Public works projects move ahead — A 2,100-foot replacement of an aging water main with a 12-inch pipe to improve water quality and system reliability along State Road A1A from Ocean Avenue south to Thompson Street in Ocean Ridge should break ground in mid-March. 

The Phase 4 water main project will replace all customer service lines and install new hydrants to meet current standards.

In regards to repairing the Hudson Avenue sea wall, Ocean Ridge received notice of a recommended federal funding share of $400,235 contingent on final FEMA approval. Town staff anticipated having a contract by April. 

Sea grapes removed — The Police Department is investigating the recent removal/trimming of sea grape and other vegetation at the Porter Street beach crossover. Police Chief Scott McClure said a contractor may have performed work without permits over a weekend at the Portofino condominiums. 

“That’s a sore subject,” Mayor Geoff Pugh said when a resident mentioned the trimming. “It took us almost 15 years to get them that tall.”

The matter is under further review to determine if the trees were maintained on the town right-of-way or on private property, and is now scheduled for a special magistrate hearing on April 7. Town Manager Michelle Heiser says the state Department of Environmental Protection is also investigating.

Honor your elders — Ocean Ridge commissioners honored two senior citizens at their March 2 meeting.  They approved a measure dedicating Ocean Ridge Linear Park to former Commissioner Betty Bingham, who is 96 years old.

They also read a proclamation for Thomas Ambrose, who turned 100 on Feb. 14 and was present at the meeting. 

— John Pacenti

By John Pacenti

Seeking to trade shouting matches for center-court composure, Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney opened the Feb. 24 City Commission meeting with a plea for decorum, urging his colleagues to swap months of bickering — even screaming at each other — for the professional sportsmanship he witnessed at the Delray Beach Open tennis tournament.

Carney told the commission he was struck by the way tennis players handled tense moments — disagreeing quietly without bickering, and shaking hands at the end — and said that same etiquette should apply to local government meetings. “I thought to myself, that’s what I would like to have here,” he told Commissioners Juli Casale, Angela Burns and Tom Markert. “I’m hearing it from a lot of people that there’s a lack of decorum, a lack of etiquette. I am guilty of this as well.”

The tennis tournament ran from Feb. 13 to Feb. 22.

The mayor proposed getting back to Robert’s Rules of Order in running the meetings, designed to move the agenda along by eliminating crosstalk, bantering and arguing.

Commissioners must raise their hands and be formally recognized by the mayor before speaking; interruptions will be discouraged; and officials should address one another by formal titles if possible while on the dais. He framed the effort as respect not only among elected officials but toward the public, noting many residents leave meetings dissatisfied with the tone of debate.

Carney stressed the pledge was personal as well as procedural. “We have a tendency to talk over each other, and I’m just as guilty as everybody else here,” he acknowledged, adding that a more orderly process would benefit both the commission and constituents who attend meetings.

Commissioners have yelled at each other over the Downtown Development Authority, proposed budget cuts and perceived insults in the bevy of newsletters that float around Delray Beach’s email inboxes.

After his speech, the mayor’s argumentative and defensive tenor of the last month returned to his more measured approach. It certainly lowered the temperature.

Carney described the change as a “pivot” toward better governance: “Follow the rules, no interruptions, no bickering,” he said. 

After the meeting, Casale — who has chastised Carney during meetings on several issues — said when asked about the mayor’s olive leaf: “The tenor of the meeting rests squarely on the person with the gavel in his hand. I look forward to respectful and civil discussions on the dais.” 

By Mary Thurwachter

After discussing the matter at three workshops, the Lantana Town Council on Feb. 23 revised its ordinance regulating food trucks on public and private property.

“The old ordinance was made before the proliferation of food trucks,” Mayor Karen Lythgoe said, adding it was time for an update.

The council said it doesn’t want food trucks to take business away from brick-and-mortar restaurants, but it wants to be able to have them at popular community events.

Food trucks have been only allowed on public property during town-sponsored events. Food trucks on private property have been limited to three hours of operation at any given time and must have the written consent of the property owner.

