By Jane Smith

    Delray Beach Vice Mayor Al Jacquet will step down from his City Commission seat on Nov. 8.
    The resignation is non-revocable. He is one of four candidates who qualified to run for the open state House District 88 seat. Qualifying ended at noon June 24. The election will take place Aug. 30.
    Others who qualified are: Angeleta Gray, a former city commission colleague of Jacquet; Edwin Ferguson, a West Palm Beach lawyer; and Sebrina Gillion, of Delray Beach.
    Gray has said County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor encouraged her to get into the race and will do some campaign events together. Jacquet, a lawyer, was an aide to Taylor’s challenger Mack Bernard when he was in the state House.
    Gray, a Realtor, has raised $1,962.03, according to the latest campaign finance report for the period ended May 31. The amount includes a $1,000 personal loan.
    Ferguson raised $13,582.88 during the same time period.
    Jacquet, who opened his campaign account in early January, raised $47,300, as of May 31. His contributors include developers with projects before the city: Atlantic Crossing, iPic and Swinton Commons.
    Gillion, a write-in candidate, qualified on June 22.
    The next campaign finance reports are due on July 1.

By Jane Smith
    
    The stalled Atlantic Crossing project sold in mid-June to partner Edwards Cos., of Ohio, for $38.5 million.
    The nearly 9-acre property, which sits at the prominent corner of Federal Highway and Atlantic Avenue in downtown Delray Beach, was sold in two transactions by a partnership controlled by Carl DeSantis, a real estate investor.
    “We are making this additional investment because this is a unique site. Redeveloping two city blocks is a rare opportunity to create a distinctly Delray environment that will benefit the entire community,” said Edwards Cos. President Jeff Edwards. “We’re committed for the long term and are eager to get underway.”
    The eastern side, which houses the aging 78,768-square-foot Atlantic Plaza retail/office complex, sold for $22.7 million.
    Through a partnership, DeSantis, of Delray Beach, lent $16.5 million to Edwards that under the terms of the agreement can increase to $33 million. The four Edwards executives personally guaranteed the loan.
    The mostly vacant western side sold for $15.8 million. Edwards was able to secure a $16 million loan from First Financial Bank of Hamilton, Ohio.
    “As I grow older, I have realized that there is still much I want to accomplish, but only a finite amount of time in which to do so,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “We have decided to sell Atlantic Crossing to the Edwards Cos., so that we can focus on these opportunities and new ones that we are vetting on a weekly basis.”
    The statement also said that although DeSantis is an active real estate investor, he is not a developer and “certainly not of large projects that take many years to complete. It’s simply not our forte.”
    The sale translates to more than $4 million per acre, which real estate consultant Jack McCabe said was the going rate for vacant land in downtown Delray Beach.
    “Delray’s won the All America City title twice — that’s very prestigious,” McCabe said. “Some of the old-timers are worried about the traffic, but the area is ripe for redevelopment.”
    The sale is subject to the outcome of a $25 million lawsuit, originally filed by the developers in Palm Beach County Circuit Court and now in federal court with an October jury trial date. The complaint has been amended four times.
    The developers sued the city in June 2015 claiming Delray Beach has not certified its site plan that was approved in November 2013 and affirmed by a previous City Commission in January 2014.
    The court recently granted the developers approval to depose 16 individuals, exceeding the limit by six. Mayor Cary Glickstein will be deposed, although Commissioners Shelly Petrolia and Mitch Katz will not.
    The city filed a counterclaim on June 24, requesting the release from escrow of two alleys and parts of Northeast Seventh Avenue.
    When finished, Atlantic Crossing will contain 343 luxury condos and apartments plus 39,394 square feet of restaurants, 37,642 square feet of shops and 83,462 square feet of office space.

By Dan Moffett
 
    Briny Breezes Town Council members gave preliminary approval to extending an agreement with the city of Boynton Beach for fire-rescue services at the town meeting on June 23.
    The town is in the final year of a fire-rescue contract with Boynton Beach that began in 2004, one of the longest-running arrangements of its kind in Palm Beach County.
    Alderman Bobby Jurovaty says the town has been pleased with the service it has received from Boynton Beach.
    “I think they’ve been doing a good job for us,” Jurovaty said. “I really haven’t heard any complaints. We’re happy.”
    Briny Breezes is a participant in a group of six coastal communities that is considering the possibility of forming a coastal fire district and providing its own fire-rescue services. A consultant study commissioned by the group found that Briny Breezes paid $329,813 to Boynton Beach for services in 2015 and is projected to pay roughly $343,000 this year.
    The study, by the Texas-based Matrix Consulting Group, found that Briny Breezes’ average cost per call was $3,300, the lowest among the six coastal communities. Boynton Beach also has turned in one of the best average response times in the group at 5 minutes, 41 seconds.
    In 2015, Boynton Beach responded to 107 calls from Briny Breezes — 26 for fire-related problems and 81 for emergency medical services.
    In other business, the Town Council voted 4-0 (with Alderman James McCormick absent with notice) to approve keeping the tax rate for the 2016-2017 fiscal year at $10 per $1,000 of taxable property value.
    Briny Breezes’ rate has held steady at the 10 mills since 2009, when the council decided to approve more than tripling the previous rate of $3 per $1,000 to deal with rising operating costs, shrinking reserves and the national economic downturn. The increase followed the failed sale of the mobile home park, which drained the town’s reserves. In 2008, the tax rate in Briny Breezes was $2.76.
    Taxable values for the town have edged higher in recent years, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office. Briny Breezes’ assessed value for 2015 was $38.56 million and is projected to rise in line with the county’s average increase of roughly 7 percent to $41.38 million in 2016, a 7.3 percent gain.
    The $10 rate is the highest in the county and the highest allowed by state law. The Town Council has scheduled its final budget workshop for Aug. 15 at 10 a.m.

A suspicious fire June 28 consumed the pavilion at Atlantic Dunes Park located on A1A near Linton Boulevard.

Two other fires damaged a tiki hut and a gazebo at private homes in Delray Beach and Gulf Stream on the same night.

