Critics complained that the plaque erected in March appears to say that some departing council members had created Memorial Park, rather than its 1947 founders. Photo provided

By Mary Hladky

In its first meetings since the pivotal March 10 election, the newly constituted Boca Raton City Council decided to nullify one of former Mayor Scott Singer’s last actions.

In a hurry-up maneuver on March 24 just one week before his last day as mayor, Singer took the lead in holding a ceremony to unveil a new plaque for Memorial Park in the city’s downtown campus, dedicating it to those who gave their lives for the nation, all veterans and service members.

He was joined by the four other council members and City Manager Mark Sohaney, a Navy veteran.

The city did not notify residents of the ceremony and it was not open to the public. Only veterans and veterans organizations were invited.

Singer told residents about the event at that night’s council meeting, saying the council had pledged to dedicate Memorial Park regardless of whether or not voters approved the city’s plan to redevelop the downtown campus. Voters overwhelmingly rejected that project.

The next day, he elaborated on Facebook.

“It was an honor to be joined by so many veterans as our city commemorated a special day with the dedication of Memorial Park,” he wrote. “The ceremony marks the beginning of a long-held vision — to create a meaningful place that honors our veterans, including those who served here in Boca Raton during World War II.”

Whatever Singer intended, the ceremony and new plaque sparked a backlash.

Critics said the plaque contained inaccuracies, was unveiled at an invitation-only ceremony and did not make clear that the original plaque, which disappeared many years ago, specifically honored WW II veterans.

They also said the new plaque erases from history that the first one was placed by Town Council members in 1947 and included their names. The new plaque includes the names of City Council members in place before the March 10 election.

“As a military veteran who stood alongside many of you in Save Boca for months last summer to protect Memorial Park from a massive private development and a City Council that showed no respect for it, I find it both absurd and unconscionable that this outgoing City Council, in 2026, would try to put their names on a sign taking credit for a World War II Memorial that was created by a completely different council in April, 1947,” Navy veteran Frank Paton III wrote on Facebook.

“Every single member of this group (Save Boca) needs to get together and make sure that our new city council takes down that horrible plaque and gets the names changed to the original city council members from 1947,” wrote Roxanna Trinka.

The current City Council, which includes three new members, and Sohaney rapidly changed course during the council’s April 13 and 14 meetings.

The March 24 plaque will be scrapped. A new one will contain language drafted after “significant input” from veterans, Sohaney said. It credits the 1947 Town Council. And a public ceremony will be held.

Although the council did not immediately set a date, Memorial Day has been suggested.

The changes, said Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau, are not about a plaque. Rather, it is about “historical integrity and respect for the past and our residents. I believe correcting this is an opportunity to restore public trust.”

“It does take a step toward helping heal the community,” said Mayor Andy Thomson.

The attention Memorial Park has received obscures the fact that many residents were unaware it exists.

It is home to recreation facilities they use, including tennis courts and ballfields. And yet few have known it by that name.

The exception is veterans, who are well aware and want to ensure that it is preserved.

“It is important that we retain the status of the park as being a living memorial,” Paton said. “The park was dedicated to the World War II veterans specifically.”

Paton credits Save Boca for stressing the need to save the park. “Save Boca and citizens who stepped up to the plate saved the park from being bulldozed (by developers),” he said.

His wife, Kimberly, the owner of Boca Print, and daughter Haylee joined the effort, printing signs, T-shirts and literature at cost for Save Boca.

Paton was among the veterans who were consulted by city officials and the developers Terra and Frisbie Group, which rebranded as One Boca and would have redeveloped the downtown campus if voters had approved the project.

While One Boca developed plans for Memorial Park, Paton wasn’t impressed.

“Nothing signifying a living memorial,” he said.

Another of the group of veterans brought in to advise was Andrew Reese, a retired U.S. Army sergeant who works with the veterans community.

From the start, he said he made clear he did not want to take a political position. “I just wanted to make sure anything that was done was in a dignified and respectful manner” and that veterans should have a voice, he said.

Current city residents have little idea of the importance of the Boca Raton Army Air Field during World War II, he said.

Possibly as many as 100,000 trained or studied there, including the men now known as the Tuskegee Airmen and the crew of the atomic bomb-dropping Enola Gay.

“Now it is kind of sad there is not more knowledge about this and recognition of how important that base was,” he said.

Reese didn’t pass judgment on One Boca’s plans for Memorial Park, but he said One Boca’s representatives were very receptive to veterans’ input.

“They very much seemed to do this in the appropriate way,” as did Singer, he said.

The Town Council in 1947 wanted to include a veterans building, Reese said, and he endorses that idea now as a home for organizations providing services to veterans.

His advice to the city: “If you are going to do something, it needs to be sincere.” 

Delray Beach fined the popular wellness and community event known as Coco Market $15,000 following a dog attack that left a teenager with severe facial injuries.

This follows the Feb. 20 action by City Manager Terrence Moore suspending the special events permit for organizers at Cocoyogi, Inc. for three months. A 16-year-old was bitten on the face by a dog at the event at the city’s Old School Square campus on Feb. 8.

The victim suffered a severe laceration to her upper lip and cheek that could result in permanent scarring.

The dog was on display by restaurateur Rodney Mayo’s H3 Dog Rescue. Coco Market did not have permission from the city to have an organization with animals at the event. Mayo has also been at the center of controversy with the city concerning parking issues at his Subculture coffee shop.

Representatives for Cocoyogi were told they may resume hosting events in June, but that further violations could result in a permanent ban. 

— John Pacenti

ABOVE: Many modular home parks, like Ocean Breeze in Jensen Beach, have been replacing ground-level homes (right) with elevated homes (left). BELOW: A Briny Breezes resident sloshes through knee-deep water during king tides, which repeatedly flood residences on the west side of State Road A1A. New regulations will allow homes to be elevated 10 feet. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Related: Publisher's Note: Elevated homes a big step forward in Briny Breezes

By Patrick Sherry

Flooding is the price for living along the Intracoastal Waterway that residents in Briny Breezes know all too well, but newly approved elevated home rules are now raising hopes for homeowners who want to protect their community.

The town’s corporate board in March approved allowing construction of elevated homes. 

The rule change means modular homes can be built up to 10 feet above the ground atop concrete pilings — with parking underneath. The approval comes after updated FEMA regulations that require new homes in high-risk flood zones to be elevated a certain number of feet above sea level.  