Other venues where food trucks are stationary in one location and operate like a standard restaurant must follow normal restaurant regulations.

Going forward, food trucks will be prohibited at commercial, industrial and mixed-use properties. Block parties will require Town Council approval due to their high impact.

Those living in residential districts are limited to one food truck party per quarter.

“We don’t want residents having a party every weekend using a food truck,” Vice Mayor Kem Mason said. “That’s why we are going to limit them to once a quarter. We want to be fair to everybody.”

“This is not to prevent people from making a buck,” Lythgoe said of the ordinance. “But if they’re not regulated, it could be causing hazards. And we can also tweak it if need be."

What this means, she said, is “the guy with a food truck can’t just pull over to the boat docks on Saturday and start selling stuff and then dump the leftovers into the bin. And then, of course, garbage doesn’t get picked up for two or three days and then you’ve got rats.” 

Local municipal elections at a glance

March 10 elections, with polls open 7 a.m.-7 p.m., are:

Boca Raton: Mayor, three City Council seats and referendums on downtown campus and police headquarters

Delray Beach: One City Commission seat

Gulf Stream: Five Town Commission seats

South Palm Beach: Mayor and three Town Council seats

Voters with unmailed vote-by-mail ballots can bring them to polling places on Election Day and exchange them for regular ballots. They also can hand deliver unmailed ballots to the Supervisor of Elections main office by 7 p.m. — or its South County branch office by 5 p.m. ­— March 10.

Information: Contact your town clerk or city clerk, or the Supervisor of Elections office.

South Palm Beach Mayor Bonnie Fischer (center) chats with residents who attended a Feb. 10 candidate forum. She joined Vice Mayor Monte Berendes and Council members Sandra Beckett and Elvadianne Culbertson in meeting prospective voters. Brian Biggane/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

What was initially billed as a “Meet the Candidates” night instead turned into a “Meet the Incumbents” event as the mayor and three South Palm Beach council members up for election met with their constituents on Feb. 10 at the Barclay condominium.

The program, hosted by moderator and Barclay resident John Stillpass, lasted just under 90 minutes. It allowed the incumbents — Mayor Bonnie Fischer, Vice Mayor Monte Berendes and Council members Sandra Beckett and Elvadianne Culbertson — to show their support for the Town Hall project, while correcting what they said were misconceptions about financial issues and responsibility for badly needed repairs to the sidewalk along the west side of State Road A1A.

The four are running in the March 10 municipal election, being challenged by mayoral candidate Rafael Pineiro and council candidates Francesca Attardi and Adrian Burcet, all of whom declined to attend. Pineiro has said the three spread their message by meeting residents at several of the town’s condos. The League of Women Voters dropped its sponsorship when advised both sides would not be represented.

Resident and retired property manager Richard Haggerty voiced an opinion heard throughout the event regarding the Town Hall situation, saying, “It’s a pretty simple thing: The cost to renovate is too expensive and doesn’t do anything for the long term. They expect (the cost) to be $1.8 million to do the renovation, and that was in 2018. It would be $2 million or $3 million by now.”

“I put my full faith in their decision,” Kim Redmond added. “They’ve done a lot of research on it and have made some very judicious choices.”

The fact that only a handful of residents typically attend the monthly Town Council meetings brought some in search of more information about the project, which has been in the works for nearly 10 years and is expected to break ground in a matter of months. One of those was relatively new resident Kim Rayner.

Before the meeting, Rayner had doubts, saying, “I’m against it until I learn more. I’d love to hear other ways to resolve the issues other than building a new facility.”

Afterward she said, “If they have the funding that’s fine. I have to go to the Town Council meetings to learn more.”

Lantana Mayor Karen Lythgoe and County Commissioner Marci Woodward, whose district includes South Palm Beach, were on hand to support the incumbents.

“We already work together,” Lythgoe said. “It’s important neighbors get along, so there are no adversarial relationships.”

