Dozens protest before the Boynton CRA meeting in opposition to the height of a project proposed for the southeast corner of Woolbright Road and Federal Highway.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

    More than 50 residents protested outside City Hall carrying signs that read: “Save Boynton, Stop High Rises” and “Better Not Bigger” before a meeting when building height would be discussed.
    About 100 residents wore white shirts with stickers bearing the numeral 4 in red, indicating their four-story preference. They packed the Boynton Beach Commission Chambers, forcing others to stand along the sides and the back of the room.
    The City Commission, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, reviewed the agency’s consolidated plans on Aug. 9.         

The plans detail nine changes throughout the eastern half of the city, with the height and density increase at Woolbright Road and Federal Highway the most contentious. The changes will shape the city’s eastern half for the next 20 years.
The final vote on raising the height at the intersection to allow for 10 stories was 3-2 in favor. The vote to approve the consolidated plans was unanimous.
The plans still must be approved by the same five CRA board members sitting as the City Commission Sept. 8 and 20.
    Twenty-five people spoke against increasing the height to 10 stories at Woolbright and Federal. Six people were for it, including three consultants hired by Isram Realty, which owns Riverwalk Plaza at the intersection’s southeast corner.
    Isram submitted plans last year that call for demolishing the plaza and replacing it with a 10-story apartment building. The original proposed zoning and land-use plan allowed seven stories. The changes discussed Aug. 9 allowed 10 stories. A separate meeting will be held to review Riverwalk’s plans.
    The developer sounds like “a bully,” resident Maureen Trufano said at the CRA meeting. She said she ran a preschool where respecting others was an important rule the children learned. She said Shaul Rikman, Isram’s owner, stood up and said he needs 10 stories to make a profit when he knew only seven stories would be allowed. “He is flaunting the rules,” she said.
 Mayor Steven Grant and Commissioner Christina Romelus were on the losing side of the vote regarding the Woolbright and Federal Highway intersection.
    Romelus, whose district includes Riverwalk, said she had to support her residents, even if they did not vote for her in the March election. She said her vote that night “doesn’t demean staff. It’s just not the right plan.”
    Grant wanted an impartial review of the plan by the not-for-profit Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, which provides planning and growth management services for communities in the region. Otherwise, it would look as if the city is just changing the zoning for Isram. No board member supported him.
    Rikman shouted at Grant over the gist of their first meeting. Romelus asked for a short break. When the CRA meeting restarted, police officers moved from the back of the chambers to the front to maintain order.
    Former CRA board member James “Buck” Buchanan urged the CRA board members to think destination and promote “the Floribbean/fishing village concept that was adopted years ago.” Buchanan was ousted during a reorganization of the board last fall after disagreeing with a city commissioner at a CRA meeting.
    During the CRA meeting, two residents presented survey results in support of lower height guidelines in the CRA district. Fourth-generation Floridian Susan Oyer used the Survey Monkey program. It was online for seven days and received 545 responses. The survey had six questions that the CRA should have asked in June, she said.
    The middle-school history teacher said she reached more than 7,000 residents. The overwhelming response was for lower heights, she said.
    “We pay taxes here, we live here, we care about this area,” Oyer told the CRA board members. “You are supposed to represent the residents, not the developers who are here today and gone tomorrow.”
    Commissioner Joe Casello questioned whether anyone could vote twice in the survey. Grant said the program allows only one vote per household, recognized by the computer’s internet protocol address.
    Resident Debbie Lytle, who lives west of the interstate in Commissioner Justin Katz’s district, also had an online petition. “Regardless of where you live, [the plan] affects the whole city,” she said.
    Lytle held a stack of 726 signatures for her petition that asked people to sign if they favored the lower height at the Woolbright intersection.
    She planned to keep the survey online until Sept. 8 in an effort to collect 1,000 signatures.
    “We like that you want to set the standards high, but don’t set the buildings high, too,” she said.
    Katz voted for the height increase, saying most of his constituents are newer residents. They moved to Boynton Beach in the past 10 to 15 years and “don’t mind the height increases,” he said.
    After the vote, former Mayor Jerry Taylor deviated from his usual path to leave the chambers. Instead of using the side aisle, he climbed the center stairs and gave Rikman a thumbs-up sign. Rikman’s company had donated $2,000 to Taylor’s re-election campaign last year.

By Jane Smith

    The fate of the historic Boynton Beach High School, which seemed certain to be saved earlier this year, is unsettled again.
    At the Aug. 17 budget meeting of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, city commissioners sitting as the CRA board did not want to commit to spending money on the high school now. A majority wanted to wait to see how development teams would use it in their Town Square plans.
    They will review the request for proposals for the Town Square plans at the Sept. 8 commission meeting, before the project is advertised.
    The decision did not sit well with the group of residents dedicated to seeing the historic structure saved. Barbara Ready, who also chairs the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board, is urging residents to send emails to the commissioners in support of the high school.
She wants to see the entire building saved, not just the front, which she called a “façade-ectomy.”
    Mayor Steven Grant proposed using $185,450 remaining in this year’s Town Square budget to start work on the old high school now.
    That money will be held over into the next budget year to evaluate the financial soundness of the development teams’ plans, said CRA Executive Director Vivian Brooks.
    The $100,000 federal matching grant the CRA received for the high school is not available until Oct. 1, Brooks said. Then the County Commission would have to approve the grant, she told the CRA board members.
    Commissioner Justin Katz was not for spending any money on the high school until the city knows how it can be reused in the plans.
    “I’m not interested in spending a penny on it unless we know how we will save it,” he said. “We would be remiss to spend the [grant] money until we know 100 percent what we will do with the high school.”
    He called the April decision about the high school “a consensus, not a vote.”
    Commissioner Christina Romelus, who favored saving the high school after she was elected in March, now prefers to wait until the development teams return their plans for Town Square.  The city manager said that would be in December. An old lawsuit may complicate the city’s strategy.
    The judge still has not ruled on the city’s motion to dismiss, heard on July 11. It involves a 2013 case filed by an earlier architect who wanted to use the high school as an events center.
In April, the City Commission was concerned that using $20,000 that REG Architects and partners offered to hire a financial consultant to review the soundness of their plan would compromise the city’s  position in the lawsuit. That item was tabled until the city knows the outcome of the motion to dismiss.
    When asked how the open lawsuit would affect the city’s plans for Town Square, the response from the city spokesperson was, “Litigation pending, no comment.”