“Briny Breezes is a very unique community that just doesn’t exist in today’s world,” said Michael Gallacher, general manager of Briny Breezes Inc. “If you live here or spend time here, you understand that and want to preserve that for the future because no matter how much money you spend, you can’t duplicate what we have here.”

Over the past few decades, rising sea levels and king tides have threatened residents’ homes with severe flooding. 

In 2021, the town hired an engineering firm to create a resiliency guide to help the community plan for these problems. The report showed that tidal flooding and storm surges are expected to worsen over the next 50 years, with the west side of the town being more at risk. Along with suggestions of investing millions of dollars into infrastructure improvements, the guide recommended alternative building methods, such as elevating homes. 

Town officials spent nearly two years holding public meetings to get input on creating regulations for the elevated homes. At first, they said that some of the community’s reaction was negative because many residents thought they would have to raise their homes right away. 

“Nobody likes change, so that’s the biggest thing,” said John Corrigan, head of the town’s Architectural Review Committee. “The more people came to the meetings, the more people understood it.”

For now, the change applies only to 242 home sites on the west side of State Road A1A.  

These types of homes are already in use in places like Jensen Beach and the Florida Keys. But town officials made sure to listen to residents’ input to create regulations and a design that fit the character of the community.

“We made sure that everybody knew that they do not have to raise their home — no one’s being forced to raise their home,” said David White, a corporate shareholder and Briny Breezes alderman. “Briny Breezes is probably going to look a lot like it looks right now for the [next] 10, 20 years ahead.” 

Town officials don’t know the exact cost of a new home yet, but some estimate it could range from $450,000 to $500,000 to build the elevated foundation and cover the cost of the modular home itself. The price can vary because of soil testing to find bedrock and place the foundation. The total square footage of the home will also affect the total price.

Only a handful of elevated homes are expected to be built in the near future. Town officials said that some will be finished by the end of the year or early next year. Applications for them are already open. 

The town is also in the process of getting funding for a sea wall improvement project and a drainage system project to further help mitigate flooding. 

Officials agree that these plans are a necessary step to protect the future of the community for decades to come. 

“Briny Breezes … as a community believes that they want to have their children, their children’s children — their great-grandchildren — have the Briny Breezes experience,” White said. “This is entirely motivated by people who want to see Briny Breezes last forever.” 

By John Pacenti

Regulating sea walls can be dicey for municipalities. While they race to fortify against rising tides, such efforts often collide with the checkbooks of private property owners, turning climate resilience into a very expensive home improvement.

Manalapan Town Manager Eric Marmer recommended to commissioners at their April 14 meeting that the town broaden its coastal protection strategy beyond its fight against the county’s sand‑transfer operation — which takes sand from the town’s side of the Boynton Inlet and dumps it on Ocean Ridge’s side. He recommended including a coordinated sea wall, shoreline and inspection program aimed at improving public safety, environmental outcomes and long‑term resiliency.

“I think we would focus on new construction, like, if you’re building, you have to do this, but not force current homeowners to do it,” Marmer said.

It’s a smart strategy since Fort Lauderdale and Key Biscayne had near revolts when each tried to propose a sea wall height ordinance for existing homes. 

A sea wall replacement could cost $50,000 to $150,000, and residents in Fort Lauderdale accused the city of trying to force them out of their homes. In Key Biscayne, some residents argued that barrier islands are designed to allow water to pass through, and sea walls actually cause flooding by creating a bathtub effect.

Miami Beach, on the other hand, has taken an aggressive stance on failing sea walls, levying daily fines, and will install temporary flood barriers at the property owner’s expense.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties have passed sea wall ordinances, but Palm Beach County has not, Marmer noted.

“We’re going to start monitoring them, making sure they’re up to speed,” Marmer said of the town’s inspections of sea walls. 

Jacek Tomasik, the building code administrator for the town, said he is gathering information on how other municipalities regulate the construction of sea walls. Part of the strategy centers on modern “living” sea wall concepts and wave‑mitigation panels designed to reduce wave energy, improve near-shore water quality, and even support marine life. 

Marmer said the town has been researching vendors and innovative designs used in other South Florida venues and plans to evaluate whether the town should adopt standards or incentives to promote those materials. He suggested the possibility of offering fee relief for installations that incorporate eco‑benefits.

Joe Imbesi, spouse of Commissioner Orla Imbesi, said he is in favor of the town’s getting serious about sea walls because of flooding on Lands Ends Road on Point Manalapan and the rest of Hypoluxo Island.

“What I’m hoping they’re getting to is there should be a uniform sea wall on the entire beach, the part that’s facing the lake (the Intracoastal Waterway), because most times when there is a lot of rain, the whole road, you can’t even get down that road.” 

Two on council suggest it may be divisive, prefer trained planner

By Mary Hladky

Two weeks after the Boca Raton City Council created a task force to help decide how the 31.7-acre downtown campus should be improved, its existence is in jeopardy because two council members now doubt it is a good idea.

The task force was proposed by Mayor Andy Thomson to gather the ideas and preferences of residents for re-imagining the campus after city voters in March soundly rejected the city’s plans to partner with developers on the project.

Decisions, he said, should be “residents driven” so that they — not developers or city officials — would steer the outcome. The task force was approved by a 3-1 vote on April 14, with Council member Yvette Drucker absent.

But Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau questioned that decision at the council’s April 28 meeting. She had thought the task force would be helpful, but now was concerned that “this is not the right approach.”

The task force would be small and other city residents would not have a voice, she said. The better approach, she said, would be to have a professional urban planner lead the effort.

“I worry it may become more divisive, rather than productive,” Grau said of the task force.

Council member Jon Pearlman, who had voted against the task force on April 14, said he agreed with Grau.

“We don’t need an unelected blue-ribbon commission,” he said on April 14. “We should be answering to all the people who elected us.”

Deflecting to a task force would be abdicating the council’s responsibility to another group, Pearlman said.

Thomson disagreed at the time. “I don’t believe we are abdicating our responsibilities by getting advice,” he said, and any final decision would be made by the council.

On April 28, Thomson defended his idea again, saying task force meetings would be open to all residents to voice their opinions. “I think this is an opportunity to participate in a meaningful way,” he said.

The council will decide the issue soon, possibly at its next meeting, set for May 12.

Thomson had proposed that the task force have nine members appointed by the council. It would be in place for about six months before delivering a final report.

He also proposed that he chair the group since he has experience running meetings.

But Pearlman and Grau objected, and Thomson agreed to drop that idea and instead allow the task force members to select the chair.