Stillpass solicited questions from the audience, about half of which involved the deteriorated condition of the sidewalk. Berendes explained that the council has been working with the Florida Department of Transportation, while Beckett said a plan toward repairs is in the works with the help of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.

That wasn’t enough for resident Georgette Betts, who said, “They need to use their influence to push harder. That needs to be a priority.”

When it was over the incumbents professed confidence the meeting had served its purpose and the election would go their way.

“I’m not cocky, but I’m confident,” Culbertson said. “I don’t think our competition is strong at all.” 

Manager gives Town Hall update — Although the future of a new Town Hall may be affected by South Palm Beach’s March 10 election, Town Manager Jamie Titcomb delivered an update on the latest news about the project and a new timeline at the Town Council’s February meeting.

Titcomb said solicitations for bids for the project had been sent out on Feb. 3 and replies were already coming in, resulting in several copies of CPZ Architects’ 150-page plans being sent to contractors. Proposals are due on March 10 and the firms selected to make bids will do so at the next Town Council meeting on March 17. The winning bid will be selected on March 26 and notice to proceed with Phase 1 issued on March 27.

If all that remains on schedule, the price would be determined by June 27 and construction would begin in early August, lasting until February 2028.

Of course, the timeline could change if the three challengers in the election are victorious. That would likely result in the council’s undertaking an engineering study to determine if the current building can be retrofitted or if a new Town Hall is necessary.

County library chief makes presentation — Douglas Crane, director of the Palm Beach County Library System, made a 20-minute presentation updating the council on its recent additions, including a planned Hypoluxo branch coming in 2028.

Crane said the system is the sixth-largest in the state, offers 18 locations and has an $18 million annual budget. He said South Palm Beach is “one of our busiest locations” for the Bookmobile, which visits every Monday. 

— Brian Biggane

By John Pacenti

Maybe the most telling moments at the Beach Property Owners Association forum for two Delray Beach City Commission candidates happened before it even started. That was when Mayor Tom Carney met with the camps for Realtor Judy Mollica and land use attorney Andrea Keiser at the Feb. 11 event.

The fact that Carney is looking for a possible ally could switch the dynamic on the dais. Fellow Commissioners Tom Markert and Juli Casale have not supported his positions on the budget, the Downtown Development Authority, and — most recently — suing the Lake Worth Drainage District over a banyan tree on the municipal golf course.

The March 10 vote is to fill the commission seat vacated by Rob Long, who is now a state representative for District 90.

At the Opal Grand Resort & Spa, Mollica and Keiser answered questions on growth, budget, traffic, parking and noise. Both demonstrated their ability to do the job. A third candidate, Delores Rangel, was sidelined by the flu.

Keiser and Mollica are establishment candidates in different ways. Mollica has endorsements from the police and fire unions. Keiser has put in $102,000 of her own money into the campaign and for two political action committees — but when pressed on them wouldn’t give details.

Although the race is non-partisan, the issue was a topic of discussion among some BPOA forum attendees. Keiser and her family contributed $3,000 each to the campaigns of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for governor and Attorney General James Uthmeier, both Republicans.  

Mollica and Rangel are former Republicans, defecting to the Democrats because of the policies of President Donald Trump. Keiser said her donations are a non-issue in a non-partisan race.

A number of coastal residents said they were still undecided as they left the forum.

Keiser — a mother of three young children — came across as polished but modest, while Mollica used humor to ease the tension. 

Mollica framed her candidacy around longtime community service and preservation, emphasizing local roots, volunteer leadership and a desire to “preserve the character, charm and livability” of Delray Beach. She highlighted her service on the Planning & Zoning Board and civic organizations, and stressed making the city easier to live in for residents, including seniors.

“Leadership isn’t about being the newest voice. It’s about being the right voice. I believe in using common sense,” Mollica said. “Common sense tells me that if the city raises our parking rates for minimal revenues, our visitors will go somewhere else to dine and shop and get out of the habit of coming to Delray Beach, and that’s not going to be very good for our businesses.”