By Jane Smith

    The Oscar Magnuson House is working its way through the Boynton Beach approval process to become a restaurant that specializes in light bites and craft beers.
    The proposed owner of the 1,500-square-foot house received City Commission approval Aug. 16 to add 1,266 square feet to the rear of the house for a kitchen, restrooms and a portion of the bar. A rear porch, added in the 1950s, will be demolished. The tapas eatery will seat 183 diners.
    Instead of a wall separating the business from the three-story condo building on the east, the Planning and Development Board recommended “lots of landscaping” would work better. Diners and employees will park in the new lot at Northeast First Avenue and Northeast First Street. The buyer, a division of Local Development Co. of Philadelphia, has 45 days to close on the house, still owned by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
    The purchase price of $255,000 translates into a loss for the CRA. The agency had paid $850,000 in 2007 for the house, built about 1910 by Swedish immigrant and farmer Oscar Sten Magnuson. His wife, Eunice Benson Magnuson, was one of the first town clerks.
    The CRA also is offering $200,000 to help with the conversion of the house into a restaurant, plus available grants.
    Architect Jim Williams, of Boca Raton, is working on construction drawings that will take three to four months to finish. He expects the still-unnamed restaurant to open in the fourth quarter of 2017.
    The house carries a local historic designation, meaning the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board had to approve the renovations.
    The changes include a covered patio/outdoor dining area on the east side, a bocce ball court on the north side, fire pits on the north and east sides, and different paint colors for the exterior.

By Dan Moffett

    Despite agreeing on terms for a new working relationship with Town Attorney Brad Biggs three months ago, South Palm Beach council members remain divided over whether he should keep his job.
    Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan sharply criticized Biggs’ performance during a stormy Aug. 23 town meeting and said the council should open his position and interview applicants.
    Jordan said that, during the town’s recent negotiations with developer Gary Cohen over plans for the old Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn site, Biggs was not a strong advocate for the town’s interests.
    “Brad didn’t support the council enough,” Jordan said, complaining that he appeared to side with the developer’s lawyers.
    “When people come up and ask me whose attorney is this guy — that’s embarrassing,” Jordan said.
    She also criticized Biggs for not helping the council maintain order and follow parliamentary procedures during meetings. Jordan also has said Biggs has been slow to respond to officials’ questions.
    Vice Mayor Joseph Flagello vehemently disagrees: “Brad has done a great job.” Flagello said the town should have no complaints about how Biggs has done his job, arguing the attorney has been consistently attentive to the council’s needs.
    “If you said you don’t like the guy, all right, that’s fair enough,” Flagello said. “But from a performance standpoint, I don’t see that his performance has been anything but great. We’re not going to be totally happy with anyone who sits in that seat.”
    Councilman Woody Gorbach said he supports advertising the position because the town might be better served by a larger firm. Biggs is a sole practitioner.
    “Nothing against our attorney, but I’d like to have a firm with six or eight practitioners,” Gorbach said. “A single practitioner can’t handle it.”
    Councilman Robert Gottlieb said the council should schedule Biggs for a performance review and then decide: “[A review] is something we haven’t done.”
    Mayor Bonnie Fischer said the continuing dispute over Biggs has taken a toll on the council.
    “I don’t want to sit here on the council when there’s  dissension about you or anybody else,” she told Biggs. “It’s uncomfortable for me as a mayor because I feel like I’m in the middle of this and I don’t like it.”
    Fischer said the Town Council would schedule a workshop meeting to discuss what services the town should expect from its attorney. She said she hoped to hold the workshop in September — at a date to be determined — and then reach a consensus among council members about Biggs’ fate.
    For his part, Biggs said he was “blindsided” when Jordan first voiced her complaints during a meeting in May. “It was a very, very unusual circumstance, and I don’t think it was appropriate,” he said.
    Biggs, who has been the town’s attorney for 10 years, said he doesn’t want discussion about his future to continue coming up and would participate in the workshop. He said he thought the complaints were resolved in June when he agreed on a new contract based on a retainer payment, rather than hourly fees. Biggs agreed then to spend more time in Town Hall to improve his accessibility.
    “I felt personally attacked the last time this occurred,” he said. “I very much feel kind of bullied at this point.”

By Willie Howard

    Boynton Beach Utilities could provide water to Hypoluxo residents at lower rates than town residents and business owners currently pay to Manalapan.
    That’s according to a rate comparison presented to Hypoluxo council members at their Aug. 17 meeting by Boynton Beach Utilities Director Colin Groff.
    According to Groff’s chart, a Hypoluxo homeowner with a 5/8-inch water meter pays a monthly base charge of $42.85 to Manalapan plus $2.34 per 1,000 gallons of water used.
    The same homeowner would pay a $12.35 monthly base charge plus $1.65 per 1,000 gallons to Boynton Beach Utilities, according to Groff. (Boynton Beach’s water rates go up after the first 9,000 gallons to encourage conservation.)
    “It was a very informative presentation, and I’ll be interested to hear the presentation by Manalapan,” Hypoluxo Vice Mayor Michael Brown said.         

Manalapan officials are scheduled to make a water-supply presentation to the Hypoluxo council on Oct. 19

By Rich Pollack

    Efforts to install license-plate recognition cameras in several communities along State Road A1A in south Palm Beach County are continuing to move forward, with Delray Beach commissioners giving a green light last month for the installation of systems at five locations east of the Intracoastal Waterway.
    Delray Beach commissioners approved spending $166,000 for the systems, clearing the way for project leaders to begin planning for installation and implementation of cameras and software.
    Delray Beach Police Capt. Tom Mitchell said a planning meeting will be held this month with representatives from the company providing the systems, L-3 Mobile Vision, as well as with Florida Power & Light Co. representatives and other city representatives.
    Meanwhile, in Ocean Ridge, Police Chief Hal Hutchins said he is moving forward with his study to make sure all legal hurdles are cleared and all regulations complied with before going back to the Town Commission with a funding request.
    “There are a lot of moving pieces involved and everything has to mesh together,” Hutchins said. “Once the project is fully vetted and we’ve crossed every T and dotted every I, we’ll be able to move forward.”
    In Highland Beach, Police Chief Craig Hartmann said he hopes to bring a request for funding for a license-plate recognition system to town commissioners this month. To help reduce costs, Highland Beach will team with Delray Beach and will likely share servers used by the system as well as the cost of cameras at Linton Boulevard and A1A.
    License-plate recognition systems work by scanning tags of passing cars and comparing that information to tag numbers entered into law enforcement databases. If a tag registered to a stolen vehicle is spotted by the system, for example, an alert is sent to a dispatcher who verifies the information and then notifies officers on patrol.
    The systems can also be used for a variety of investigative purposes, including helping detectives determine the getaway route of a vehicle used in a crime.
    Mitchell says technology now makes it possible for police officers on patrol to be notified on their laptops if there is a match between a tag number in the database and one found by a nearby scanner.
    Plans to sprinkle license-plate recognition cameras throughout several communities on Delray Beach’s barrier island had been in the works for years but were derailed more than a year ago when Florida transportation officials refused to allow them on state rights of way.
    But new technology such as that used by L-3 Mobile Vision makes it possible for cameras to read tags as far away as 130 feet from the center of a roadway.
    Mitchell said all but one of the five locations planned for scanners in Delray Beach are on city-owned property.
In Highland Beach and Ocean Ridge, officials will need legal agreements to place scanners on private property.