Specifics were not finalized. Grau, for example, proposed hiring an urban planning firm — which has expertise council members lack— to lead the process, an idea Thomson said made sense.

A small number of residents addressed the issue on April 14, with only former mayoral candidate Mike Liebelson opposed to the task force. Two prominent Save Boca members said they liked the idea. 

The Ocean Ridge Town Commission had sympathy for Charlie Dahlem but no leeway.

Commissioners at their April 13 meeting rejected a plea to reduce a $76,000 fine for code violations incurred before Dahlem purchased the property at 113 Island Drive. They concluded the fine stemmed from long-standing compliance failures that are the responsibility of the property owner and contractor.

Dahlem told the commission that fencing and sea wall concerns raised by town officials were remedied, and he provided a sea wall engineer’s letter asserting the sea wall requires repairs but is not in emergency condition.

Commissioners noted fines began accruing well before Dahlem and his wife, Lisa, bought the lot and initiated their project. They inherited the mess when they purchased the property and kept as their builder the same contractor that compiled the fines, Bella Homes.

The commission has said Dahlem should seek redress from Bella. 

Several commissioners pressed the couple about why the town should assume responsibility for fines that appeared to arise from contractor performance and missed deadlines. 

Commissioner David Hutchins said the issue was not the town’s to resolve and opposed any relief. Mayor Geoff Pugh and others criticized the prior contractor’s conduct and cited the extended neighborhood disruption that prompted town enforcement action.

“We are making a significant investment in the community, and we think that everyone will be very pleased with it,” Dahlem said of the home being built. “We’re going to be good neighbors. We’re interested. We love this town.”

In October, in a tense discussion, Pugh chastised Stephen Petrucci of Bella Homes. “We have asked you over and over and over again for years to do something about the property. You didn’t listen to the town,” Pugh said.  

— John Pacenti

By Jane Musgrave

Hired in November to work the same magic in Boynton Beach as he did decades ago to revitalize Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Community Redevelopment Agency Director Chris Brown resigned in April after an investigation found he verbally and physically accosted his staff.

Boynton Beach city commissioners, who also serve as the board of the CRA, made no comments about Brown’s abrupt departure or the incident that led to it. At a meeting on April 14, they simply accepted his resignation, terminated the $400,000-a-year contract with Brown’s company and turned his duties over to City Manager Dan Dugger indefinitely.

Brown’s departure comes as the CRA is juggling various multimillion-dollar projects, including the redevelopment of the recently purchased Inn at Boynton Beach site and others along Boynton Beach Boulevard, the expansion of Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park along the Intracoastal Waterway, and rebuilding of the city’s perpetually sagging downtown. It has talked about floating a $30 million bond issue to buy more land.

Brown’s resignation came five days after top CRA staff complained that he repeatedly dropped the f-bomb and used other obscenities to express his frustrations with their work. 

Assistant CRA Director Tim Tack said Brown, 85, entered his office on April 9 and called him a “f***ing loser.” Tack had served as interim director from 2023 until Brown was hired.

“You need to man up and take f***ing control, you have been the g**damn executive director for two years,” Brown told Tack, according to an investigation by employment law attorney David Gobeo. Brown then poked Tack in the chest with both hands.

When Finance Director Vicki Hill entered Tack’s office to try to calm Brown, he told her, “this is a f***ing private conversation,” and pushed her from the office, Gobeo wrote.

In a four-page report he sent commissioners on April 14, Gobeo concluded that Brown’s conduct violated CRA policy and caused employees to fear for their safety. Discipline, including termination, was warranted, he wrote. There’s no indication in the report that Brown was interviewed.

On the same day, Brown submitted his resignation. Instead of addressing the allegations, he blasted the organization, saying its finances were in shambles, and called the work environment “hostile.”

He claimed the agency lacked important financial controls. He said he was repeatedly denied key reports, such as accounts payable, and was rebuffed when he tried to create “a clearer, more understandable budget.”

The agency, he claimed, has lost millions by keeping $30 million in a low interest-bearing checking account instead of investing it in a state fund where it would earn money.

He said his company, Redevelopment Management Associates, had built a good reputation for helping revitalize cities across the state since he formed it in 2009 after leaving his Delray Beach CRA post.

“We cannot, however, continue to operate effectively under circumstances marked by hostility, withheld information, and misrepresented facts,” he said. “For the protection of public resources and the long-term success of Boynton Beach’s redevelopment goals, it is best that we part ways.”

Neither Brown nor Dugger returned phone calls seeking comment. However, it appears the city took his claims seriously. Dugger dispatched Alan Lawson, the city’s chief financial officer, to review the CRA’s books.

During a preliminary analysis, Lawson said he found serious lapses in some of the CRA’s internal controls, particularly the use of a credit card that allows employees to make business-related purchases without going through the purchase order process.

The CRA doesn’t have policies that establish spending limits for the so-called p-cards or to prohibit the use of the cards for such items as gift cards or alcohol. It doesn’t have a system to track how many cards are circulating among staff, he told the CRA board at a meeting on April 21.

Lawson said he planned to spend two weeks auditing the books to “identify, document, and quantify any irregularities” and put controls in place to eliminate the chance for fraud in the future.

The task won’t be easy, he said. Normally, such audits take three months. He said he was planning to complete his work in 10 days. “I’m not going to be getting any sleep in the next two weeks,” he said. 

Commissioner Mack McCray balked at Lawson’s use of the word “fraud.” Lawson agreed the word could be misconstrued and agreed to substitute the word “risk.” 

He said a similar exercise was done to ensure city finances were in order. Commissioners agreed the process was routine.

From the start, the selection of Brown’s firm to run the CRA wasn’t fully embraced by commissioners. It was an unprecedented move for the city, which had always simply hired someone to run the agency.

At a November meeting on  Brown’s contract, Commissioner Aimee Kelley voiced concern about its $400,000 cost — far more than the city manager’s $273,000 annual paycheck.

Commissioners also balked at Brown’s request to be allowed to spend up to $75,000 without their OK. Instead, they said he could spend $10,000.

Dugger sought to allay their concerns. The city was getting the advantages of the firm’s extensive knowledge about redevelopment through its work for other cities, he said.

He likened it to hiring an outside law firm instead of hiring an in-house attorney.

“What we’re missing now is trust and the only way we gain trust is through time,” he said.

Ultimately, the decision to hire Brown was unanimous. To show his city spirit, Brown donned a baseball cap with Boynton’s logo on it.

“Welcome aboard,” Mayor Rebecca Shelton said. “We’re going to work you to death.” 