Keiser cast herself as a policy-and process-oriented candidate with legal and public-service experience. The daughter of an immigrant, Keiser emphasized technical expertise in land use, budgeting and government operations.

On development, Keiser urged strict adherence to existing height and zoning limits, as well as the protection of beaches and dunes. “Any future development in Delray Beach has to respect the neighborhoods,” she said. 

The absent Rangel, who spoke to The Coastal Star previously, has not come across as a polished public speaker but knows the issues probably better than any other candidate, having spent 27 years as an administrative assistant in the city manager’s office. 

When asked about barrier island issues, Rangel said, “Our beach is our jewel — maintaining it will always be a top priority, but we must continue to explore methods other than renourishment to preserve it. … There are street flooding issues and residents want better enforcement of the No Wake zone on the Intracoastal. I will work with the Beach Property Owners Association and coastal residents to address these issues.”

If barrier island residents at the candidate forum were concerned about development, Mollica most likely didn’t put their minds at ease. “I think that our city needs to have a mix of residential and business, and we need more businesses to sort of help pick up the tax base that’s going to even that out,” she said. “Our city should make it easy to do business.”

The forum occurred before the commission was about to tackle a new noise ordinance. Mollica emphasized vehicle noise as a major problem on the barrier island. Keiser also mentioned the growing issue of regulating gas-powered leaf blowers — another issue championed by Carney.

Mollica mentioned the DDA helps businesses thrive. The mayor has cast the DDA at times as committing fraud for failure to obtain receipts for some purchases and has instigated two audits — one city and now one state — of the organization.

When it came to budget and spending, Mollica criticized a tax rollback in 2024 spearheaded by Carney, saying it “didn’t quite work out.” Keiser talked about efficiency and an “opportunity to cut down on waste” — another refrain from Carney.

Keiser also called out Carney’s nemesis on the dais, Commissioner Juli Casale, on a vote that denied a request from the Old Palm Grove neighborhood to block access from the public. Carney lives in the neighborhood and recused himself on the issue along with Long.

Keiser, as an attorney who used to live in Old Palm Grove, represented the neighborhood residents. Interestingly, Mollica was present at the October meeting, sitting right behind the podium for public speakers on the issue.

Yet, Keiser dropped Casale’s name so demurely and sweetly that it showed she could be a tonic to the bickering — and shouting — that now infects the current commission.  “I hope we can agree to disagree respectfully,” she said.

Casale was one of three yes votes on Oct. 21 to deny the request to block access to the road. She asked at the candidate forum to interject to give her side, but the crowd shouted her down.

A contentious yes/no question from an audience member about whether the city police should cooperate with federal immigration authorities was also shouted down. 

By John Pacenti

Not all noise is equal in Delray Beach.

For people on the barrier island, the roar of gas-powered leaf blowers is the chief concern. For those who live near downtown, it’s the establishments that blast music late into the night or revving motorcycles.

After months of community meetings, public debate and technical study, the Delray Beach City Commission adopted a revamped noise ordinance at its Feb. 24 meeting. The new standard is designed to move enforcement from a subjective “plainly audible” standard to an objective, decibel-based approach — with a measured roll-out and a 120-day implementation and evaluation window.

Enforcement will emphasize education and warnings in the early weeks. The city plans to spend $7,000 for up to five sound meters, train personnel and begin community outreach. It will evaluate progress and data after 120 days.  

The sound will be measured at property boundaries — generally sidewalks — rather than doorways or internal business spaces, in line with state law restricting entry onto private property without consent.

“I’m going to support this, because I want to get started,” Mayor Tom Carney said. “But I don’t think we’re done with noise, because I do think we need to readdress the issues of the gas blowers, and we have to readdress the issue of also the other lawn equipment.”

The ordinance establishes decibel limits tailored to land use zones — with higher allowable levels in the city’s entertainment district and lower thresholds in residential areas. The change reflects findings from a consultant-led sound study and responds to persistent resident complaints about late-night music, amplified sound from waterfront restaurants, and disruptive vehicular noise.

