.S., which rocked my world and I decided I needed to do something.

Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?

A. Focus on what you love, not what will earn you greatest financial reward. I love the quote, “Do what you love, and you won’t work a day in your life.” That is an overstatement, but I do believe it rings true.

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Delray Beach?

A. I absolutely adore Delray Beach. We can walk to everything and the beach is magnificent. I try and walk to the beach most days and have to pinch myself that I can live here. The laid-back culture is incredible and when my kids come down, they have so much fun at all the fantastic night spots! 

My grandfather Carlton Blunt came to Boynton Beach in the mid-1950s and I have been coming to the area my whole life. During COVID-19, I decided to establish roots in Delray Beach, so I am here six months a year and in Connecticut and New York City the rest of the year.

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray?

A. The people! I think the culture is just perfect. People are genuine and care about the town. There is commitment to quality of life and maintaining what makes Delray so unique.

Q. What book are you reading now?

A. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

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

A. I often listen to worship music when I am in need of inspiration and relaxation.

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

A. “… To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

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

A. For sure my parents, Mike and Patricia Koldyke. Their commitment to elevating those less fortunate has been an enormous influence on me and my work. My parents founded two organizations that have profoundly impacted the quality of education in Chicago where they lived.

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

A. Emily Blunt. She’s funny and I love her relationship with her husband — they seem to really enjoy themselves — and she has a range in her performances that I admire.

By Larry Barszewski

A snack bar with a fresh take on vegan dishes — along with more traditional meat fare — is coming to Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park.

Dope Vegan, a 5-year-old West Palm Beach food truck startup on Military Trail that specializes in plant-based menu items, has been awarded a lease for the concession stand at the beach park, which has been without a food service provider for three years.

Company officials said they hope to be open for business in late June or July. The Boynton Beach City Commission approved a four-year lease with the possibility of a four-year renewal. 

While commissioners approved the contract at their May 5 meeting, the concession’s name made them uneasy. 

“Dope” can mean “excellent,” like the vendor intended, or it could be confused with drugs, a potential image problem at the city-owned park, 6415 N. Ocean Blvd., near Ocean Ridge. Nor did Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin think it was a great idea to have “vegan” in the name, either. He said it might alienate would-be customers who have a negative view about meatless meals — especially since meat items will be on the menu — before they even have a chance to explore the options.

“I think it’s important that first impressions are done in a way that doesn’t deter anybody,” said Turkin, who acknowledged his own surprise when trying some of Dope Vegan’s fare at the Taste of Boynton Beach on April 18. “I’ll be the first critic of vegan food, but when we tried it, it was absolutely amazing.”

The company, which is building a following and often goes by just DV, agreed to use an alternate name, DV at the Beach, which pleased commissioners.

Commissioner Mack McCray still needed to be sold on the menu.

“Explain to me, more or less, about this Dope Burger. I’m just saying, you know, it’s supposed to be friendly for families,” McCray said. “Tell me what it is because, I’m just saying, because it’s kind of a turnoff for me.”

Rhona Nain, the company’s CEO and one of its founders, tried to explain the appeal of the plant-based dish — even for those who might like meat in their burgers. She said most of her customers are not vegans or vegetarians.

“Our Dope Burger is basically, it’s a vibe,” Nain told commissioners. “It’s our most popular, signature burger. It has vegan bacon; it has lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions — just about everything you can think of when you think of a traditional burger that you just want to indulge in. That’s what we do at Dope Vegan. It’s all about the flavor.”

Park’s canopy changing

In addition to having a new concession provider, Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park is getting a new ‘living roof canopy’ in its parking lot. 

The solar panels that previously provided shade to some of the beach parking spaces are being replaced with living ‘green roofs’ that reduce heat and improve stormwater management.  The new material is expected to increase the canopy’s lifespan, the city says.

Newly discovered provision — never enforced — blocks development east of A1A

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach town leaders are hoping to find a fix to ensure that a long-undiscovered clause tucked inside its sea wall restrictions doesn’t torpedo oceanfront property owners’ ability to build on their land.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that the town’s Building Department recently discovered a provision in the sea wall ordinance that prohibits development east of what is known as the state’s Coastal Construction Control Line.