By Mary Hladky

Past Boca Raton City Council members have said it took them as long as a year to learn the arcana of how a city functions so they could do their jobs effectively.

Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman faced that learning curve during his first council meetings after winning election on March 10 with promises of being a change agent.

Cities must follow a charter, local ordinances and state laws that spell out how they conduct business. The process can be cumbersome, but it’s ingrained.

Pearlman’s questions and objections bogged down the April 13 and 14 meetings, which dragged on far longer than is typical. That prompted unsuccessful council candidate and Save Boca supporter Meredith Madsen to approach the podium with a plea.

“Can we not burn the town down?” she asked. “We all won. We stopped (developers) Terra/Frisbie. We need to have everything move forward now. … I am respectfully asking everyone to allow the normal business of the City Council to continue.”

Pearlman first encountered a roadblock at the April 13 workshop meeting when he made several motions and sought council votes.

Workshops are intended to give council members information about matters they will vote on at the next day’s council meeting — not to take action. Motions and votes are made at council meetings.

Mayor Andy Thomson explained the process.

“I appreciate what you are trying to accomplish,” Thomson said. “This tends not to be the time for us to be … putting forward motions. If we want to take action … it has to be at a regular meeting. … The community deserves due process on these things. …”

Pearlman graciously accepted the advice. “I want to abide by the protocols that serve the council,” he said. “However you see us doing that, I definitely will abide by that.”

At the next night’s council meeting, Pearlman removed two items from the consent agenda because he had objections.

In Boca Raton, the consent agenda typically contains noncontroversial matters concerning the basic running of city government that are voted on as a group for efficiency.

Council members can remove an item to discuss it further or to seek council disapproval, but that rarely happens. If there is a question or concern, it typically would be raised at the earlier workshop meeting.

One consent agenda item concerned a public right-of-way agreement for telecommunication cables. Pearlman thought the cables did not service Boca Raton residents. He dropped his objection when city officials explained the cables’ function and importance.

The second one involved hiring a firm to assess the condition of municipal buildings — including the Community Center, police headquarters, Downtown Library and Fire Station 7.

Pearlman thought the city was spending too much money for visual inspections and wanted physical inspections as well. The discussion ended when a city official explained that both were being done.

Thomson told Pearlman that all the details about consent agenda items can be seen in the links to the agendas that are posted online before meetings.

It also became apparent that while Save Boca-endorsed candidates won a City Council majority, Pearlman could not necessarily expect them to vote with him as a bloc.

A matter of particular importance to him was allowing Boca Raton residents a vote on a City Charter amendment and an ordinance which would not allow the City Council to sell or lease any city-owned land greater than one-half acre unless residents approved doing so in an election.

The two Save Boca measures were embraced by members for giving residents the power to decide if projects such as the downtown campus redevelopment should be approved or denied.

But Circuit Judge G. Joseph Curley ordered that the measures be thrown off a Jan. 13 special election ballot because one was unconstitutional and the other required a vote before Jan. 13.

That has left both hanging in limbo, and Pearlman wants voters to have their say as soon as possible. Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link has said the earliest possible election date is March 9, 2027, during the regular March municipal elections.

While the intent of the ordinance and charter change still remain the same, they have been revised so that an election would not need to be held for matters such as easements or leases of city-owned land to nonprofits and other civic organizations.

The need to hold elections would make simple measures complex and time-consuming and would be costly for the city.

But city officials think that the wording could be further improved, in part as protection against legal challenges. Pearlman pressed to have the revised measures approved as is.

Thomson said he understood that Pearlman thinks the ballot language should stand.

“But if we can improve on the language, let’s do that,” he said.

Pearlman pushed back forcefully, saying “we already are taking action to subvert the will of the people.”

“It is insane to me” that council members think residents didn’t understand what they were doing when they signed petitions seeking the ordinance and charter change, he said.

Thomson said he never suggested that residents did not understand. But he said that since there was no need to rush a vote, the council and city staff had time to craft more precise language.

Pearlman, though, did not convince Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau and Council member Stacy Sipple, the two other Save Boca-endorsed candidates.

No other council member seconded his motion to place on the next night’s agenda an item that would require the charter amendment to be on the ballot for an election to be held as soon as possible.

Yet the city intends to act. A public hearing on the ordinance, as well as a discussion on a related resolution, is set for May 12.

The charter amendment will be voted on by residents, probably on March 9, 2027.

By Sephora Charles

A recent survey shows most Lantana residents and visitors want little to no changes to the Lantana Beach Park, but that didn’t stop the Town Council from backing an estimated $13 million first phase of a total project that could end up topping $30 million. 

The town hired CPZ Architects to create a conceptual proposal for the remodeling because the beach is “dilapidated in many cases,” Town Manager Brian Raducci said during an April 10 visioning session.

A bifurcated first phase would include rebuilding the boardwalk, demolishing the existing Dune Deck Café and pavilion, and constructing new restrooms, a new restaurant, a new lookout tower and retail kiosks.

Phase 2 is proposed to include $1.6 million to add new amenities to the lower part of the park; Phase 3 would allocate $14.7 million to construct a two-story parking garage; and Phase 4 would have $2 million to build a new pier.

The council reached a consensus to proceed with the project, beginning with the first phase. As the project continues, it will decide whether or not to continue with the other phases.

That move came despite the results of a staff survey of 689 residents and visitors in March. When asked what they think of the beach’s current appearance, 43% of respondents said minimal improvements should be made to “enhance the safety and functionality of the existing amenities.” More than 21% of people think the current appearance is fine, leaving 35% wanting a comprehensive look at the entire site so crews can make the discussed improvements. 

Respondents also voted for the three amenities that are most important to them: showers and restrooms, the restaurant with a terrace overlooking the natural environment, and the picnic area. If residents had to eliminate proposed amenities due to costs and other factors, several voters chose to remove the second-floor event space, lookout tower, sand volleyball courts and casual food options.

In terms of usage, more than half of the respondents want the beach to remain as a quiet “best kept secret,” 24.4% want minimal improvements to increase usage and 18.3% would like to see major changes to increase the demand for services such as hotels and restaurants. 

Raducci presented the results at the visioning session, a workshop designed for town officials and council members to discuss town's future. 

Drainage project on Hypoluxo Island

Residents of Hypoluxo Island should expect detours and possible one-way traffic conditions over the next several months. 

The town of Lantana started a multi-month drainage improvement project in April on the island to help mitigate flooding in certain areas. The project is anticipated to be completed toward the end of the year. 