The cause of the fires was under investigation. ABOVE: Delray Beach Rescue Capts. Andy Close and Brian Pollack

hose down the remains of the park structure.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

    Boynton Beach will host another workshop on its Town Square project, but this time commissioners have agreed to save the historic high school as part of the 16.5-acre development.
    The Town Square discussion threatened to overwhelm the 2017 planning session held by Boynton Beach on June 25. So, commissioners agreed to host another workshop on Town Square “to get some teeth into the plan,” said Commissioner Joe Casello.
    The city commission will decide the workshop date at their July 5 meeting.
    The four-block Town Square, bounded by Boynton Beach Boulevard on the north and Seacrest Boulevard on the west, houses mainly municipal buildings: City Hall, library, old high school, police headquarters, fire station No. 1, Kids Kingdom Playground, Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, Civic Center, Arts Center and shuffleboard courts.
    City commissioners also want to discuss asking voters to approve a $25 million bond to move the police headquarters and fire station No. 1 out of Town Square onto land at the northeast intersection of North Seacrest Boulevard and Northeast Sixth Avenue. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency owns that parcel.
    The city would build a 25,000-square-foot, three-story headquarters for the Police Department and a firehouse could easily be added, said Colin Groff, new assistant city manager.
    “Putting the public safety complex there would work,” Casello said. “And it would help jump-start the Heart of Boynton area.”
    The date of that discussion also will be determined at the July 5 meeting. At the planning session, commissioners also decided to create a policy to cover special events and monthly happenings. “We want Boynton-centric events,” said new Commissioner Justin Katz. “We don’t want secondhand events rejected by Delray Beach.”
    Garlic Fest was mentioned by three Boynton Beach city commissioners who scoffed at the idea of accepting an event that may be rejected by Delray Beach. Delray’s City Commission will revisit Garlic Fest’s appeal on July 5.
    Boynton Beach commissioners want to expand Pirate Fest, held in October; possibly turn the biennial Kinetics Art Exhibit and Symposium into an annual event, and maybe add a Boynton Brews Fest. Ocean Avenue in the Town Square plan would be a festival street that can be closed to vehicle traffic.
    On the next level of priorities set at the planning session, new Commissioner Christina Romelus proposed a review of parking alternatives at the city’s Oceanfront Park. Currently parking revenue goes to Boynton Beach, but money from parking fines goes to Ocean Ridge. The relationship dates back to the 1930s, when Ocean Ridge was created from Boynton Beach, said Vice Mayor Mack McCray.

By Jane Smith
    
    Boynton Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency wants to consolidate plans in its six areas this summer with the goal of giving developers and residents predictability on what can be done at each location.
    “We don’t want to miss the market,” said Vivian Brooks, CRA executive director, to the more than 100 people gathered on a Saturday morning in June at the city library. She is working toward receiving final commission approval in September.
    The CRA held three public workshops with residents, allowing them to select or “vote” on what they liked in each plan for the land use and zoning.
    When Brooks gave the same presentation to a group of real estate professionals, her talk became a “stakeholders forum.”
    “We can’t make our city into a city without your help,” she said.
    Resident Susan Oyer said she agrees with most of the changes, “but my issue is height. We all want to see growth that is well-planned, but none of us want to become like West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale with their concrete canyons.”
    Plus, she said, the taller buildings block the flow of the ocean breezes.
    Some residents, including Barbara Ready, objected to the method the CRA used.
    “The changes should have been voted upon separately if the CRA really wanted some true input,” said Ready, who also chairs the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board. “Instead, we were basically forced to approve the bad parts with all the rest.”
    She said the intersection of South Federal Highway and Woolbright Road was an example.
    The CRA staff wants to create a mixed-use node to allow up to 60 dwelling units to the acre and 10-story buildings. The northern corners have relatively recent developments, with Las Ventanas apartment complex on the northwest corner and a PNC Bank branch on the northeast.
    On the southwest corner, Sunshine Square did a makeover that allowed Publix to demolish its old store about five years ago and build a new one with 14,000 more square feet. None of the corners will likely be redeveloped in the next 20 years.
    The Riverwalk Plaza owner on the southeast corner wants to demolish the aging shopping center where a Winn-Dixie grocery story was the anchor tenant. In its place, Riverwalk owner Isram Realty wants to build a 10-story apartment project to take advantage of the waterfront views.
    Isram submitted basic plans in December to Boynton Beach. Recently Isram founder Shaul Rikman requested the city not review the project until the Aug. 23 Planning and Development Board meeting to allow him to focus on his family this summer following the death of his father.
    “The stars are aligning on the consolidated plans,” said Kristine de Haseth, executive director of the Florida Coalition for Preservation. “The commission will take up the plans on Aug. 16 that would allow Riverwalk to build 10 stories.”
    The nonprofit coalition is concerned about quality of life and environmental issues created by continued development of South Florida’s barrier islands and coastal communities.
    The property’s current zoning has a 75-foot or 7-story height limitation.
    Boynton Beach Mayor Steven Grant, who attended the public workshop, said he’s not for mixed-use zoning without an office component that could bring higher paying jobs for residents.
    He saw no problems with higher density at the Federal Highway intersections with Boynton Beach Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, which Brooks has said is a future site of a coastal Tri-Rail station on the FEC tracks.
    But Grant objects to increased density at the Woolbright and Federal intersection because it is already congested and three corners would not see redevelopment in the next 20 years.
    “I disagree with spot zoning, spot land use and spot regulations,” said Grant, who beat then-Mayor Jerry Taylor earlier this year in a runoff. Developers with projects in the city, including $2,000 from Isram, donated to help Taylor amass more than $40,000 in campaign contributions. Grant raised less than $3,000.
    Isram’s proposed apartment project would put 100 extra cars daily at the intersection during the morning rush hour, according to its own traffic study, Grant said.
    “I look at how many cars at rush hour,” Grant said. “The developer counts cars over the whole day.”
    During the stakeholders forum, developers objected to the CRA’s plans that call for retail on the ground floor.
    “Everyone wants to have an urban experience,” said Morris Kaplan, head of Kaplan Residential, which builds apartments. “The concept is great, but empty shop space is blight.”
    Rikman, of Isram, agreed the city has a lot to offer. He also said apartment developers are taking a big risk when nearby cities of Delray Beach and Boca Raton can command 20 percent higher rents, based on their better demographics.

The Little House restaurant will reopen as Fork Play with 30 additional seats and an enclosed porch.