City Attorney Lynn Gelin explained that the standard being replaced is whether a noise is plainly audible 100 feet away. “This is a subjective standard,” she said. “That’s not fair, right? We always want to ensure equity and fairness with our ordinances.”

However, the new noise ordinance does not address some of the chief concerns from residents regarding lawn equipment and traffic.

Republicans in the Florida Legislature are trying to preempt municipalities from banning or regulating the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Florida landscapers and industry groups, including the lobbyists for the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, are behind Senate Bill 290, intent on making sure residents remain disturbed by leaf blowers.

“We see it as a dangerous trend in Tallahassee to begin with, preempting, robbing cities and municipalities from managing their own cities, and having this mandated out of Tallahassee,” said Hal Stern, president of the Beach Property Owners Association.

But Stern says he knows the issue of noise is different for those who live near Atlantic Avenue and the entertainment district.

“So the noise coming out of a place like the Tin Roof, for instance, is something that we were aware of, but it’s not something that we weigh in on, because you can’t hear it on the barrier island,” Stern said.

Supporters — including longtime residents and community advocates — framed the ordinance as a necessary balance between livability and vibrancy. 

“Some of these entertainment venues do not have to have weapon-sized speakers up there to try to blast us all off to the sidewalk,” resident Jody Kovalick said at the Feb. 24 commission meeting. He said there is a happy medium where the vibrancy of downtown can be maintained without disturbing the peace.

A lot of complaints, though, were about traffic as opposed to venues blasting music.

“The vehicular noise is really what brought me down here, and it’s scary to pedestrians to be walking on Atlantic Avenue and having motorcycles and cars rev up and seeing little kids respond to it is concerning to me,” resident Ellen Beyda said.

Police told residents at a Feb. 5 town hall on the noise ordinance, when it comes to cars or motorcycles, state statutes exist where police can issue citations without needing to measure the decibel levels.

A resident at the town hall recalled an incident where her husband asked politely for a motorcyclist to stop revving his motor. “Well, this guy started coming at him, you know. He’s like giving him the finger,” she recalled. “And the guy did it again and again.” 

By John Pacenti

No civic amenity in Delray Beach stands as more of a war wound from the 2021 ouster of the nonprofit that ran Old School Square than the historic Crest Theatre. Five years later, the Crest remains at a critical crossroads as the city navigates a multimillion-dollar path toward reopening the legendary venue.

Now its long-awaited makeover is at hand.

The City Commission at its Feb. 3 meeting gave staff and the design team direction to move forward with a $7.9 million design that would take a staged approach so the city can prioritize and phase in items for budget or fundraising reasons.

The renovation comes after the nonprofit Old School Square Center for the Arts Inc. was ousted by the commission from running the campus in an August 2021 vote after failing to provide audits of its finances. 

The bold move — one that still divides former leaders in some circles — also meant ongoing upgrades were stopped. Equipment was removed, according to critics of the nonprofit, though officials with the group said that the equipment was the property of the organization, not the city.

The city restarted programming at the Crest in November 2024 while ceding the rest of the Old School Square campus to the city’s Downtown Development Authority, which took it over reluctantly.  The arts school at the Crest  — housed in renovated classrooms — was reestablished in the building to great acclaim and is expanding to include ceramics.

At the commission meeting, Mills + Schnoering Architects presented three concept packages: a base rehabilitation to return the auditorium to safe, usable condition for small events; a midlevel package — called Option 1 — that restores full theatrical systems and improves back-of-house accessibility; and an ambitious Option 2, a technology-forward package that adds advanced rigging, lighting, audio/AV and livestreaming capability to make the venue attractive to touring productions and larger events.

The base scope is intended to reopen the Crest for community programming with refreshed finishes, improved seating and critical accessibility upgrades. It would add a permanent back-of-house elevator, a more robust loading dock, and substantially upgraded theatrical systems to support multi-act productions, cinema and musical theater. 

Architects said Option 2 included a catwalk or tension-wire grid for an expanded lighting package, in-house audio and video systems that would allow the now 323-seat Crest to be rented to visiting productions and allow live-streaming.