Construction workers have already started Phase 1 of the project near Beach Curve Road and Barefoot Lane. Phase 2 will be between 705 and 737 N. Atlantic Drive, with Phase 3 being from 925 N. Atlantic Drive to the cul-de-sac. Each phase is expected to last two months. 

Access to homes will be maintained, but detours and one-way traffic are likely. Normal road access will be restored at the end of each workday. The town’s contractor will also be using the south side of McKinley Park as the project staging area, which will limit usage of the park 

To stay updated on the status of the project, follow the Historic Hypoluxo Island and HIPOA Community Information Facebook pages. 

— Patrick Sherry

By Patrick Sherry

Big community events in Lantana could face new requirements from the town if they impact public safety or nearby streets.

The Lantana Town Council on April 13 gave an initial OK to a proposed ordinance that would create a new approval process for special events that “significantly impact public rights-of-way or town services.” 

Town staff proposed the ordinance to improve how the town handles special event requests. The ordinance, which still requires a second council vote to take effect, would create a two-tiered approval system to ensure events are managed in a way that protects public safety, maintains access to public property and prevents roadways from being blocked. 

“It really establishes a very consistent, streamlined approval process for small-scale events and large-scale events on a very consistent, very transparent basis,” Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez said. 

Events with fewer than 60 attendees that involve town property or affect traffic would be considered Tier 1 and require town staff approval. Anything over that threshold would be Tier 2 and would need to be approved by the Town Council. Large-scale events, depending on their size, would require a site plan to be submitted, a mandatory $1 million liability insurance policy and a special fee payment. 

Originally, the ordinance applied to events on private residential properties if they were not contained on the site or affected traffic. The ordinance faced criticism from some who attended because of that.

“You don't get to make the decision on how many people they’re allowed to have – it’s a local government,” resident Alex Hankinson said.

Council members clarified that they won’t be putting limits on how many people can attend special events. Instead, their goal was to create a more effective process to give them approval. Yet, Council member Kem Mason was more concerned about the town being involved in approving events on residents’ properties. 

“It’s a little bit of government overreach… when it comes to private property,” Mason said. 

The rest of the council emphasized that the ordinance is to prioritize safety and improve enforcement if incidents occur. They subsequently approved it on its first reading 5-0. 

At a later meeting, on April 27, Town Manager Brian Raducci suggested removing residential private properties from the ordinance based on feedback. The council agreed to the change, but still would like to further discuss the ordinance at another workshop before holding a vote on final  approval. 

The days are numbered for this massive banyan tree at the Delray Beach municipal golf course, despite the city's desire to save it. The Lake Worth Drainage District Board rejected the city's request and said the city must remove the tree by June 1 because of the flooding danger it poses were it to fall into the adjacent canal during a hurricane. John Pacenti/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

It’s all over but the chain sawing. 

The Lake Worth Drainage District Board expressed bewilderment at a plan Delray Beach proffered to save a massive 50-foot banyan tree that only recently came to the city’s attention as being a single tree during the renovation of its municipal golf course. The district ordered that the tree, which poses a safety hazard to businesses and homes, be chopped down by June 1.

The drainage district board said at its April 15 meeting that the flood risk and slope instability on the tree’s neighboring canal outweighed the city’s mitigation plan.

Say what you want about the Delray Beach government, it stays on brand when championing lost causes. First, it was the valiant, albeit unsuccessful, fight to save its rainbow-colored LGBTQ+ intersection in the face of state demands that the colors be removed. And now, the city’s outsized effort to save the golf course tree, with an emergency plan the city outlined for the drainage district.

The plan stations a tree-cutting crew at the Delray Beach Golf Club during hurricanes of Category 3 or greater, ready to kick into action to fight winds, rain and raging currents.

It could be a sequel to The Perfect Storm.

City Manager Terrence Moore told the board Delray Beach had assembled technical studies to support keeping the tree, noting a geotechnical engineering report, a certified arborist risk assessment and a debris-removal plan had been completed.

Mayor Tom Carney implored the board to give the city a chance to save the 70-year-old tree. 

“The city has taken such efforts these last few months, to ensure that all the worries that everyone was going to have about this tree have been mitigated,” Carney said.

The city outlined active measures: structural pruning, trunk reduction on the canal side, root removal where roots extended into the canal bank, installation of a proposed root barrier, multiyear crown management, and pre-staged emergency equipment including a 60-ton crane and a grapple barge.

“This tree has developed into its own ecosystem,” Greg Snyder of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust said. “It provides support for wildlife.”

But district engineers and supervisors remained unconvinced. Tommy B. Strowd, executive director and district engineer, warned that the combination of shallow ficus roots, steep sandy banks and hurricane conditions creates an “inherently unstable” situation. 

He described how high winds, heavy rain, saturated ground and canal drawdown could reduce slope safety and allow a large tree to topple into the canal. Just recently to the north, a ficus tree on private property toppled over during rains into the E-4 canal.

If the banyan toppled and blocked the canal, it could cause significant flooding to nearby businesses and residents.

Drainage board member John I. Whitworth III noted past storms and slow recovery times, saying he could not rely on a contractor’s ability to remove a massive tree in severe conditions. “I could never vote for this,” he said.

Board member Carrie Parker Hill questioned the city’s plans. “You can’t leave people on site in the middle of a hurricane without a hurricane shelter.”

Moore countered that the clubhouse on the golf course will meet the requirements of a hurricane shelter.

But board member James M. Alderman said keeping contractors on call during a hurricane didn’t make sense, saying it would take a few days to remove the tree if it fell.

“They’re not gonna come out and get the tree out. They don’t work the way we’re trained to do. We work in the middle of the night,” he said. “A contractor is not going to come out there in 60-, 80-mph winds and things blocked up, the water’s backing up and flooding somebody. We all know that’s not going to happen.”

Faced with the technical findings and public safety concerns, the board voted to uphold its prior denial and require the tree’s removal from the drainage district right of way by June 1, ahead of hurricane season.

State Rep. Rob Long, D-Delray Beach, a former Delray Beach city commissioner, has said the tree should be removed and replanted elsewhere, but that would cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.

Moore said the city would prepare for removal. He also disclosed that the city spent about $9,500 on the geotechnical assessment. Of course, if the plan were approved, it would cost taxpayers much more.

“Which made it somewhat palatable, because it wasn’t terribly expensive to know about the consideration process, conduct the engineering assessment, and the geotechnical support together,” he said.