Rendering provided

By Jane Smith

    The Little House will become Fork Play when the Boynton Beach eatery opens later this year.
    Its owners received commission approval to add an enclosed porch to increase the restaurant space by 525 square feet with 30 additional seats. The City Commission unanimously approved the request without discussion on June 21.
    The eatery already has 21 seats inside and plans to have 24 seats outside, which will need an outdoor café permit from the city.
    The restaurant will serve small plates called tapas and craft beers and wine.
    A company formed by Ocean Ridge Commissioner Richard Lucibella and his business partner Barbara Ceuleers, paid $335,000 for the 936-square-foot structure at 480 E. Ocean Ave. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency had owned the building.
    Lucibella plans to lease the restaurant space to Lisa Mercado, who runs the Living Room restaurant on Congress Avenue. He left the naming to Mercado.
    She wants to rename the Little House as Fork Play. It was the original name for the Living Room, she said, because she wanted to serve tapas. She had to change the Living Room’s menu shortly after opening and Fork Play wouldn’t have described the restaurant’s offerings.
    “But now that people understand the concept, it will work out perfectly,” she said.
    Mercado asked Living Room customers about the name Fork Play and another she was considering. “Everyone said they loved Fork Play,” she said.
    In other action, the commission unanimously approved spending $28,100 to repair two picnic shelters at Oceanfront Park and make them wheelchair-accessible.

By Jane Smith

    With clear direction from the new City Commission to save the historic Boynton Beach High School, the Community Redevelopment Agency is seeking a $350,000 matching grant to remove mold, mildew and other environmental hazards inside the building.
    The CRA applied for the Environmental Protection Agency grant in late April through the county’s Economic Sustainability Department. CRA Executive Director Vivian Brooks found out about the matching grant while working with the county department on securing a similar grant for the AmeriGas property on North Federal Highway.
    “The new commission gave unequivocal direction to save the high school in April,” said the newly elected mayor, Steven Grant. He called the previous commission’s stance on saving the old high school “wishy washy.”
    Last fall, then-Mayor Jerry Taylor directed the CRA to add $200,000 to its budget for demolishing the nearly 90-year-old high school.
    Now, if the CRA receives the grant, it will use the demolition money toward its share of the matching grant, Brooks said. She said any extra money would go toward fixing the leaking roof.
    She expected to hear soon whether the CRA would receive the EPA grant. But the county department said the EPA does not have a deadline by which to alert grantees.
    Historic-minded residents are thrilled by the news.
    “It has good bones,” said Barbara Ready, who chairs the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board. “This will help get it back on track.”
    Susan Oyer, a longtime resident who is a member of the board, said the grant was “a great idea. Anything that jump-starts the renovation is helpful.”
    In the likely event the high school has asbestos, a remediation plan would have to be approved by the Florida Department of Health, spokesman Tim O’Connor said.
    In April, the new commission tabled taking action on an unsolicited proposal from REG Architects and partners on how to repurpose the high school and surrounding land. The new date for reviewing that proposal is August.
    The city has a July 11 court date on its motion to dismiss the claim of an earlier architect who wanted to use the high school as an events center. The City Commission is concerned that using the $20,000 that REG and partners offered to review the soundness of their plan would compromise its position in the lawsuit.

By Dan Moffett

    After hearing complaints from council members about poor communication, South Palm Beach Town Attorney Brad Biggs is proposing a new arrangement that will change how he does his job.
    Biggs told the council to consider renewing his contract and paying him on a retainer basis, rather than with his current arrangement that is based on hourly rates. He said the change will enable him to spend more time at Town Hall and allow him more one-on-one meetings with council members.
    “With the retainer idea, you are kind of in-house but you’re not in-house,” Biggs said during the June 28 meeting. “I think it’s more predictable for the budget. A big benefit is better communication. I know there have been some issues.”
    Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan told Biggs that she wanted to be better informed about the issues he raises at meetings.
    “My concern about communication is that if you’re going to bring something up at a meeting, we need to know about it,” Jordan said. “You owe your allegiance to the town. You are our attorney.”
    Councilman Woody Gorbach criticized Biggs for not attending town events — such as the car show at Plaza del Mar in February and the Memorial Day ceremony at Town Hall.
    “You could have put yourself out to attend them,” Gorbach told Biggs, “but you didn’t come.”
    Vice Mayor Joseph Flagello said he’s never had a problem communicating with Biggs, saying the attorney always returned phone calls promptly.
    “You’re doing a great job for us,” Flagello told him.
    Under the retainer proposal, the town would pay Biggs $4,500 a month. He currently receives $170 per hour and $195 per hour for litigation.
    Town Manager Bob Vitas likes the idea. “Having an in-house attorney one day a week is advantageous,” he said. “The face time is important.”
    Mayor Bonnie Fischer said the council will consider Biggs’ contract during the upcoming budget workshops.
    The relationship between Biggs and several council members appeared to fray in recent months as the town bumped heads with developer Gary Cohen over his construction plans for the old Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn site.
    Cohen wants the town to hold a referendum during the November election that would allow changes to the building code that would enable him to build his condominiums 5 feet above the existing height limits.
    Council members Jordan and Gorbach complained that Biggs hadn’t given them enough information about the legal consequences of Cohen’s request. At the May town meeting, Jordan brought up the idea of putting out requests for proposals from legal firms to take over Biggs’ job with the town.
    Fischer was the deciding vote to turn down Jordan’s motion to advertise the position, but the mayor said she wanted to discuss the matter further at the June meeting.
    Gorbach said Biggs has been difficult for him to reach, and the councilman has suggested that the town might be better off hiring a larger legal firm that has lawyers with special areas of practice, rather than staying with Biggs, who is a single practitioner.
Flagello has been Biggs’ most outspoken ally on the counsel, saying he “unequivocally” supports him and opposing Jordan’s motion.
    “If you have a problem with someone,” Flagello said, “you sit down and talk with them before you start talking about taking their job away. I don’t have a problem with Brad.”
    Biggs has been practicing law in Florida since 1998 and has been South Palm Beach’s attorney for six years.
    He also is the lead legal counsel for Royal Palm Beach and the Village of Golf, has served as assistant counsel for six other municipalities and also has worked for the Palm Beach County League of Cities.
    Biggs worked as an associate attorney with Corbett, White and Davis for 15 years.
    In other business:
    The council set workshop meetings for July 14 and July 19, both beginning at 6 p.m., to discuss budget plans for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
    Property values are up 7.9 percent in South Palm Beach, increasing tax revenues and giving the council more flexibility to consider capital projects for the town.