The architects also recommended acoustic improvements, new assisted-listening systems, and safer, more maintainable front-of-house lighting access.

Mills + Schnoering called cost estimates “conceptual,” with the base running about $3 million. Option 1 would cost more than double that price, at nearly $6.4 million, and Option 2 would cost $7.9 million.

“I’m trying to get what’s the biggest bang for the buck,” Mayor Tom Carney said.

Commissioner Juli Casale argued for aiming higher. “My opinion is that we look to get to Option 2, but maybe, as you say, in a staged way,” she said. 

Commissioner Tom Markert asked if the balcony was safe. Public Works Director Missie Barletto said that architects have indeed deemed it structurally sound, but safety will be enhanced with new railings. 

By John Pacenti

The City of Delray Beach has suspended the permit for Coco Market, a popular wellness and community event, following a “serious incident” involving a dog attack that left a teenager with severe facial injuries.

City Manager Terrence Moore, on Feb. 20, notified event organizers at Cocoyogi, Inc., that their special event permit is suspended for three months. The decision stems from an incident on Feb. 8 at the city’s Old School Square campus, where a 16-year-old girl was bitten in the face by a dog.

According to city officials, the organizers authorized H3 Dog Rescue to display multiple dogs at the event despite the city’s special event policy. “You were not authorized to host an event with animals,” Moore wrote in the suspension letter, calling the incident “alarming” and a clear violation of the permission granted by the city.

H3 Dog Rescue is connected to the charity Hospital Helping Hands, founded by Rodney Mayo, who owns Dada restaurant and the Subculture coffee shop in Delray Beach.

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

Representatives for Cocoyogi, Inc., were told they may resume hosting events in June, provided they “govern themselves accordingly” and adhere to all city policies. Further violations could result in a permanent  ban. 

By Jane Musgrave

A leaky stormwater drain pipe that went undetected for nearly 30 years has erupted into a court battle between a Delray Beach homeowner and the city.

In a lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court in February, Mary Anne Wood and her sons claim the city should pay for the damage the pipe has caused to the backyard of their roughly $4.6 million home — along an Intracoastal Waterway finger canal a few blocks north of Atlantic Dunes Park — for burying it on their property without permission.

While city officials initially indicated they would help the Woods, they later reneged, according to the lawsuit Fort Lauderdale attorney Jamey Campellone filed on behalf of the family. Since the pipe has been on the property for decades, Delray Beach officials told the family the city has what is known in the legal world as a “prescriptive easement.”

Under Florida law, someone can claim they are legally entitled to use someone else’s land if they have done so for at least 20 years and the property owner didn’t complain.

But, Campellone wrote, the pipe was buried underground. Wood and her late husband bought the home on Poinsettia Road, just north of Atlantic Dunes Park, in 1987. City officials never asked them for permission to run the pipe through their property and there is no record that they asked previous owners, he said.

The pipe was discovered in 2023 by crews hired to repair the property’s sea wall.

Since then, it has become apparent that the leaking pipe, which dumps stormwater into the Intracoastal, is causing the property to sink, Campellone wrote.

The city invaded the Woods’ property rights, interfered with their use and enjoyment of the property and never paid or offered to compensate them for its depreciation in value, he said.

 Campellone declined to comment on the lawsuit. It did not detail how much the family is seeking, but only suits where more than $50,000 is at stake can be filed in circuit court.

 As a policy, Delray Beach doesn’t comment on pending litigation. Attorneys at the Fort Lauderdale firm Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman are representing the city. 

Emergency work has begun to repair a failing sea wall at the southeastern end of Southeast Wavecrest Way in Boca Raton’s Por La Mar neighborhood south of East Palmetto Park Road.

The work will also include stormwater infrastructure improvements, including a new pumping system to assist with drainage during high tides.

The projects, recently approved by the City Council, will cost a total of $3.7 million. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has provided a $350,000 grant. The work will be done by Cone and Graham Inc.