At the commission’s April 21 meeting, Price Patton — president of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust and part owner of The Coastal Star — asked the city to declare an emergency and relocate the tree. He said the tree fund — $67,000, according to Town Manager Moore — is paid by local developers and can be used.

“I know you are leery about taxpayer money,” he said. “Think of it another way: The tree has grown there for 80 years for free.”

Carney put a fork in that idea, saying the tree fund is for the whole city, not just one banyan that is not even guaranteed to live if it is moved. “As much as I would like to save that tree — I fought hard for it, I wrote letters and gave interviews — but at some point we lost. “

Commissioner Tom Markert added, “I think it’s going to cost way more than $150,000 to move the tree. and I don’t think it’s feasible.”

By Patrick Sherry

Briny Breezes has a new alderman who is continuing his family’s legacy of service to the town. 

The Town Council appointed John Taylor to Seat 5, which was previously held by Bill Birch before he was appointed mayor in March. The mayor’s seat, which was supposed to be up for election in March, became vacant because no one filed to run for it. After Birch’s appointment, staff posted a notice of vacancy for his council seat, with Taylor being the only person to file for the position before the deadline. 

“I’ve been a resident of Briny Breezes for a long time … my father and mother lived here for 40 years,” he said. “They’re not with us anymore, so I figured it was my time to step up.”

Taylor is the son of Jack Taylor, who was part of the town’s corporate board for nearly 30 years. Jack Taylor was responsible for helping create the town’s local TV channel, BBC-8, which broadcasts community programming to residents. He was also instrumental in pushing for replacing the old, blighted clubhouse in 1991. 

While on the council, John Taylor believes it is his duty to step up and serve the community. 

“Hopefully I can make a difference,” he said. “Knowing what I know about Briny since I was a little kid, I think I can help.” 

John Taylor’s term will end in 2028. 

The new guardhouse, at 248 square feet, is larger than the current one, which was built in 1968. Rendering provided

By John Pacenti

Architects scaled back the once opulent design of a new Point Manalapan guardhouse, presenting an updated, more governmental design to replace the 60-year-old existing structure.

Still, the Town Commission was not satisfied, giving little tweaks to the new design at its April 14 meeting, mostly for landscaping or beautification, with a final vote still to come.

The town’s appointed architectural commission already rejected the ambitious original design and sent the matter back to elected officials.

The Town Commission has allocated $100,000 for the project. The guardhouse is on the winding Lands End Road and serves as the entrance to Point Manalapan.

Gone are the modern tropical design and the elaborate steel trellis that made the proposed guardhouse seem more like the entry to an airport and doubled the expected price. The new design is 248 square feet — 152 square feet bigger than the current one — but it fits neatly on the current footprint.

The design is more school-like, architect Jess Sowards said, with a dark gray metal roof and ample window space for visibility. There is an ADA-compliant bathroom, two guard booths, and a small kitchenette.

“To me, it seems it’s the goals we talked about. We have a bigger presence there,” Town Manager Eric Marmer said. 

The new design retains the bigger windows for better visibility for the guards. 

The building will also be equipped with updated security technology. Construction is expected to be completed over the summer. 

How much is one life worth? 

For Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney, $676,000 in state funding is a bargain for the city’s beach rescue drone initiative. Other coastal municipalities, such as Ocean Ridge, already have one.

The Florida Legislature has yet to pass a new budget, but Carney is hoping the money will be allocated and survive Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen. 

The “local funding initiative request” was proposed by State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton.

Carney said the beach drone program would improve lifeguard effectiveness by helping locate distressed swimmers and boaters. The drones would be able to drop life rings or other flotation devices and provide real-time communication to guide people toward self-rescue — reducing risk to both victims and responders. 

The proposal also includes creating “beach safety ambassadors,” civilian-trained drone experts who would run drone operations, lead visitor education, and provide on-the-ground support and training.

— John Pacenti

This red couch, pictured while on display at the Cornell Art Museum, was once owned by Max Weinberg, Bruce Springsteen’s drummer. The city tossed the couch when the museum closed for a year. The Coastal Star/2021 file photo 

By John Pacenti

 It’s a saga indeed worthy of a Bruce Springsteen song.

A ruby red sofa, once owned by Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg and donated to the Cornell Art Museum, ended up thrown out like some common dorm couch at the end of a rowdy semester.

When the museum closed for a year, the couch got passed around the parks department like an unwanted orphan. It eventually landed in storage at Pompey Park.

The curved sofa was deemed garbage, put on the curb, forgotten … on the streets of Delray, left to the Darkness on the Edge of Town.

For Mighty Max — a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer — hearing of the couch’s final chapter didn’t sit well.

How could it ever have gone missing from the Old School Square campus? Or as The Boss once sang, “Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse.”

The E Street Band member filed a claim with the city. Commissioner Juli Casale said the couch was valued at $12,000.

Well, city government can be a cold, lonely place. “Down here, it’s just winners and losers … and don’t get caught on the wrong side of that line.”

Delray Beach denied the property claim on March 31.

City Manager Terrence Moore asserted in a letter to the drummer that the city viewed the furniture as abandoned property. The couch found itself on the outs following a turbulent period.

Weinberg was once a Delray citizen and served on the board of the Old School Square Center for the Arts Inc., the nonprofit that ran the campus, including the art museum.

Then the city terminated the nonprofit’s lease — citing financial unaccountability — and took over operations of Old School Square, eventually partnering with the Downtown Development Authority. The museum was closed between September 2021 and December 2022.

In his denial, Moore cited Florida law regarding abandoned property, arguing that neither Weinberg nor a representative of the nonprofit made a claim for the item. It was thus legally considered to have “no apparent intrinsic value” to the owner at the time the city resumed management of the campus, he said.

“Indeed, if a timely claim had been made, the abandoned property would have been returned,” Moore wrote.

Weinberg had donated the couch when the nonprofit curated the Cornell Art Museum. A photo shows it placed in front of modern art as if it were on display itself.

Weinberg, who is on tour with the Boss and played in Sunrise on April 23, did not return phone calls or emails for comment. However, he did write to City Attorney Lynn Gelin on April 2, saying the couch was part of a memorabilia exhibition five years ago.

When he met with the DDA to revisit staging the exhibition again, Weinberg said he was “shocked to see the red couch missing” from the Cornell. He also questioned the story that the sofa was thrown away.

“The quality of the item suggests to me that it was not discarded into the trash but that it lives somewhere within Palm Beach County, perhaps in the abode of someone who had access to it,” he wrote.