By Jane Smith

    All Aboard Florida is continuing to add double tracks and quiet zone devices to south county coastal cities for its Brightline high-speed rail that will link Miami to Orlando along the FEC railroad tracks.
    While the double tracks are installed, the following streets in Delray Beach will be closed: SE 4th Street, 7 a.m. July 5 to 6 p.m. July 8, and East Atlantic Avenue, 7 a.m. July 17 to 6 p.m. July 21.
    The closings for Boca Raton are: Hidden Valley, 7 a.m. July 8 to 6 p.m. July 11; NW 28th Street, 7 a.m. July 19 to 6 p.m. July 21, and NE 2nd Street, 7 a.m. July 24 to 6 p.m. July 28.
    In addition, Hypoluxo Road in Hypoluxo will be closed from 7 a.m. July 15 to 6 p.m. July 20, and Gator Culvert in Lantana will be closed from 7 a.m. July 28 to 6 p.m. Aug. 1.
    Between Miami and West Palm Beach, crossings will be improved for the high-speed rail service with new steel rail, concrete ties, signals and crossing gates. Through a partnership with the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, quiet zones will be paid for and installed at the same time that crossing upgrades are made.

By Jane Smith
    
    Delray Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency will have an additional $5.7 million to spend in the next budget year.
    The extra money comes from an estimated 14.6 percent increase in property tax income and $3.6 million from the long-delayed iPic land sale.
    As CRA board members discussed how to spend that money on June 22 and 23, the city of Delray Beach was there with its proverbial hat in hand. The board agreed to pay 8 percent more into the CRA’s Clean & Safe program, but the city’s request for a more than 260 percent increase for Tennis Center sponsorships was tabled to its July 14 meeting.
    “We do not see the CRA, if you will, as an endless bucket of resources for our operational needs,” City Manager Don Cooper told the board. “Our request for the Clean & Safe area is for use inside the CRA district.”
    The city is not broke, he said, but it has a lot of demands on its resources.
    On the Tennis Center sponsorships, Cooper said he was limited in what he could say because the city has sued the center’s operator, Match Point, to be released from a long-term, no-bid contract. “We appreciate any help you can give us,” he said.
    The 8 percent increase for Clean & Safe would pay for two additional police officers and allow the city to outsource its street-sweeping operation.
    The city has one street sweeper, which is a temperamental piece of equipment, said Michael Coleman, head of the Community Improvement Department. His department oversees Clean & Safe.
    “When the street sweeper breaks down, then it goes out for repair,” Coleman said. “But if we outsource that work, the company would have to provide the street sweeper.”
    City workers sweep the streets three times a week. Downtown is open nearly 24/7 and needs streets swept five days a week, he said. Doing so would cost the CRA $40,000 more.
    The cost of the two police officers for salaries and benefits is $188,625.
    The CRA already pays $2.3 million for the program. A manager oversees the schedule of police officers, code enforcement officers, sanitation and maintenance workers, electricians and the supplies needed to maintain the downtown and allow visitors to feel safe.
    “Feeling safe is a perception, it can’t be measured,” said Police Chief Jeff Goldman. “We can never have enough boots on the ground.”
    The extra officers would allow the program, now in its third year, to put another officer on day shift, Goldman said.
    Larcenies are on the rise in the Clean & Safe area, Goldman said. By May 31, the city recorded 223 thefts of bicycles, purses, cellphones and other items. For all of 2014, 315 larcenies were reported in the area.
    “A lot of our larcenies are due to the recovery industry when people relapse,” he said.
They steal merchandise that can be pawned to feed their drug habits.
    CRA board member Herman Stevens, a criminal lawyer, said he needed more crime data to justify the increase for what he called a “feel-good program.” Delray Beach’s overall crime rate dropped nearly 10 percent between 2015 and 2014.
    One board member asked when the program’s staffing goals would be reached. “The CRA can’t continue to pay for extra officers,” said Cathy Balestriere, CRA vice chairwoman.
    The Tennis Center sponsorships were deemed a city obligation that the CRA has been asked to cover.
    “I say we hold our nose and support our city,” said Bill Branning, on his last day on the CRA board.
    Others, though, want to see the Tennis Center’s financials and a list of the projects the CRA couldn’t do if it covered the sponsorships.
    “It’s pretty much a city function,” said CRA Chairman Reggie Cox. “Even if we agree to cover it, we’re still spending taxpayer dollars.”

Dick Schmidt drew heavily on his experiences in the Caribbean and as a sailor and pilot

when writing his book, The Boy and the Dolphin.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

    Accountant. Developer. Pilot. Sailor. Philanthropist.
    Dick Schmidt of Boca Raton wears many hats as CEO of Schmidt Companies and president of the Schmidt Family Foundation. The energetic 72-year-old decided one more was in order — author — and added it to his haberdashery.
    May 10 saw the debut of his first novel, The Boy and the Dolphin, a heartwarming tale that takes place in the Bahamas during the mid-1950s. The book has earned endorsements from esteemed writer Doris Kearns Goodwin and ocean advocate Philippe Cousteau.
    The story follows the life of little Toby Matthias, who is living with his grandparents on an out island near Nassau; his mother and father were killed in a plane crash. One day, Toby encounters a mother dolphin entangled in a fishing net and rescues her. The dolphin’s nearby calf immediately bonds with the young hero, and the two become friends.
    “I drew heavily on my own life for the experiences in the book,” Schmidt said.
    Like Schmidt, Toby grew up sailing the Caribbean. He then attended a preparatory school in Palm Beach.
    The plot thickens when Toby joins the Navy and flies fighter jets during the Vietnam War. Schmidt served in the Army.
    “I couldn’t wait to sit down at my computer and start writing again because I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” Schmidt said. “Or if I knew what was going to happen next, I didn’t know how it was going to happen.”
    In the end, Toby returns to the Bahamas as an adult who hasn’t seen his finned friend in eight years.
    “And, of course, the denouement is, ‘Will he be reunited with this dolphin, and if so, what will be the result?” Schmidt said. “You have to read the book to find out.”
    Schmidt is married to Barbara, founder of the nonprofit organization Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, for which their daughter, Michelle, works. Son David is a playwright.
— Amy Woods

    Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
    A. I attended grammar school in suburban Chicago, prep school in Palm Beach, University of Florida, Florida Atlantic University. Varied school environments broadened my perspective on the world and gave me good background for the book.

    Q. In what professions have you worked, and which ones make you the proudest?
    A. I taught advanced accounting at Florida Atlantic, founded and managed the largest single-office accounting firm in South Florida, developed communities and real estate in Florida, owned and operated corporate-aviation facilities in South Florida and published a novel. I am proud of all of my ventures.
    Q. What advice do you have for young adults selecting a career today?
    A. Unless you envision a career in something requiring a specific education, such as medicine or law, don’t be in a hurry to pick one out. The probability that your life’s work will be doing something you choose for yourself today is remote. Broaden your education as much as possible so that you will be prepared for whatever comes along that turns out to be your true passion.