By Jane Smith
    
Under a new special events policy, city taxpayers will soon stop subsidizing private special events in Delray Beach.
    Mayor Cary Glickstein praised the special events task force that developed the policy for staying focused on establishing a level playing field and recovering the city’s true cost of events.
    “The reason we have so many events is that we have a cool town with a walkable main street, and many [promoters] were getting a free ride,” Glickstein said at the second City Commission meeting in August.
    He said the city has grown in the past 20 years and no longer needs so many events to attract people to its downtown. “The world has changed dramatically in terms of public safety,” he said. The city’s public safety departments are currently overwhelmed by increasing heroin overdoses.
    “We’ve only recovered 40 percent of our costs,” City Manager Don Cooper said. He based that figure on analysis provided by the city’s Finance Department, which found the city paying about $274,000 annually for the 14 approved events in the next budget year.
    The exact costs in the past are not known, said Assistant City Manager Francine Ramaglia. The city likely undercharged and did not attribute all costs to an individual event, such as a portion of the special events coordinator’s salary.
    Of the 23 people who spoke at the commission meeting, eight favored continuing the events.
    “Special events affect many people,” said Laura Simon, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. “They’re special.” She asked for more time to evaluate the economic impact from the events on the downtown.
    Karen Granger, executive director of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, said, “The chamber is on board with less is more” regarding special events. She also advised the commissioners to consider the economic impact of the festivals — $5.5 million from the Delray Affair alone.
    Promoter Nancy Stewart-Franczak, who recently moved the 2017 Garlic Fest to a county park west of Lake Worth, said, “People have been calling us and asking what’s happening downtown. We will lose our fun vibe.” Her company also canceled the 2016 Wine & Seafood Fest when it ran out of time to plan the event.
    To Stewart-Franczak, who previously voiced resistance to a new policy, Glickstein said, “I’m personally offended by your comments of prior elected officials who supported you better than us. … Your sense of entitlement is palpable.”
    Only one resident, Kevin Warner, said he liked what the task force did. “It’s time to put up or shut up and raise the money to support your event. I never heard people say, ‘I moved here because of the events.’ ”
    To soften the blow to recurring event organizers who saw their costs double, the City Commission agreed to a three-year phased period for full-cost recovery of police, fire, parks and other city services.
    Police costs accounted for much of the increase. Other cities have more nonsworn police personnel to use during events, such as those needed to staff a 5K run, Commissioner Jordana Jarjura said.
    Delray Beach’s contract with its police union allows lieutenants to get the first pick of overtime jobs, said Jeff Snyder, assistant chief financial officer.
    The commissioners unanimously approved the task force’s recommendation for the city-authorized Veterans Day Parade, Holiday Parade, 100-foot Christmas Tree, Holiday Lighting Ceremonies, First Night, Fourth of July and others they determine fit the new guidelines. Four members sat on the dais; Vice Mayor Al Jacquet was absent.
    During tourist season, only one major event per month can take place under the policy; city events will have precedence. The city manager has the power to waive the rule and the decision rests with him.
    All events must pay a nonrefundable $150 permit application fee.
    Charities may receive a 50 percent discount on city services. For city sponsorships, such as for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March and the Delray Affair in April, the City Commission will want more control over the events, said Commissioner Shelly Petrolia.
    The task force will bring a final special events policy for commission approval in September with a goal of an Oct. 1 effective date, the start of the city’s budget year.

Old School Square gets
more say in events there
    The city’s Old School Square historic campus, which has housed many of the high-impact events, will return to being more of a passive park, said Robert Steele, executive director. He gave his presentation in a joint workshop with the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency held just before the commission meeting.  
    Other OSS plans include a permanent home for the CRA’s weekly Green Market and a say in what events are allowed to be held on its interior grounds, along Northeast First Avenue.
    The CRA, which is paying for the building repairs currently underway, also will cover the costs for the next phase of the master plan. The CRA has $500,000 set aside in next year’s budget for OSS, enough to cover the estimated $100,000 plan costs.

What better way to celebrate National Dog Day than with an impromptu dog park at Old School Square? Sara Toosarvandani and her daughter Grace enjoy watching the dogs while Bill Bathurst talks to his pup Angus. Dozens of dogs enjoyed an evening of monitored play.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