Internal city emails between Moore and Casale show a point of contention over who, exactly, was responsible for the item when the nonprofit vacated the premises in February 2022.

The city maintained that the sofa was essentially “left behind” by the previous tenant. In early 2022, the city facilitated the removal of items, Moore said.

Casale said Weinberg’s claim is part of a bigger issue where Moore looks to pay out claims without investigating. Email traffic showed Moore reversing his previous decision to pay an outside law firm to look into the matter once Casale got involved.

“Mr. Weinberg is a lovely gentleman, and this is certainly an unfortunate situation, but I do not believe this should be the financial responsibility of Delray Beach taxpayers,” Casale wrote to Moore.

Mayor Tom Carney weighed in on the matter when he heard The Coastal Star was writing the sofa saga. He said under state law, Weinberg’s beef should be with the nonprofit foundation that initially accepted the sofa.

One can only hope there’s a heaven — a Promised Land, so to speak — for all discarded once-loved furniture. 

By John Pacenti

Gregg Brian Weiss — a well-known figure in Delray Beach’s civic, business and nonprofit sectors — is facing felony fraud charges for allegedly bilking a senior of $30,000, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Weiss, 58, was arrested following an investigation spanning more than a year and faces charges of obtaining property by deception from a person 65 or older, a second-degree felony, and engaging in fraudulent investment transactions, a third-degree felony.

He was taken into custody March 31, the same day he appeared before the City Commission to defend restaurateur Rodney Mayo and the coffee shop Subculture.

The case against Weiss began in February 2025, when the victim — a 75-year-old woman — and her son reported suspected fraud to authorities. 

She said she met Weiss through a Facebook group and hired him for $900 to prepare a will. 

Investigators allege Weiss identified himself as an investor with Ruby Capital Management. He told the woman he could help her accrue enough money to afford a move into a Wellington assisted living facility, according to an affidavit by Deputy William Goldstein.

In January 2025 the woman, who lives west of Boynton Beach, provided Weiss with a $30,000 check, intending to invest $15,000 each into separate certificates of deposit.

The subsequent investigation revealed significant red flags regarding Weiss’s business operations. 

Records from the Florida Division of Corporations indicated that Ruby Capital Management had been administratively dissolved and was inactive as of September 2024.

Furthermore, Weiss allegedly provided the woman with “client confirmation of trade” documents for the CDs. But the woman’s existing financial firm reported no record of any such communications or transactions.

Although Weiss had been a registered investment adviser for nearly two decades, state records confirmed his registration ended in January 2023.

Detectives used subpoenas to track the woman’s $30,000 deposit and found the funds were placed into a Ruby Capital Management account that Weiss controlled.

Instead of being invested, the affidavit states, the money was shifted through various accounts and used for personal gain. 

A message left for Weiss seeking comment was not returned. After his arrest, he was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on $67,000 bail.

New Delray Beach City Commissioner Judy Mollica, who is president of Friends of Delray, said Weiss served as secretary and would take minutes of any meetings. The group sent out newsletters on development and other pertinent issues to the city.

“It’s too unbelievable even to conceive,” Mollica said of Weiss’ arrest.

Bank records showed that over $14,000 of the alleged victim’s money was transferred to a personal checking account held by Weiss and another individual, with the funds being used for food, gas and personal bills, according to the affidavit. 

Additionally, records from the Seminole Tribe of Florida showed Weiss gambling with a slot cash buy-in ­of more than $41,000 between January and May 2025, with documented losses during that period.

When the woman grew weary of the investment and requested her money back, Weiss reportedly sent her a letter claiming his business was entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. 

The letter informed the victim she would receive follow-up information once the firm had direction from the courts, yet a search of the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts showed no record of a bankruptcy filing for the business or for Weiss personally, the affidavit states. 

Weiss, who lives west of Delray Beach, has been a visible member of the community, previously serving on boards for several nonprofits and working as a community justice planner. He is also an administrator of the Facebook group Delray Beach Community Forum.

Weiss is the second prominent Delray Beach resident arrested in the last six months. Developer Scott Porten was arrested in December on 12 counts of child pornography, according to a police report. Porten was the chair of Old School Square Center for the Arts before it was ousted by the city for failure to provide financial audits for the group.

Weiss spoke at the March 31 commission workshop reviewing whether Mayo’s coffee shop was in compliance regarding special events and parking. He said the restaurateur — who also owns DaDa in the city — was being attacked.

He gave a list of his community service before speaking in public comments: “I’ve been involved in Delray Beach over the past 30 years in many capacities, including chair of the Chamber of Commerce, chair of economic development for four years, as well as working with the city CRA on multiple committees for business purposes.” 

Highland Beach Mayor Natasha Moore, 55, is the youngest member of the Town Commission. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Natasha Moore had been on the Highland Beach Town Commission for just two years when her role switched overnight from vice mayor to mayor.

As vice mayor, Moore had watched then-Mayor Doug Hillman lead a mostly unified commission. So when Hillman died in March 2023 just days before he was to start his second term, Moore had a good idea of how a town should be run.

Doing the job, however, was a different story.

“I don’t think I was that well prepared,” Moore says. “Sitting on the commission, you tend to take for granted what the mayor does.”

Now three years later, Moore is in the beginnings of another term as mayor, after having been reelected without opposition.

Those who have worked with Moore and have watched her in the mayor’s role say she has evolved well as a leader.

“I believe she has gotten better every year,” says former Commissioner Evalyn David, who spent six years on the commission, four of them overlapping with Moore’s tenure.

“She’s really stepped up to the plate.”

Moore says that becoming mayor and taking on a leadership role where she’s encouraging discussion and consensus, is more of an evolution than something that happens overnight.

“It takes some time to grow into it,” she said.

David says that Moore’s ability to take charge when necessary has grown stronger over the years but at the same time she still creates a welcoming environment.

“I think she’s gotten tougher but she’s still very approachable,” David said.

Moore said that early on, it was easy to be influenced by those residents who came to meetings with specific issues or ideas. As time passed, she said, she learned to reach out to others and to get input from those with differing viewpoints.

“The people who come to meetings are not always with the majority of residents,” she said, adding that she’s focused on being approachable and getting feedback.

“I think more and more people feel comfortable reaching out to me,” she said.

Moore credits much of her success as mayor to the collaboration with her fellow commissioners and with Town Manager Marshall Labadie.

“I’m incredibly impressed with how active my fellow commissioners are,” she said. “They’re truly an inspiration.”

Labadie, she said, has been instrumental in helping her evolve in the mayor’s role through his guidance and support.