    Q. How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton?
    A. I left Chicago with the intention of returning after getting a graduate degree. I chose Boca Raton because my parents lived here, and there was a university of higher education here. All I knew after graduating was that I didn’t want to go back to Chicago.

    Q. What is your favorite part about living in Boca Raton?
    A. My drive home each evening. I marvel at what an exceptional place this is and what an exciting time it is to live here.

    Q. What book are you reading now?
    A. Hidden Account of the Romanovs, by John Browne, a resident of Palm Beach County.

    Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration or want to relax?
    A. Some classical, some ’60s, ’70s pop. I like a wide variety of music.

    Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?
    A. Everything in moderation, including moderation.

    Q. Have you had mentors in your life — individuals who have inspired your decisions?
    A. Many. Not by coincidence, one at each turning point in my life. I think most of us will recall an individual of influence in our lives when we needed one.

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

The Boy and the Dolphin ($26.95, Landslide Publishing) is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

By Dan Moffett

    MANALAPAN — Over the years, Manalapan’s Ronald Barsanti gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to help poor families, but he also helped them with his hammer and saw.
    “Ron was a skilled carpenter who knew a lot about woodworking,” said Bernard Godek, the executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Palm Beach County. “He liked to do a lot of the finish work and cabinetry.”
    When the house was built and the family took the keys, Mr. Barsanti was there to wish them well. Godek said those who knew Mr. Barsanti from his service on Habitat’s board of directors understood that the man with the native Chicago accent and sometimes crusty demeanor had a warm and compassionate nature within.
    “He couldn’t keep from tearing up when families got their new homes,” Godek said. “He had a rough exterior, but there was a big soft heart inside. What Ron loved even more than Habitat for Humanities was the families we served.”
    Ronald P. “Ronnie” Barsanti died on June 2 at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach after a short hospital stay. He was 73.
    Mr. Barsanti moved to Manalapan 11 years ago and served several terms on the town’s architectural board. Two years ago, he was appointed to an open seat on the Town Commission, representing Point Manalapan residents.
    Mayor David Cheifetz describes his “good friend and colleague” as a man for all seasons.
    “Ron was a Renaissance man of sorts — a successful businessman, a professional grade woodworker and a lover of life in general,” Cheifetz said. “Ron gave freely and generously of his time not just to Manalapan but to Habitat for Humanity and the Food Bank as well. I will sorely miss Ron, his friendship, and his contribution to our town will be very difficult to replace.”
    As a commissioner, Mr. Barsanti was a believer in consistent enforcement of building codes and protecting Manalapan’s small-town atmosphere. He worried that plans to overhaul the Plaza del Mar shopping center might go too far and uproot small businesses. Barsanti supported the town’s use of security cameras, believing they are a useful tool for deterring crime.
    “He was a straight-shooter who always said what he believed, regardless of any political fallout,” said Vice Mayor Peter Isaac. “He devoted a lot of his time to helping with various charities. His no-nonsense approach on the dais will be sorely missed.”
    Mr. Barsanti grew up in Chicago and built a successful career as a mechanical engineer, working as a tool-and-die designer and then starting his own plastic injection molding company. Over three decades, he built the company into an enterprise that employed 650 people and supplied products to numerous Fortune 500 corporations.
    Mr. Barsanti is survived by his daughter, Aimee (Dave) Tanking, his grandchildren, Morgan and Mackenzie; his nieces, Christine Schmid and Kathy (Dennis) Spahr, and nephew John Schmid.
    “Ron Barsanti gave of himself — his time and his talent — to an organization he really loved,” said Habitat’s Godek. “He donated more than a half-million dollars to us but, gosh, he gave so much more.”
    The family requests memorial donations go to the Barsanti Family Foundation, 1295 Lands End Road, Manalapan, FL 33462.

    DELRAY BEACH — Maryruth Price Pfeiffer, our beautiful mother and the heart of our family, went to heaven on June 9. She was born on the Fourth of July, 1928, in Dearborn, Mich. Maryruth was the daughter of the late Eleanore and Martin Price.
    She grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and graduated from the Beaumont School. She attended Ursuline College and Case Western Reserve University. She was an honor student, respected by her fellow classmates, and was elected president of her class all through her school years.
    She was an English major who instilled a love of the written and spoken word in her children, grandchildren, and students in the Great Books courses she taught.
    Maryruth lived many years in the Shaker Heights, Ohio, Washington, D.C., New York, and Connecticut areas. After her marriage to Ralph A. Pfeiffer Jr. who predeceased her, she moved to Florida in 1976.
    “Mere,” as she was known to all, gave the gift of unconditional love to her 11 children and their loved ones: Mary Ellen Pfeiffer, Karen Pfeiffer (Harold A. Schaitberger), Christine Pfeiffer, Jo Pfeiffer (Ken Heffner), Ralph A. Pfeiffer III (Donna), Elizabeth Pfeiffer (Charles J. Santos-Buch), John Pfeiffer (Peggy), William Pfeiffer (Julie Andersen), Mary Pfeiffer (deceased),  Nancy Pfeiffer and Thomas Pfeiffer (Julie).  
    She is survived by her 11 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, one step-grandson-in-law, three grandsons-in-law and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her devoted sister, Nance Bernet, and her loving nieces and nephews.
    Mere brought joy and light into the hearts of all she met with her wit, style, grace and zest for life. She generously gave to many causes and charities and was most active in the advancement of research for a cure for diabetes. Maryruth was an accomplished piano player and poet who shared her passions for the fine arts, musical theater, film, comedy, New York Times crossword puzzles in ink, and mysteries with her loved ones.
    She was brilliant and hilarious.  She beat everyone in her favorite quiz show, Jeopardy. She was multi-talented and made everything look easy. Mere delighted in dancing to music and enjoyed walking the beach at sunset with her family. She loved anyone who was kind to her children and instantly they became part of the family.
    Mere’s generosity of spirit is exemplified by the phrase for which she will always be remembered: “I love you more.”  
    A memorial Mass will be at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 4. Her interment will be at a later date.  
    In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions may be made “In Loving Memory of Maryruth Price Pfeiffer” to: Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, 200 S. Park Road, Suite 100, Hollywood, FL 33021. www.diabetesresearch.org/tribute-gift.