 Neighborly relations between Ocean Ridge and Boynton Beach have frayed in recent months, mostly because of the city’s support for high-density residential projects on Federal Highway.
 Now the two municipalities have found something else to dispute: Who will protect and serve the good citizens of Briny Breezes?
 Ocean Ridge thought it had a three-year contract to provide police services to Briny Breezes ready for the town’s approval on Aug. 18, thinking it was basically a rubber-stamp blessing of the existing arrangement.
 But a funny thing happened on the way to the council meeting. Boynton Beach officials showed up in Briny Breezes with a contract proposal with a price tag that was 10 percent lower than Ocean Ridge’s. And the offer came with a familiar deliveryman — Chris Yannuzzi.
  Now a captain with the Boynton Beach Police Department, Yannuzzi started 2015 as Ocean Ridge’s police chief and Briny Breezes’ town marshal, then was forced to resign after a dustup with Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella.
  If Briny Breezes signs a contract with Boynton Beach, Yannuzzi would return as the “point of contact” for the town and its marshal, Boynton Beach Assistant Police Chief Vanessa Snow told Briny Breezes’ council members.
 “I’m in a very unique position,” Yannuzzi said.
 “Every single person had a smile on their face,” Snow said, when Boynton Beach officers learned about the possibility of policing Briny Breezes.
 Snow and Yannuzzi presented Boynton Beach as the bigger and better-equipped alternative for Briny Breezes, with a full-time force of 155 sworn officers compared with Ocean Ridge’s 16. Boynton Beach is a fully accredited agency, they told the council. Ocean Ridge is still working on accreditation. Boynton Beach’s three-year proposal would cost Briny Breezes $200,000 annually, compared with Ocean Ridge’s contract of roughly $221,000. Briny Breezes Town Attorney John Skrandel said he thought Boynton Beach’s lower cost was derived from “economies of scale” that a larger agency could leverage.
 It took Ocean Ridge only five days after the Briny Breezes surprise to come back with a counteroffer. During an Aug. 23 budget workshop, the Town Commission unanimously approved a proposal by Lucibella to sweeten the deal for Briny Breezes: How about a five-year contract, the first year at the current cost of about $213,000, followed by four years of 4 percent annual increases to cover inflation?
 “If they leave, they’ll be back,” Lucibella said. “They matter to us. It’s a great relationship. It’s a good deal for us. We want to keep it that way. They don’t want Boynton handling this.”
 Ocean Ridge police have covered Briny Breezes for most of the last three decades, except for a three-year window from 2007 to 2010 when Boynton Beach had the contract. Briny Breezes officials were unsatisfied with Boynton Beach’s performance then and went back to Ocean Ridge.
 But Yannuzzi and Snow say their department has undergone a “cultural transformation” in recent years under the leadership of Police Chief Jeffrey Katz. Yannuzzi told the Briny Breezes council that Boynton Beach has embraced “community policing that is much more citizen-focused” and upgraded personnel.
 “I’m unbelievably impressed with the quality of the officers that came on board,” Yannuzzi said.
 Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins has countered that his department is based entirely on the barrier island and doesn’t have to contend with response time issues such as trains and drawbridges. Hutchins said there is a close link between Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes, and that his officers think of it as policing a single town.
 “We provide more than six patrols a day,” Hutchins said. “We’re part of this community. … We consider Briny Breezes a continuation of Ocean Ridge.”
 Several Briny Breezes aldermen have privately complained about the rising costs of doing business with Ocean Ridge. Councilman Bobby Jurovaty said he encouraged Boynton Beach to come up with an offer and give the town a competitive choice.
 Briny Breezes Council President Sue Thaler said the town will make that choice during a special budget meeting that begins at 5:01 p.m. Sept. 8. The new contract will take effect Oct. 1.

By Dan Moffett

    With Ocean Ridge enjoying steadily rising property values and a robust balance sheet, town commissioners think they are well-positioned to spend more on repaving streets, and also spraying against mosquitoes to allay concerns about the Zika virus.
    The town’s property values have risen about 7.5 percent over the last year, from about $825 million to $887 million.
    In July, commissioners gave preliminary approval to a maximum tax rate of $5.35 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same rate as last year, and 7.2 percent above the rollback rate of $4.99 per $1,000 that would keep tax revenues flat.
    This year’s proposed $6.62 million total budget has an increase in expenditures of roughly 8 percent over last year’s, when the town had to transfer $287,000 from its reserves to balance the books on the general fund.
    The commission has decisions to make about capital projects, such as license plate recognition cameras that could cost about $250,000 and a new media system in the Town Hall auditorium for perhaps $30,000.
    “The budget is a snapshot of our expectations for the year,” Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella said during an Aug. 23 workshop.
    Here’s how that picture is coming into focus:
    • Commissioners are supporting the idea of annually setting aside money in the capital fund to begin repaving streets. Mayor Geoff Pugh said the cost would be roughly $100,000 per mile, and the town has about 16 miles to resurface. Pugh suggested doing the project incrementally by spending $200,000 per year to finish all the paving in eight years.
    • Commissioner James Bonfiglio said the town should consider expanding its insect spraying efforts to fight off mosquitoes and the threat of the Zika virus. The town currently spends about $62,000 to spray for no-see-ums and commissioners are considering boosting that to $100,000. Bonfiglio proposed putting it in the budget for the next two years.
    “We could have serious problem if the feds and state don’t step up to the plate,” he said.
    • Several commissioners told Town Manager Jamie Titcomb they wanted to see more detail in the budget numbers, saying they wanted to ensure that there was enough transparency for the public to understand exactly where tax dollars are going.
    “I shouldn’t have to ask the question, ‘What is this? How are you spending the money?’” said Pugh.
    • Titcomb told commissioners they might want to consider hiring an in-house building inspector/engineer as a more cost-effective way of keeping up with the increase in home construction and renovation the town is enjoying.
    “We’ve been growing exponentially,” Titcomb said. Revenue from building permit fees is up 172 percent in the last year.  
The commission has scheduled two public hearings on the proposed budget, for Sept. 12 and Sept. 21, each beginning at 5:01 p.m.

DELRAY BEACH — Bruce Byron Wenzel, 88, passed away at home Aug. 12.
He was born Oct. 26, 1927, in Milwaukee, the younger son of Irma Bierer and Clarence Wenzel. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Mr. Wenzel spent 54 years as the proprietor of Mercer Wenzel, a family department store on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
He worked to improve the community through his involvement in Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Community Chest and United Way.
    Mr. Wenzel loved playing tennis and was a longtime member of the Ocean Club, Delray Beach Club, Little Club and Quail Ridge.
    He is survived by his children, Karen, Mark and Chris, and his grandchildren, Margaret, Kai and Kaeli Stenroos, and Karlanna and Britt Lewis.
    A memorial service was held Aug. 15 at Church of the Palms in Delray Beach.
    In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to United Way or a charity of your choice.
— Obituary submitted by the family

By Mary Thurwachter

    The Lantana Town Council wasted little time last month in approving an ordinance banning the use of balloons and sky lanterns.
    “They litter up the beaches and turtles think they’re jellyfish and eat them,” said Mayor Dave Stewart. “They’re not good for fish either.”
    The new law came to a vote after a representative of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation and education center in Juno Beach, approached the town to consider regulating the use of balloons and sky lanterns in the coastal community.
    Florida’s east coast is home to some of the most active sea turtle nesting beaches in the country. Deflated balloons resemble jellyfish, a common prey for sea turtles, and they cause serious harm or death when ingested.
    Palm Beach also is considering a balloon ban. Lake Worth commissioners considered the ban, too, but stopped short of adopting the ordinance, concerned that it would have no consequences for violators and would create nuisance calls for the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.
    Lantana council members were also concerned about what teeth the law would have.
    Town Attorney R. Max Lohman said penalties would be dealt with through code enforcement.
    “We don’t have specific penalties,” he said. “It would be up to a judge.”
    Stewart said a first-time offender would likely be given a warning.
People can still use balloons and sky lanterns for party decorations. They simply can’t be released into the sky.

In other action, the council:
    • Approved a fourth extension of a lease agreement with the Lantana Chamber of Commerce that allows the chamber to use the historic building at 212 Iris Ave. for $1 a year.
    • Approved an agreement with Ballard Partners Inc. for lobbyist services. Cost is $5,000 per month through Sept. 30, 2017.
    • Learned that there are so many sea turtle nests on Lantana’s public beach this year that some of them are being moved farther south for a better chance at hatchling survival.