That boundary line, designed in large part to protect the sand dune, was established in Palm Beach County in 1978 and revised in 1997.

Because the ban on construction east of the line wasn’t known, Highland Beach has been giving homeowners the green light to build within the restricted area.

“We as a town have been allowing it for 50 years,” Labadie said.

One reason for that, he said, is that the Florida Department of Environment Protection has been issuing permits for home construction east of the control line.

“We’ve deferred to state,” Labadie said. “The state has allowed it pending review of site conditions.”

In addition to dealing with the prohibition of development east of the Coastal Construction Control Line, the town is planning to address a zoning issue that requires a 120-foot setback from a beachfront property’s vegetation line or eastern property line unless there is a sea wall.

With a sea wall, that setback requirement is just 50 feet from the eastern property line or the vegetation line. But the state has been reluctant to allow new sea walls.

The result, town officials say, is that an oceanfront home built in compliance with the 120-foot setback would likely end up within the State Road A1A right of way, if not onto the roadway itself.

A third issue involves the elevation of construction on oceanfront property. The state requires homes that do not have a sea wall to sit at least a foot above the base flood elevation, which is usually 12 to 14 feet above the average ocean level.

To meet that requirement and also have underground-level parking, some property owners would be required to have an incline that could be too steep to be functional.

The state does allow for a lower elevation of parking facilities if there is a sea wall or if there are what’s known as breakaway walls stretching along the entire perimeter of the structure below the base flood elevation.

Again, however, the state is reluctant to permit sea walls, meaning breakaway walls are the most likely solution.

Those breakaway walls, Labadie said, would collapse and could cause a problem with storm surge during a hurricane, causing ocean water to flood A1A and possibly buildings on the west side of the highway.

“We would prefer a sea wall or building above the base flood elevation,” he said.

Labadie said the town is hoping to find solutions that will provide protection to the dune and help maintain its stability while at the same time not interfering with an owner’s or developer’s property rights.

The Town Commission is asking the town’s planning board to address the first two issues quickly and take a hard look at the breakaway walls issue.

By Patrick Sherry

The town of Lantana is hoping to get grant assistance for sea wall improvements at Sportsman’s Park.

The Town Council passed a resolution May 11 authorizing staff to apply for grant money under the Florida Inland Navigation District Waterways Assistance Program. If approved, the grant would cover half of the estimated $300,000 cost of designing the new sea wall and improvements at the site. 

“Should the application be approved, I intend to apply for the construction phase of the sea wall project next year, following the completion of the design,” said Vanessa Holloway, the town’s contract and grants administrator. 

The project is part of ongoing efforts to address flooding and sea level rise along Ocean Avenue. Town officials used the same grant program to fund part of the sea wall improvements at Bicentennial Park. They are considering raising the existing sea wall or building a new one in front of it with a raised cap.

“It won’t alleviate the flooding entirely, but this would be the first step to mitigating it and helping with the flooding in that area,” Holloway said. 

By Larry Barszewski

The Memorial Day weekend ended with two apparent ocean drownings, in Manalapan and in South Palm Beach, according to law enforcement officers.

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to a possible drowning of a juvenile in South Palm Beach near the Lantana public beach around 7:30 p.m. May 24.

“Upon arrival, they located a juvenile unresponsive after being pulled from the water by a good Samaritan,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The investigation established the juvenile was not a strong swimmer and was at the beach with his family. After being in the water for a short time, he began to struggle and was not able to stay afloat when a good Samaritan pulled him from the water and brought him to shore.”

The juvenile was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital and was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m., officials said. The case remains open pending an autopsy.

On Memorial Day, May 25, Manalapan police and other agencies responded around 1 p.m. to a possible drowning near the Boynton Inlet in the 4000 block of South Ocean Boulevard. An officer at the beach had called in the report of a male not breathing.

Two juveniles told police they saw a man floating motionless in the ocean, so they jumped in from the pier and brought him to shore. Police performed CPR at the scene and Boynton Beach Fire Rescue transported him to Bethesda Hospital East, where he was pronounced dead.

The man, who had gone to Ocean Inlet Park, was identified as Shawn Whitley Duncan. The case remains open pending an autopsy.