— Obituary submitted by the family

Hurricane Alley owner Kim Kelly is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Boynton Beach raw bar and restaurant.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

    Grab a seat toward the end of the bar at Boynton Beach’s landmark Hurricane Alley Raw Bar and Restaurant and you might discover a small plaque, often obscured by ketchup and mustard bottles, honoring the memory of Harvey Oyer, a longtime and well-known real estate man with pioneer roots. (His great-uncle, Charlie Pierce, was one of the legendary Barefoot Mailmen.)
    “He helped me get started and he didn’t give up on me,” says owner Kim Kelly, who first opened the doors to the place in 1996, with Oyer as her landlord. “He’s one of the reasons we’re successful.”
    In exchange for giving Kelly an occasional pass on the rent, Oyer would daily commandeer his reserved seat at the bar and after lunch be handed a bill for just $4, no matter what he ordered.
    While Oyer’s generosity is one of the reasons Hurricane Alley is still here after 20 years, another has to be Kelly herself, a self-described gale force of action behind the hurricane in the restaurant’s name.
    On July 30, Kelly and Hurricane Alley — now a destination restaurant near where Ocean Avenue meets U.S. 1 — will be honoring the restaurant’s 20th anniversary with its “Summer Sizzle” celebration.
    Set to take Boynton by storm, the party from 3 to 11 p.m. will feature three bands, lots of food and a variety of vendors.
“It’s been 20 years and I’ve survived,” Kelly says. “There’s nothing better than surviving a hurricane.”
    It’s not only Kelly and the restaurant that have survived, it’s also the historic 1919 building housing Hurricane Alley that has survived.
    Over the years the space has been everything from a pharmacy to a restaurant and soda shop.
    But it had been vacant for more than a decade when Kelly, a bartender with a business degree, decided to become her own boss.
With lots of drive but little money, Kelly approached Oyer and asked if she could rent the vacant restaurant space.
    “We gutted the place,” she said, adding that she was doing a lot of the work herself, learning to use circular saws and drills.
To make ends meet, Kelly tended bar in West Palm Beach until 4 a.m., then after just a couple of hours of sleep, she got ready to open what was then Café Barista.
    Following six months of hammering and sawing, Kelly’s dream came to life when the cafe opened— but it wasn’t smooth sailing.
    “There were a lot of tears on the back steps,” she says.
    Back then, Kelly did just about everything herself, including working a tiny kitchen — a challenge since she had no idea how to cook.
    “I once called my mom and asked her how to bake a potato,” she said.
    Following four years of struggling, Kelly and two friends — both surfers — sat out back beside the alley and came up with a new name and a new concept.   
    After coming close to closing the doors of what had evolved into a renamed raw bar and seafood restaurant, Kelly landed a loan to expand the kitchen.
    Over the years Hurricane Alley has expanded twice, and last year Kelly added a food truck that she takes on the road. The restaurant, which started with two employees, now has 43.
    She was also part of an important merger of sorts — marrying steady customer Burt Garnsey, whose family has operated the Sea Mist drift-fishing boat for four generations. Now Hurricane Alley offers a “You hook ’em, we cook ’em” deal to folks who bring in their catches from the Sea Mist.
    Kelly says one reason the restaurant has lasted so long is that she is never far away. She works seven days a week and is known to duck into the kitchen and start cooking if orders back up.
    “You can’t own it and walk away,” says Kelly, 53. “That’s how the vision gets lost.”
    Another way to preserve a vision is to make sure the people who supported it through thick and thin are not forgotten.
    So there, at the top of Hurricane Alley’s sandwich menu, you’ll find the Hurricane Harvey, a rare roast beef sandwich that Harvey Oyer would order from his seat by the end of the bar.
    And no, you won’t get it for just $4 (it’s now $9.95), no matter who you are.

By Emily J. Minor

    MANALAPAN — John J. Murphy, a proud Catholic Irishman whose young parents emigrated to America when they were still teenagers, died May 24 with his beloved wife, Pamela, at his side. He was 81.
    A self-made businessman, Mr. Murphy started a school bus company with just one vehicle in his native New Jersey in the late 1960s. He continued to grow the business into the largest private school bus operation in his home state, and the 20th largest in the country.
    It was at a school bus office that he met his wife, Pamela, who was then managing the company’s Ocean County operations. “It just went from there,” she said.
    Soon after they married, the couple began visiting Manalapan on holidays and weekends. They bought a condo, and loved it, but the family dog was big and needed more space. About 12 years ago, they bought a home in Manalapan and have lived there full-time for several years, she said.
    “We just kept staying more and more and we’re Florida residents now,” she said.
    Throughout his successful business career, Mr. Murphy never forgot his two biggest loves: Catholicism and student education. Through their years in Florida, the couple sponsored children they knew personally, privately sending them to private parochial schools, his wife said.   
    They were supporters of Ave Maria University, about 20 miles east of Naples on the edge of the Florida Everglades, and were favored donors at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Lake Worth. In New Jersey, the Murphys gave generously to programs like the Barn for the Poorest of the Poor in Middletown; Trinity Hall, an independent Catholic college prep school for women in Middletown; and the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, in Convent Station.
    Mr. Murphy also served on the Manalapan Town Commission for two years, working to keep the Police Department under the town’s domain and not run by the county sheriff’s office. “That was his baby,” his wife said.
    But he didn’t run for re-election after his term ended in 2014, mostly because of emerging problems with his health. He had stents in his heart, then congestive heart failure, diabetes and then a bout with cancer. When he beat the cancer, the couple went on a cruise to celebrate, his wife said.
    Upon their return, Mr. Murphy developed pneumonia, and really never recovered, she said. His death was peaceful, and she was at his side.
    Mr. Murphy was widely known for his love of life. He enjoyed a good poker game, happy hour — often at their house — and a rousing Kentucky Derby party. He also enjoyed traveling, especially to the island of St. Martin and his parents’ homeland of Ireland, where he had many relatives.
    In his memory, Mrs. Murphy asks that donations be made to Sacred Heart Catholic School, 410 N. M Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460.

The George Snow Scholarship Fund awarded $687,483 to 72 students headed for college. (L-R) Frank Feiler,

Helen Babione, Janice Williams, scholarship recipients Chrismine Louis, Erica Hennessy

and Lauren Smith, Ingrid Fulmer, Bonnie Halperin and Jon Kaye.

Fund President Tim Snow and Spirit of Service honoree Ron Wells.