By Mary Thurwachter

    Tom Deringer — or more specifically his tire and car repair business — wants to adopt Lantana’s public beach. But Deringer is finding that adopting the 745 feet of sandy shoreline isn’t quite as easy as saying “come to papa.”
    The Lantana councilman shared his desire during a town meeting on Aug. 8.
    “Palm Beach Tire Pros & Auto Repair wants to adopt Lantana beach,” Deringer said. “I’ve been looking for an environmentally friendly project for us for a while.”
That made him think of the beach, which he said needs cleaning.
 “It’s filthy over there,” Deringer lamented. “Someone’s got to clean it up. We’ll have a cleanup party in October and then pay a beach keeper to keep it clean.”
    To acknowledge the effort, Deringer asked that two company signs be placed at the beach entrances.
“We’re just talking about 12- by 48-inch signs to give credit for it at the entrance to the beach,” Deinger said.
    His fellow councilmen had mixed feelings.
    “I’m concerned about public perception,” Mayor Dave Stewart said. He said he wanted to be sure it was ethical for a council member to get what might be considered free advertisement. “I can see people calling me saying that certain people get special treatment.”
Stewart said he wasn’t totally against beach adoption. “But it needs to be open to everyone,” he said.
    Council member Malcolm Balfour said he thought Deringer’s idea was a noble one, but worried that there were already too many signs cluttering the small beach.
    At the council’s request, the town attorney weighed in on the subject at the Aug. 22 meeting.
    “There do not appear to be any bright line prohibitions to a sitting council member’s business being allowed to adopt the Lantana beach and provide beach cleaning services or receiving the recognition contemplated for doing so,” Town Attorney R. Max Lohman reported. “However, it would appear that in keeping with other municipalities’ best practices, it would be advisable for the Town Council to adopt a policy regarding this matter.”
    With that said, the council directed the town manager and Lohman to draft a policy, which would include a procedure for issuing a request for letters of interest, standards for selection, insurance and/or indemnification requirements, recognition-sign criteria and establishing the duration of any such sponsorship or adoption. The council would make final selections.
“I’m willing to go through the process,” Deringer said.

By Mary Thurwachter

    A town-commissioned traffic study to see if a four-way stop sign was warranted at the intersection of South Atlantic Drive and Lands End Road on Lantana’s Hypoluxo Island failed to yield the results many islanders sought.
    The traffic study, conducted in July by Calvin, Giordano & Associates, concluded “the intersection did not meet the minimum volume or crash frequency threshold required by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for the installation of a multiway stop.”
    Residents have been seeking a solution to speeding traffic on the island, known for its rustic, Old Florida appeal.
    As the study recommended, the town will add two speed limit signs on South Atlantic Drive before it intersects with Southeast Atlantic Drive.  
    A “no left turn” sign will also be installed at the intersection of South Atlantic Drive and Southeast Atlantic Drive.
    Some islanders who appeared at the Town Council’s Aug. 8 meeting didn’t like when the study took place.
    “The timing of the $8,500 traffic study was poor,” said Lyn Tate, treasurer of the Hypoluxo Island Property Owners Association and traffic calming committee chairperson. “It would have been better in November or March,” when more residents were on the island.
    Town Manager Deborah Manzo said that if the study were done during those times, “counts would go up but percentages would be similar.”
    In May, Lantana police conducted a weeklong traffic slowdown program on the island. Citations and warnings were issued to drivers who broke the speed limit.
That program was deemed successful, town officials reported, and will be repeated several times during the year.

Michele Wilde is a volunteer for Dress for Success, a group that provides professional clothing and job readiness programs for women re-entering the workforce. Wilde helps women hone their interviewing skills. Lila Photos

Michele Wilde is a consummate planner. For the past 23 years she has worked at The Breakers in Palm Beach, where she now serves as director of conference services and event sales, handling hundreds of conferences, weddings and special events each year.                              
    “I’m obsessively organized,” said Wilde.  
    She and her team produce conferences and events for groups ranging from 20 to 1,500 people. When planning weddings and parties, they pool their creative talents to come up with interesting themes.    
    One of Wilde’s favorites was a railroad theme, which was a nod to Henry Flagler, the railroad magnate who founded The Breakers in 1896. As the guests came into the ballroom, it was like entering a railcar. The windows were actually video monitors that showed scenery passing by, and the “train” made stops in foreign cities, with a food course and entertainment specific to each location.
    “We’ve done miraculous things here,” said Wilde. “It’s the fun part of our job.”
    Besides the creative aspect, what Wilde likes most about working at The Breakers, which has remained in the hands of Flagler’s heirs since its inception, are the company’s values and ethics and the expectations.
    “They permeate our culture and really make such a wonderful work environment,” said Wilde. “This is a place that people love, and they give it their all, so it makes you work harder every day.”
    One of the core values of the company is giving back to the community, and a number of volunteer activities are made available to all of its employees.
    It was this volunteer commitment of the company that inspired Wilde to get more involved in charity work. About four years ago, she became a volunteer for Dress for Success Palm Beaches, an organization that provides professional clothing and job readiness programs for women referred from more than 70 agencies in Palm Beach County, helping them re-enter the workforce and rebuild their lives.
    “It’s an incredible program,” said Wilde, who does mock interviews with the women during weekly training sessions, and then provides their mentors with feedback on each interview.
    Since it was founded in 2010, Dress for Success Palm Beaches has served more than 2,400 women and has been very successful in securing jobs.
    “It’s very rewarding working one-on-one with these ladies and helping them get ready for their next step,” said Wilde. “Once you do it, you realize what a difference you’re going to make for somebody by being generous with your time.”
    She is on the organization’s board of directors and chaired its Style for Hope luncheon last year at the Kravis Center. It’s held every March and helps to raise awareness, which is something that Wilde wants to focus on more.
    For the past three years, Wilde also has served on the board of the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, and was named vice president this April.
    Wilde got her start in the hotel business working as a lifeguard at the Cherry Hill Inn in Cherry Hill, N.J., during her college summer breaks. She was promoted to reservations, then the front office and then to the sales office.
    She came to Florida in her 20s for the warm climate, and because her grandparents were living in the Pompano Beach area. She worked at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, and then at the Sheraton Design Center in Dania Beach, where she met her husband, Darrell. She was working as a catering and conference manager and he was a banquet manager.
    He would set up a wooden table for her in the ballroom that he was preparing, and she would sit there and write her contracts. They would work until all hours of the night.
    “Hospitality people think alike,” said Wilde. “We have a great work ethic; we love people and love the pace. It takes a specific person. We both have a passion for it.”  
    Wilde and her husband, currently general manager of Wycliffe Country Club in Wellington, settled on Hypoluxo Island in Lantana, where they reared their two children, Max, 23, and Gabrielle, 21.   
    Wilde’s grandmother, now 98, still lives in the Pompano Beach area and swims every day. Wilde visits her every Saturday and takes her food shopping and does a little work for her at her place. Sometimes they hang out at the pool.
    “She’s my buddy,” said Wilde.
    So how does this hotel executive manage to balance job, family, friends and volunteer work?
    “My biggest challenge is scheduling,” said Wilde. “Finding more hours, but I tend to make it work.
    “I use my calendar religiously. I plug in all the things that are important to me personally, and I plug in my work responsibilities. For something that’s important, I schedule the time.”
— Marie Puleo
 
    Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
    A. I grew up in Cinnaminson, a small town in New Jersey just outside of Philadelphia. I learned simple, hometown values that continue to serve as my foundation, and a balance to my work environment in the luxury market. My background and family also keep me grounded amidst the pressure of my career.

    Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
    A. I was briefly in retail, but my career has primarily been immersed in hospitality.
I am extremely proud of my team when we work together on large, logistically intricate, hotel-wide events. I love when we come together to achieve success and are able to raise the bar, which ultimately impacts our guests.
    My corporate team has been with me collectively over 100 years! They are experts in their field, and work with the most discerning clientele. They are dedicated to their discipline and are true partners and advocates to their client’s event success.
    This summer, The Breakers was fortunate to host an elaborate and iconic wedding industry event with preeminent planners, vendors and colleagues. Our event sales team rose to the challenge, planning crave-worthy events and experiences from coffee breaks to the chandelier-filled gala.

   Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?
    A. When you decide on a career, do what you love with people who inspire you. Dedicate yourself — heart and soul — to it. And take time to volunteer; it instills a sense of perspective, humanity and awareness about what is really important in life.
    
    Q. How did you choose to make your home on Hypoluxo Island?
    A. My husband found the neighborhood while driving to work in Palm Beach from our house in Boca. We still feel lucky to have found this little gem tucked away in east Lantana.
    
    Q. What is your favorite part about living on Hypoluxo Island? 
    A. The privacy, the nature and my neighbors.
    
    Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
     It’s not unusual to find me listening to old school classics like Tom Jones or Louis Armstrong.
    
   Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
    A. “A party without cake is just a meeting.” — Julia Child. Life and gatherings are centered on food. Breaking bread is best done with family and friends. Enjoy, have fun and always find an opportunity to wow!
    
   Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
    A. My husband is very driven, very loyal and very dedicated to his family. He is an amazing partner and strong core of our family. He is smart, well-read, a life learner, and has a great sense of humor. I can always count on him to be thoughtful and honest in his advice.

    Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
    A. Sandra Bullock or Cher.
    
   Q. What’s your favorite cause/charity and why?
    A. Dress for Success Palm Beaches has been an incredible blessing in my life. In addition to providing business attire for women in the program, we also provide professional development. I provide career coaching for women in their quest to re-enter the workforce. Through programs at Dress for Success, we help clients realize and identify their strengths and self-worth. By offering love (sometimes tough love), attention, whatever it takes, we help them gain confidence. It is a hands-on, emotional and human partnership — I share their success and gratitude. It is very rewarding.

    To find out more about Dress for Success Palm Beaches, visit palmbeaches.dressforsuccess.org.

By Jane Smith

    The third former Delray Beach city employee prosecuted for his role in using a company that charged the city for goods that were never delivered has pleaded guilty, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
    Cesar Irizarry, 51, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to a lesser charge of grand theft and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
    His case was originally set for a jury trial on that date. He may apply for early termination of the probation after one year if all conditions are met. One condition is enrolling in a theft abatement course within 60 days.
    With his co-defendant, Orlando Serrano, Irizarry must repay the city $133,444.87.
    Irizarry was a treatment plant operator for about 25 years before he resigned in August 2015.
    Serrano, 47, pleaded guilty on June 21 to grand theft of more than $20,000 and organized fraud of more than $20,000. He was sentenced to 12 months in the county jail and received one day’s credit for time served. Serrano, who worked for the city for nearly 19 years, resigned his post as a traffic maintenance supervisor in March 2015. Another co-defendant, Harold Bellinger, died in early March.         

Prosecutors dropped the organized fraud count against Irizarry. He also can do community service at the rate of $10 per hour to satisfy court costs of $398 and $100 for prosecution. Irizarry has until Aug. 8, 2019, to pay the costs.
    When Irizarry and Serrano left their city jobs last year, they cashed out their pensions, according to the city’s pension administrator. Serrano received $20,256.24 and Irizarry received $36,480.57, less 20 percent for federal income tax with-holding.

Villa Oceano Azul fetched a $25.2 million sales price this summer. It was a record price for a house in Manalapan. The ocean-to-lake estate features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, four half-baths and a 1,234-square-foot guest house. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

In a WalletHub study on the best small cities to start a business, Boca Raton ranked 56th out of the 1,268 small cities that were analyzed. The study noted that Boca Raton tied with five other Florida cities for having the highest number of startups per capita.
    Acknowledging small businesses and this entrepreneurial spirit, the Boca Chamber of Commerce is launching its newest workshop: the Small Business Exchange. The new program aims to assist in the growth and success of small-business owners by bringing them together to discuss challenges they face and brainstorm solutions. The Small Business Exchange will take place on the third Tuesday of the month.
    Roxana Scaffidi, CEO and founder of FL-Accounting & Advisers, is the official sponsor of the event. The first meeting is 8:30 to 10 a.m. Sept. 20 at the Renaissance Hotel Boca Raton, 2000 NW 19th St. Admission is $35; seats are limited.
    To participate, contact Chasity Navarro, Boca Chamber events manager, at 395-4433 or email her at cnavarro@bocachamber.com.
                                ***
Highland Beach resident Barbara Rodriguez, director of national accounts for Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, was elected to the board of directors for the nonprofit organization Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse.
                                ***
    There is some new commercial activity in Delray Beach, reports Roxanne Register, vice president of leasing and sales at Katz & Associates.
 The storefront at 417 E. Atlantic Ave., previously the longtime location of Lady Katy, was leased to LF Stores, which will open this fall with fashions for young women. With a signed lease, Sport Clips Haircuts will open at Harbor Plaza on the northeast corner of U.S. 1 and Linton Boulevard in the fourth quarter this year. A Sprinkles ice cream store also will open at this location during this time frame.
                     ***          
    In July, Francis and Dolores Mennella bought a 20,712-total-square-foot estate, Villa Oceano Azul, at 1400 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan, for $25.2 million from 1400 S. Ocean LLC, an affiliate of West Palm beach-based Carnegie Hill Development Corp., which is led by Stewart A. Satter.
The new ocean-to-lake home on 1.85 acres, with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms and four half-baths, was completed in January. It features 205 feet on the ocean, beach access, and a 1,234-square-foot guest house.
    Francis Mennella is the president of Valley Tool & Plastics in Saylorsburg, Pa. Satter is the CEO of Consumer Testing Laboratories. He bought the Manalapan property in 2010 for $6.8 million. Listing agent was Pascal Liguori of Premier Estate Properties.
“This was a record price for this year in Manalapan,” he says.
 Philip Smith and Carla Ferreira-Smith, agents with Luxury Resort Portfolio, represented the buyer. The Benedict Group designed the two-story home, and Dale Construction built it.
           ***                    
    In August, a company controlled by Finnish businessman and developer Markku Ritaluoma sold an Intracoastal Waterway home at 485 NE Spanish Trail, Boca Raton, for $6.24 million. Ritaluoma paid $5.45 million for the two-story, five-bedroom, 7,300-square-foot house in 2008, a year after it was completed. The buyer, 485 Spanish Trail LLC, which lists a Highland Beach address, is controlled by Elena Butenko. Bomar Builders developed the home. Corcoran agent Jennifer Kilpatrick was the listing agent. It was listed for $7.89 million in September.
                                ***