At 55, Moore is the youngest member of the commission and the only one still working full time. She is also the only member of the commission who lives in a single-family home.

Born in Miami with a Cuban mother who loved the name Natasha, Moore graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in statistics. That led to a job at NCCI in Boca Raton, a firm that collects data on worker’s compensation and helps states set rates based on that information.

In 2016 she and her husband started their own real estate firm focusing on homes in the coastal South Florida area.

She has two daughters, 19 and 20, who are students at Florida State University, and a 17-year-old son still in high school.

Moore will tell you that the best part of being mayor is getting to know residents and being involved in major decisions facing the town.

“I like being part of the conversation that helps Highland Beach evolve in a responsible way,” she said. “I want to keep a good thing going.”

For her part, David sees Moore as a solid match for the “concierge town” she believes Highland Beach is.

“It’s kinder and gentler and she fits in perfectly,” she said. 

By Brian Biggane

Aiming to make a clear break between itself and the previous administration, South Palm Beach’s new Town Council made “accelerate” the watchword of its April meeting, pushing forward two initiatives that had long been awaiting action.

The council agreed to spend $4.3 million and gave the go-ahead for construction of a new wastewater lift station. It also approved a partnership with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council on a plan it hopes will bring needed improvements to the sidewalk along the west side of State Road A1A.

“The goal is what we did today,” Mayor Rafael Pineiro said at the end of the marathon 2-hour, 40-minute meeting. “We have a number of initiatives, and we will move every one of these infrastructure initiatives to that level of simplicity.”

Treasure Coast council representative Kim DeLaney, who addressed the former council in February and was asked to return with a plan to improve the A1A corridor, laid out a timetable that encompassed improvements in transportation, utilities and infrastructure that would result in such projects being started in 22 months, or early 2028.

Pineiro listened patiently to DeLaney’s nearly 10-minute presentation, then told her at least one issue won’t work with that timetable.

“There are a lot of goals that we have, but we have certain short-term goals, in particular our sidewalk,” he said. “I would like to see us proceed with a full plan, but there has to be a place in there for us to be able to accelerate the implementation of what is a life-and-death issue.”

The previous council had been waiting for guidance from the Florida Department of Transportation with the understanding that if the town took the initiative and the FDOT disagreed with that plan, the town would be stuck with the entire bill.

Town Manager Jamie Titcomb preached caution in that regard, saying, “We can’t just build it, put our hand out and ask for money. They could say, ‘Tear it out.’”

Pineiro, however, returned to the safety issue, noting he has known a number of residents who have fallen on the sidewalk and been injured, including one woman who broke her elbow. He said he would be willing to hold a public hearing at which residents could voice their opinions, but nothing was decided.

Ultimately a motion was passed to agree to proceed on DeLaney’s plan, but at the same time to make the refurbishing of the sidewalk a priority.

Two engineers from Mock Roos, which is overseeing the lift station project, then unveiled their proposal for a project they also expect to be completed in spring 2028.

Hired last October to formulate a plan, Mock Roos engineers John Cairnes and Garry Gruber produced five options for the new facility but recommended one that will have it built at its current site on the west side of A1A. 

Cairnes told the council the station was originally built in 1965 and was last significantly upgraded in 2006. Recent breakdowns have prompted the town to hire other companies for emergency repairs on several occasions, the most recent of which had been done only a week earlier. Cairnes said the engineers’ studies showed several areas that needed to be addressed promptly.

While the actual on-site construction is expected to take only six months, Cairnes acknowledged that some condos, in particular the 3560 and 3555 buildings, are likely to be inconvenienced by heavy machinery in the vicinity of their driveways. He also said the sidewalk will be affected, but didn’t get into specifics.

Pineiro requested a voice vote, and the motion to have Mock Roos get started on the project passed unanimously. 

Town Hall update — The future of the South Palm Beach Town Hall remains in limbo, but Town Manager Jamie Titcomb shed some light on its status after the April Town Council meeting.

Titcomb said the last time the council received a report on the status of the building was 2018. The council intended to authorize an update in 2020, but the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic put that on hold, and none has been issued since.

Titcomb said he expects the council to address the issue as early as the May meeting. However, since Mayor Rafael Pineiro announced at the March meeting that it was no longer a priority, it may not come up anytime soon.

Looking ahead — Executive administrative assistant Emma Trotto made a presentation to the council regarding town-wide social activities that included some statistics regarding the population. 

The ice cream socials were the No. 1 activity this past season, attracting 150 residents, followed by the annual Fall Fest and art shows. The least attended were the Quest for Knowledge lectures.

The population breakdown for the town showed 60-65% of residents are age 65 and older and another 35%-37% are 45-64, prompting council members to observe that low-impact activities such as stretching and chair yoga attract the biggest crowds.

Delegates and appointments approved — The council designated Mayor Rafael Pineiro as its voting delegate and the other council members as alternates to both the Palm Beach County and Florida leagues of cities. Also, Carla Berenice Groh, Catherine Andreoli and Lisa Newfeld Thomas were appointed to the Community Affairs Advisory Board, and Matt White was appointed to both the Planning Board and Architectural Board.

— Brian Biggane

By John Pacenti

Delray Beach is advancing a multiagency effort to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety at the busy East Atlantic Avenue and Swinton Avenue intersection.

If adopted, officials say the measures are intended to reduce pedestrian conflicts, discourage unsafe crossings, and improve traffic flow along the heavily traveled downtown corridor.

Mayor Tom Carney said the project, developed with the Florida Department of Transportation and Palm Beach County, will focus primarily on signal timing and software changes. 

“We’ve developed a very good relationship now with the FDOT,” he said, adding that Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward has been helpful with the FDOT.

Key measures under study include an all-red pedestrian phase that would stop traffic on all approaches to allow pedestrians to cross in any direction, and possible mid-block crossings near Old School Square and even diagonal crosswalks.

“So it would allow pedestrians to cross the road like in an X,” Carney said, noting the city’s goal of making downtown “a walkable and safe downtown.”

FDOT is completing vehicle and pedestrian counts and related studies required for design and approval. Carney said the costs will likely be shared by FDOT, the county and the city. 

Delray Beach has secured a $240,000 federal grant through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program to address safety at the intersection of historic Atlantic and Swinton avenues.

“I am optimistic that something is going to come across our desks, at least in some form, in the next few months,” Carney said. “I really want to see that roll out in late July or early August.”

A public announcement is expected once FDOT completes its analysis and a recommended plan is ready for local review.