Photos provided

By Christine Davis

    At the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s annual awards reception in June, the fund made financial commitments of $687,483 in scholarships and scholar-support services to 72 students headed for college.
     Along with financial assistance, each Snow scholar received a gift bag with items that included a coffee maker and blender donated by Jarden Consumer Solutions of Boca Raton, a Microsoft Office Professional productivity suite donated by Microsoft Inc., first-aid kit donated by Boca Raton Regional Hospital, reference charts by Bar Charts, and oral hygiene kits donated by Dr. Douglas A. Rolfe.
    Members of the organization met the recipients and thanked supporters for making the 2015-16 season a successful one. “This night shows us the fruits of our labor, and our donors get to meet the young people who will benefit from their efforts,” President Tim Snow said.
    Also at this reception, Boca Raton resident Ron Wells received the Robert S. Howell Spirit of Service Award, acknowledging his volunteerism, generosity, commitment and unselfishness.
                                
    Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine received initial accreditation from the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for residency programs in general surgery and emergency medicine.
    The college’s six-year general-surgery training program is based at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, in collaboration with Bethesda Hospital East, Tenet HealthCare System’s Delray Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center.
     Its three-year emergency-medicine training program is based at Bethesda Hospital East, with St. Mary’s Medical Center and Delray Medical Center.
                                
    In May, the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for the Everglades forged an agreement with the Everglades Foundation to administer and continue two key programs in 2017: the summer intern program for undergraduate and post-graduate students and its Everglades Symposium.
                                
    Marco and Mara Pindo, owners of Ristorante Sapori, held a fundraising dinner and wine auction to raise awareness and funds to assist Cuban families in need. They served 40 guests, who each paid $100.
The Pindos have already sent helpful items to families in Cuba, but they also are forging ahead with their long-term goals: to open a restaurant in Havana and to teach Cubans how to grow the simple produce needed to sustain it, as well as to use to improve their own diets.
    Marco Pindo also plans to train young Cubans to cook, giving them a career option as tourism grows in Cuba. To donate, either bring items to Ristorante Sapori, 301 Via de Palmas, Boca Raton, or call 367-9779.
                                
    On June 1, marking Fleet Feet Sports’ one-year anniversary in Delray Beach, 55 area residents did a run along A1A in conjunction with Global Running Day. Afterward, participants attended a meet-and-greet with Olympic track and field trial qualifiers Lana Mims, Bryan Jasmin and Ron Similien, who live in South Florida. The Global Running Day celebration evolved from National Running Day in the United States, which was started in 2009 by running groups and race directors.

Aaron Hallyburton, new assistant manager at Caffe Luna Rosa, spent 13 years aboard U.S. Navy ships.

Photo provided

    Welcomed by his stepfather, Fran Marincola, Navy veteran Aaron Hallyburton has joined Caffe Luna Rosa as assistant manager. During Hallyburton’s two decades in the Navy, he spent 13 years at sea aboard three aircraft carriers and two amphibious assault ships, serving as machinist’s mate senior chief.
                                
    In June, the Palm Beach Area chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society named its south county man and woman of the year at the conclusion of the candidates’ 10-week fundraising campaigns: Morgan Tannenbaum, a veterinarian at Regency Veterinary Clinic in Boca Raton, raised $65,237, and Ariel Enisman, an attorney at the Presser Law Firm in Boca Raton, raised $11,862.

The Cool Cars for Nicholas Car Show raised $20,000 for Nicholas McClary, who has Ewing’s sarcoma.

(L-R) Claudia McClary, Ted Vernon, Nicholas McClary and Andrew McClary.

Photo provided

                                
    On May 28, Art of Speed Auto Events and the local car community presented the Cool Cars for Nicholas Car Show at Club 66 in Boynton Beach. The event raised $20,000 for Nicholas McClary, who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma ­— a bone cancer that affects mainly children — in December. Nicholas is the son of Car Show TV co-founder Andrew McClary.
                                
    The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce offers summer series Lunch & Learn, “Closing the Skills Gap,” given by CareerSource Palm Beach County, at noon July 21. The free event, open to the public, will be held at the chamber board room, 1880 N. Congress Ave., Suite 214. To reserve a space, call 732-9501.
                                
    Delray Medical Center has earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s “Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.”
    To qualify, hospitals must meet measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with tPA, a drug to treat ischemic stroke. If given intravenously in the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA reduces the effects of stroke and lessens the chance of permanent disability. The medical center is at 5352 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach.

INSET BELOW: McLaughlin (left); Milton (right)
                                
    Samantha McLaughlin and Candace Milton have joined the Leighton Design Group, a residential and commercial interior design firm founded by Chris Leighton in 1989.
    New to the interior design world, Milton was a production assistant and stylist in the television and fashion industries.
McLaughlin has worked in hospitality design in New Jersey for hotel developers.
    The Leighton Design Group specializes in “organic-minimalism styling.” Its Florida studio is at 1020 S. Federal Highway, Suite 104, Delray Beach.
                                

    Boynton Beach resident Carmen C. Howe, vice president of design at Deco One Interiors Group, was named a new member of Executive Women of the Palm Beaches.
                                

    Jayme Renshaw, formerly sales manager for Tiffany & Co. in Boca Raton, is now the group sales manager for Eau Spa at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.
                                

    The Buzz Agency, 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, has acquired Tradewinds Media Partners and hired Enid Atwater as its vice president of public relations. Atwater will manage the agency’s new Palm Beach office at 101 Bradley Place.
                                
     For its 33rd annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event on Tuesday, Aug. 2, the Delray Beach Police Department will host a rally at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, 201 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, from 6 to 10 p.m.
    Lock your doors, turn on your outside lights to show support, and spend the evening outside with your neighbors and officials. The event will have free music, food, entertainment and activities for your children. It will also feature demonstrations from the Delray Beach Police’s SWAT, K-9 and motorcycle units and the Police Explorers.
                                
     BizBash, a resource for event organizers, released its South Florida Top 100 Events 2015. Among the events listed were the Delray Beach Garlic Fest, No. 2 in the best food-related events, and Delray Affair, No. 3 in best parades and festivals.

                                
     Try out Tryst’s new summer specials: fried chicken dinner with a glass of bubbly on Sundays; “Wine Not?” specials with charcuterie and cheese boards on Tuesdays; burgers and hot dogs on Wednesdays; live entertainment on Thursdays; and late dining Friday and Saturday nights (till 1:30 a.m.). Tryst is at 4 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.