Palm Beach Habilitation Center has made the following appointments to its board of directors: Dennis J. Geraghty, former COO of Mediafeedia; Anthony M. Lofaso, financial consultant with Palm Planning Group; Melissa Santoro, legislative assistant to Florida Sen. Jeff Clemens, and Jacqueline Underwood, community relations specialist with external affairs and economic development, Florida Power & Light Co.
                                ***
Completely renovated by Gregory Bonner of B1 Architects and decorated by Marc-Michaels Interior Design, the home at 1370 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan was listed  in August by Jack Elkins, an agent with the Fite Group, for $48.9 million.
The 29,862-square-foot home on three acres has nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and five half-baths.  
It was built for Generoso Pope in 1972, and according to public records, is currently owned by EB ESM31 LLC, a company managed by Edward M. Brown, CEO and co-owner of Patron Spirits, the maker of tequila, rum and vodka.         

With 300 feet of water-frontage on both the ocean and Intracoastal, the modern Balinese-style home is stunning, Elkins says. He finds the “super exotic car salon,” at the front of the property, amazing with a bar, family room and parking for the owner’s sports cars.
                     ***          
As part of a $20 million renovation project, Harbour’s Edge, a senior living community at 401 E. Linton Blvd., has completed its new media room, with video, conference and business centers and new computer technology.
    The final phase of the community’s renovation project is expected to be completed later this year and will include a transformation of the fitness and wellness areas, and an upgrade of the interior design throughout the main common areas.
                                ***
    Wow Wellness Center at Hanna Healing Arts Studio, 5821 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, which celebrated its grand opening in August, will present Wow Health Style, a fashion show and photo shoot followed by networking, makeovers, massage and more, from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 8. For information, call 866-376-0632.
                                
    At The Wellbeing Space, 717 E. Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton, Lissette Balbiers is offering her “Lighten Up Corporate WellBeing Program,” which is designed for corporate employees. The program addresses the effects of stress and how to alleviate them through relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, meditation, nutrition, lifestyle choices and exercise. For
more information, call 954-478-8298.
                                ***
    In September, Feeding South Florida, a food bank that serves Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, is taking part in a nationwide initiative, Hunger Action Month.
    Throughout the month, it will offer events and activities to encourage South Florida residents to get involved in hunger relief efforts.
 “Currently, our biggest need is funding,” said Paco Vélez, CEO of Feeding South Florida. “While we offer volunteer and food drive opportunities, for every $1 donated to Feeding South Florida, we can provide six meals. For Hunger Action Month, Feeding South Florida has set up a ‘virtual food drive’ so anyone can help.”
    For more information about the food drive and other volunteer opportunities, visit feedingsouthflorida.org or call 954-518-1818.
                               ***
    Wendy Mendez, board-certified physician assistant, has joined Steiger Facial Plastic Surgery in Boca Raton. Mendez has over 20 years of experience as a physician assistant.
                                ***
    As part of the Why Courts Matter series, Nancy Abudu, legal director for the ACLU of Florida, will speak on “How Judicial Vacancies Impede Access to Justice” at 11 a.m. Sept. 21. The talk will be held at Atlantis Country Club, 190 Atlantis Blvd., Lake Worth. The cost is $20 and rises to $30 after Sept. 11. Register online at lwvpbc.org.
                                ***
    Through Flavor Palm Beach during the month of September, visitors and locals have the opportunity to experience discounted prix fixe menus at more than 50 county restaurants. Three-course lunches are priced at $20 and dinners are priced from $30.
    For information on participating restaurants and menus, visit flavorpb.com. Reservations made through the site will benefit the Palm Beach County Food Bank.
                               ***

    Dr. Frank D. Vrionis was appointed director of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Marcus Neuroscience Institute. He will assume his new duties Oct. 1.
                            

ABOVE: Delray Medical Center’s transcatheter aortic valve replacement team is (l-r) registered nurse Jennifer George; Dr. Brijeshwar Maini, interventional cardiologist and regional medical director of transcatheter therapies; Dr. Brian Bethea, cardiac surgeon and regional medical director of cardiovascular surgery; advanced registered nurse practitioner Kathy Malcolm-Bouza; and registered nurse Amanda Fernandez. BELOW: Michael Richman, the 100th TAVR patient, and his wife, Adrienne.

Photos provided

***
Delray Medical Center hosted an event to celebrate the completion of 100 transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures. The hospital started performing the treatment option in January 2015. The procedure benefits individuals who are not suitable candidates for traditional open-heart surgery.
                                ***
    The Institute for Regional Conservation will hold a Beach Restoration/International Coastal Cleanup event from 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 1 at the Delray Beach municipal beach across from the Delray Beach Marriott. Volunteers are needed to help with planting native species and picking up trash. To volunteer, call Cara Abbott at 305-304-6610 or email her at abbott@regionalconservation.org
                                ***
During the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society’s annual Native Plant Garden Tour, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 2, visitors can view six area gardens landscaped with Florida native plants. The cost is $10 per person and free for children younger than 13. For information, call 247-3677 or visit palmbeach.fnpschapters.org.
                                ***
    The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Harvest Fest, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24-25, will feature children’s activities, live music, craft vendors, local food trucks and a car show. It will be held at the Boynton Beach Mall’s east parking lot in front of JC Penney and the food court.
                                 ***
The Florida Festivals & Events Association recently announced the winners of its annual SUNsational Awards. In the $250,000+ budget category, 2016 Garlic Fest / Bacon / Bourbon Fest brought home first place for Best Commemorative Poster, second place for Best Photo (credits to Aaron Lurie, VMA Studios), and third place for Best Website (credits to RealTime Marketing Group). In the $50,000+ budget category, the 2016 Garlic Fest / Bacon / Bourbon Fest won first place for Best Photo (credits to Aaron Lurie, VMA Studios), second place for Best Facebook Campaign (credits to RealTime Marketing Group), and second place for Best Website (credits to RealTime Marketing Group).