The city expedited the project because the sea wall was at risk of collapsing, with its problems exacerbated by repeated king tides.

The Riviera Civic Association, which includes Por La Mar, cheered the city’s action. President Katie Barr MacDougall credited City Manager Mark Sohaney and Public Works and Engineering Director Zachary Bihr for being very responsive to their concerns.

“We are very happy with the follow-through on their part,” she said.

The association has another reason for celebration. Sidewalks on East Palmetto Park Road are being improved and a pedestrian crosswalk installed.

For years, the association has pressed for extensive improvements along the section of the road between the Intracoastal Waterway and State Road A1A.

Residents aren’t getting everything they wanted, but are pleased with the work that is being done, MacDougall said.

— Mary Hladky

Police employee of the year — At the Feb. 23 Lantana Town Council meeting, Police Chief Sean Scheller presented his department’s employee of the year award to executive assistant Karen Dipolito. 

Dipolito has worked for the Police Department for 27 years. Scheller said she is always willing to accept additional duties and responsibilities. He said she is an invaluable member of the department and keeps him on his toes.

Beach charrette coming — Residents are encouraged to attend the Beach Master Plan Charrette at noon March 14 in the council chambers at 500 Greynolds Circle. 

Mayor Karen Lythgoe said council members may attend but will want to remain quiet because this meeting is all about hearing from residents.

Beach parking dispute — Mayor Lythgoe, at the Feb. 23 meeting, said she’s been hearing complaints from residents regarding beach parking. “They are decal holders who are finding many of the decal parking spots occupied by others,” she said.

Those parking in decal spots without a sticker will be ticketed, even if they have paid for parking, according to Nicole Dritz, director of development services.

Lythgoe said others were complaining about how full the parking lot was, even though there weren’t many people at the beach. On social media, people are suggesting town leaders are getting money from Eau Palm Beach, the resort next door, to allow people who work or visit the hotel to park there.

“That is not happening,” she said.

Town Manager Brian Raducci said the lot was for public parking and folks wouldn’t have to go to the beach to use it. 

— Mary Thurwachter

Dogs and their human pals enjoy the sand and sea at Boca Raton’s Bark Beach. The beach, between lifeguard towers 18 and 20, is now open from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to sunset (5 p.m. to sunset during daylight saving time) seven days a week, up from two. Annual permits are $35 a dog for residents, $210 for nonresidents. Photo provided

The huge tree sits near the golf course clubhouse (at left). John Pacenti/The Coastal Star

“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”   

                  — Joyce Kilmer

“The canal shall remain clear of all construction. There shall be no trees, shrubs, etc. within the right-of-way.” 

— Lake Worth Drainage District

Related: Lantana/Hypoluxo Island: Out on a limb: Hypoluxo Island residents grapple with how to protect their tree canopy

Related: Lantana: Tales from a Tree City

Related: Editor's Note: With mature trees threatened, the answer isn’t more palms

By John Pacenti

Whenever a major municipal project commences, there is always a chance to find buried treasure — in this case, it was more than 70 years old and rose 50 feet into the sky. 

During work on a $28.5 million renovation project at the Delray Beach municipal golf course, crews discovered that what they thought was a large grove of trees was in fact a single, sprawling banyan tree — possibly the largest in southern Palm Beach County.

However, the tree — which is visible from the clubhouse’s ballroom — also significantly encroaches upon a nearby canal, and the Lake Worth Drainage District has asked for it to be removed. An engineering report found that if the tree fell during a tropical storm, significant flooding could occur.

What looked at first blush to be a feel-good story about saving a historic tree morphed into a clash of jurisdictions between Delray Beach and the drainage district — one defined by land, the other defined by water.

“I don’t want to say the heavy-handedness of the Lake Worth Drainage District,” Mayor Tom Carney said at a Feb. 18 special meeting of the City Commission called just on the tree. “But we were never really in the game, and they just really dictated terms. I don’t believe that that’s proper.”