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

Jennifer Medici carries her son James, 5, during the Cason Color 5K Fun Run

in Delray Beach. Runners and walkers took part in the fundraising event on A1A.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A 5.4-acre parcel at the south end of Highland Beach is the future site of the county’s Milani Park.

The land won’t be developed as a park for at least four years, but trespassers are holding

parties there, building bonfires and perhaps disturbing turtle nests.

Photo Courtesy Highland Beach

By Rich Pollack

    Highland Beach town leaders are hoping Palm Beach County will help them in their efforts to end trespassing and illegal activity on a stretch of beachfront property the county has wanted to turn into a park since it purchased the site almost 30 years ago.
    The 5.4-acre parcel at the south end of the town — known as the future site of Milani Park — has been at the center of a long-standing dispute between the county and Highland Beach and its residents, who are opposed to opening the property to the public.
    In 2010, both sides reached an agreement that would delay any development of the park until at least 2020 and possibly for 10 more years after that.   
    Now, however, it seems that trespassers are building bonfires and drinking on the beach, disturbing turtle nests and painting graffiti on a seawall.
    And Highland Beach wants to put a stop to it.
    “Someone is going to get hurt,” said Commissioner Carl Feldman. “I want people to know it is off limits.”
    Town Manager Beverly Brown said the town’s police officers are patrolling the area, but for safety reasons are not traversing a narrow path through the wooded area from State Road A1A to the beach.
    “We don’t allow police officers to go down there alone,” Brown said. “We don’t have the staffing to patrol it on a daily basis.”  
    Brown said trespassers have cut down trees in the wooded area for bonfires and that alcohol and drug use is prevalent. She said a volunteer who works with sea turtle protection stepped on a needle and that stakes marking turtle nests were pulled up and used as firewood.
    “The neighbors are afraid to walk on the beach,” she said.
    Brown, in a letter to the county late last month, asked to have a fence put up to block trespassers.
    Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Director Eric Call said his department is working with Highland Beach to resolve the issue.
    “‘No Trespassing’ signs were posted on the property and maintenance personnel and park rangers are working with town police to monitor access,” Call said.
    County maintenance crews are also visiting the property regularly, he said.
    “As an undeveloped parcel, it is not routinely maintained,” Call said. “However, rangers patrol it daily and maintenance personnel inspect it several times a week for any graffiti or unauthorized use.”
    Call said that the county also inspects the property once a year to determine if exotic plants need to be removed.
    Highland Beach police will continue to respond to calls to the area and work to remove trespassers, Brown said.
    In May, a sign that posted hours and indicated the county park was open appeared on the seawall on the property but it was removed two days later. Call said the sign was the result of an apparent miscommunication between the town and parks department staff and said that additional ‘No trespassing’ signs have been added.
    Late last month, county crews installed a fence blocking entrance to the property from A1A.
    Palm Beach County purchased the property from Cam D. Milani in 1987 for about $4 million, intending to use the site as a beachfront park with a boardwalk and small restaurant.
    Under terms of a 2010 agreement, the county will need to alert the town in 2019 if it plans to develop the property as a park or opt to defer development for another five years.
    Call said he is not aware of any discussion among county leaders regarding the parcel’s future.

By Steve Plunkett

    Along with choosing a new president of the United States, Boca Raton voters in November will be asked to decide the fate of the city-owned Wildflower property.
    The City Council decided to give voters the chance to choose “Yes” or “No” on Nov. 8 whether they agree with a statement: “City-owned land adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway shall only be used for public recreation, public boating access, public streets and city stormwater uses only.”
    A petition drive to possibly overrule the City Council’s intentions to lease the property to the Hillstone Restaurant Group gathered 2,068 signatures, double the 1,030 required. However, their submission came too late to get the question on the Aug. 30 primary election ballot, City Attorney Diana Grub Frieser said.
    The City Council was scheduled to vote July 26 on a land-use change, rezoning the parcel, a conditional use and a 20-year lease to the restaurant group. But after the petition drive’s success, Hillstone requested at the council’s June 14 meeting that consideration of the lease be postponed until Nov. 22 and the conditional use until Dec. 13.
    Mayor Susan Haynie, at her State of the City speech a week earlier, said “the people get to speak” on the future of Wildflower.
    “I certainly don’t support the City Council going around and trying to quickly approve this and get it underway when the people have stood up and want to speak,” Haynie said.
    Boca Raton bought the 2.3-acre parcel on the north side of Palmetto Park Road in 2009 for $7.5 million so residents could have access to the Intracoastal waterfront. It then decided to lease the land, the former site of the Wildflower nightclub, to a restaurateur.
    The proposed lease would have Hillstone pay the city $600,000 a year for five years, with the payments rising every five years to nearly $700,000 annually in years 16 through 20. The city would pay all property taxes and could get added rent if gross sales exceed targets.
    Progress on the restaurant plan did not stop entirely. The city’s Planning and Zoning Board approved the site plan for Hillstone on June 9. And the council introduced ordinances to change the site’s land-use classification and zoning at its June 14 meeting.
    Jack Fox, president of the Beach Condominium Association of Boca Raton and Highland Beach, which has 9,000 residents in the city, said the group’s officers met earlier that day to take a stance.
    “The Beach Condominium Association supports having a waterfront restaurant with dockage for transient boats on the Wildflower location,” Fox said. “The $7.5 million property has sat dormant for nearly a decade … it needs to give us a return on our investment. We shouldn’t allow this kind of thing to happen.”
    A restaurant would also convert an eyesore into a spot with eye appeal and provide boaters a nearby destination, Fox said.
    Jackie Reeves, who sits on the board of directors of the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, also supported leasing the land to a restaurant.
    “As a resident and businesswoman, I am exasperated that it actually has not been turned into a revenue-producing property. It has been sidelined for so many years,” she said.
    Stephanie Dimartino, a graduate student, opposed the referendum.
    “I live at the Mark, and I want more walkable dining opportunities downtown,” she said. “This would be a gold mine for 120 new jobs, especially those at Lynn University and Florida Atlantic University majoring in hospitality and business.”
    But Andrea O’Rourke, president of the nearby Golden Triangle Homeowner Association, urged council members to consider the site as an opportunity for “place-making” rather than a site for a restaurant.
    “I have not been to any cities that have a downtown on the waterfront that isn’t utilized in some way as a place-making experience,” she said. “I don’t come back from Chicago or New York City with pictures of the restaurants that I’ve eaten at.”