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

By Jane Smith
    
The proposed Atlantic Crossing project sits in two courts.
    Edwards Cos. of Ohio is appealing the two monetary claims against Delray Beach that the federal court dismissed in July. The developer also will litigate the remaining claims that were sent back to the state court.
    “We are committed to keep Atlantic Crossing moving forward, and to reach final resolution of all litigation to preserve our property rights,” said Don DeVere, Edwards’ vice president.
    The appeal was filed on Aug. 24.
    The developers were seeking more than $25 million from the city to cover their costs for the 9.2-acre project.
    “The dismissal was comprehensive and well-reasoned by a highly respected judge,” said Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein. “It’s unfortunate the developer prefers spending on multiple lawyers rather than working with the city and creative planners to produce a safe and functional development plan that could move forward.”   
The proposed Atlantic Crossing project sits at the main intersection in the city’s downtown — the northeast corner of Federal Highway and Atlantic Avenue.
    The $200 million mixed-use project was proposed by a partnership between Edwards Cos. and Ocean Ridge resident Carl DeSantis. Edwards bought DeSantis’ share in June for $38.5 million. But both would share in the proceeds if the federal case is decided in favor of the developers.
    The development team sued Delray Beach in June 2015, claiming the city has not certified its site plan that was approved in November 2013 and affirmed by a previous City Commission in January 2014. Last October, the lawsuit was moved to federal court.

By Sallie James

    It’s “game on” once more in the on-again, off-again legal wrangling surrounding a proposal to build an Orthodox synagogue and Israel museum east of the Intracoastal Waterway.
    Local activists Gerald Gagliardi and Kathleen MacDougall filed an amended complaint in federal court in August in their effort to prove that Boca Raton created unconstitutional legal classifications through “corrupt dealings,” and then wrongly approved a zoning classification specifically tailored to allow construction of Chabad of East Boca on 0.81 acres at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road.
    The lawsuit seeks costs, attorney fees and compensatory and punitive damages.
City officials typically do not comment on pending litigation.
    Gagliardi and MacDougall live within walking distance of the proposed synagogue and claim the project will snarl traffic in an already congested area and create parking issues. The lawsuit also claims the project’s height of 40 feet, 8 inches — the area limit is 30 feet — will mar the ambiance of a neighborhood characterized by low-rise development.
    The Boca Raton City Council approved plans for the 18,000-square-foot Chabad of East Boca synagogue and Israel museum in May 2015 and controversy has swirled since.
    Plans for the project are on hold due to pending lawsuits. The synagogue’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Ruvi New, continues to keep the faith despite repeated setbacks.
    “We look forward to moving beyond the litigation and on to construction, God willing,” New said.
    Gagliardi and MacDougall filed an initial complaint against the Chabad project in February.
However, a federal judge dismissed that complaint in late July, claiming the duo failed to prove they had suffered injury as a result of the city action.
    Chabad has been trying to find a location to build for years.
In 2008, the congregation wanted to move into a 23,000-square-foot building near Mizner Park, but was not able to meet parking requirements.
    “The amended complaint shines the spotlight on a shell game of city corruption …,” MacDougall wrote in an email. “Thousands of residents, of every race, creed and color depend on a mere 1,393 feet of road to gain access to the Palmetto Park Bridge and the mainland. A ‘make it so’ managerial style of city governance is not acceptable when it comes to public safety.”
    The new four-count complaint, filed on Aug. 12, accuses the city of initiating a change in city code to “unconstitutionally advance and create special privilege” for Chabad.
The complaint alleges the city approved “an increased height of the building” as well as “deviations, variances and knowingly erroneous interpretations of city rules, regulations, laws and ordinances, all conducted to advance the religious purposes of the Chabad.”
    The plaintiffs claim they will be harmed by the influx of additional traffic that will be funneled into their neighborhood as a result of the proposed synagogue, and that emergency services will be adversely affected.
    “Completion of the Chabad further will alter the beach-oriented, relaxed and low-intensity character of [their neighborhood],” the lawsuit states.
    Supporters of the project say the Chabad is perfect for the area and will increase property values. They disagree the project will snarl traffic even more because Chabad members walk to services per their religion.

By Steve Plunkett
    
The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District will continue to let its annual contribution to the downtown Community Redevelopment Agency grow, but wants to discuss stopping the payments in the future.
    Arthur Koski, the district’s interim executive director, told commissioners Aug. 15 that the contributions were evidence of a historical “spirit of cooperation” between the district and the CRA. He advised them to cancel an Aug. 22 special hearing called to consider freezing the annual check at $894,000 each year.
    That would have left the CRA with a $132,000 shortfall for fiscal 2017 and more in subsequent years.
    Koski said the CRA and the district agreed in 1986 that the district would pay into the CRA’s redevelopment trust fund to provide for park and recreational facilities and public art downtown.
    Three years later the city asked the district to allow its money to be used to pay off debt for building Mizner Park.
    “Again, in the spirit of cooperation, this board agreed,” Koski said.
    Without the money from the parks district, the CRA may have had to take money from another account or ultimately get bailed out by the city.
    Koski said the original agreement was due to sunset this year and the 1989 agreement would end when the Mizner Park bond is paid off in December 2018.
    “There may be some dispute from the city as to whether we have the right to walk away after completion of the debt,” he said.
    The CRA, he said, will continue to exist until 2025, longer if the City Council extends it.
    But Koski, who is also the district’s attorney, advised against “getting into a contest of lawyers trying to determine who is right or wrong” and recommended that commissioners add the issue to the agenda of an as-yet unscheduled joint meeting with the council.
    Commissioners seemed ready in July to freeze the CRA payment after Koski told them a state statute would allow them to do so. But City Attorney Diana Grub Frieser, who is also the CRA’s attorney, said the statute does not apply.
    Part of the city taxes that downtown property owners pay fund the CRA’s operations. The district does not own any land within the agency’s boundaries and, without the agreements, would not owe the CRA any money.