But the banyan lives — at least for the time being — as the city lobbies the district to allow it to exist in some form. After deciding in February that the tree was a menace and needed to be removed, the district said it would allow Delray Beach officials to present a report on how both the canal and the tree can live in harmony.

It will be literally do or die for the tree at the drainage district hearing on March 11, where the city will make its case.

Commissioners at the Feb. 18 meeting chose to hire an arborist to produce a report to try to persuade the drainage district to reverse its decision. They did so despite knowing Delray Beach entered into a contract with the drainage district in 1994 to remove trees as directed by the district or face the legal — and costly — consequences. 

“The 78-year-old banyan tree is a part of the history of our golf course and needs to be protected,” Carney told The Coastal Star. “It has survived many hurricanes over the years and has the root system necessary to survive the storms to come. Protecting it is a fight worth having.”

A surprising discovery 

An arborist for the city found the tree — which is a Chinese banyan — in good health, with a robust canopy that could make it a candidate for Florida Forest Service champion tree recognition.

Public Works Director Missie Barletto told the commission at its Jan. 6 meeting that staffers thought at first it was just a grove of trees, but once the underbrush was cleared away, they realized it was all one tree covering about a half-acre.

As a banyan tree grows, its horizontal branches become longer and heavier, and it sprouts “aerial roots” that hang down like threads. Once these threads touch the ground, they take root and thicken into woody “accessory trunks.” 

Photos show that the tree with the brain-shaped canopy was already present in a 1953 image of the golf course, indicating the tree has stood on the property for generations.

The course designer and contractor support efforts to retain the banyan and are prepared to help mitigate any construction schedule impacts, Barletto said. The arborist who looked at it initially feels like it may be a candidate for a Florida Forest Service Champion Tree Award, she said. 

Delray Beach hopes to preserve this Chinese banyan tree, which was fully uncovered at the municipal golf course during its ongoing renovation. Officials with the Lake Worth Drainage District have asked it to be removed because it encroaches on an adjacent canal. Photo provided

A river runs through it

The E-4 canal runs north-south, separating the golf course from the residential neighborhoods and businesses to the east toward Congress Avenue. Its role is to remove heavy rainfall from neighborhoods. 

Lake Worth Drainage District officials have told city staff that the tree would need to be removed unless the city obtains a variance. 

The city told the drainage district it would take responsibility for the tree if it fell into the canal after a major storm and would add a codicil to the city’s debris‑removal contract to ensure the city can respond quickly to protect safety and navigation, Barletto said.

But a drainage district engineer’s report portrayed the banyan somewhat as the Al Capone of trees. 

There was even a dark AI-generated image of what would occur if it fell into the canal during a tropical tempest. Trees damaged during hurricanes past — like Category 5 Andrew — were shown as a grim reminder.

Of note is that the drainage district didn’t demand the tree be removed until the recent redo of the golf course. Tommy Strowd, the drainage district commission’s director, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

City’s ‘tree-mendous’ effort

Commissioner Tom Markert has been a champion of the tree, as well. “Save the tree. This is a no-brainer,” he said when it first came up at the commission’s Jan. 6 meeting. He and Barletto then spoke at the Lake Worth Drainage District’s Feb. 11 board meeting to no avail.

Carney called the Feb. 18 special commission meeting to discuss the tree, and, once again, bickering ensued.

Carney suggested seeking an injunction against the drainage district. But City Attorney Lynn Gelin said that, actually, the district’s request was indeed proper per the contract and that the city would have a hard time challenging it. 

Commissioner Juli Casale said the tree is 90% on property owned by the drainage district.

Markert, citing an emailed newsletter, accused Carney of saying he was a failure because the drainage district ruled against the city. Then a discussion ensued, not on the tree, but on whether the newsletter was sent from the mayor’s web address.

City Manager Terrence Moore aimed to turn the temperature down, knowing a fight with the drainage district does the city no good.

A consensus was finally reached to have an arborist do his own report to try to get the drainage district to reconsider. 

Jim Chard, chairman of the Historic Preservation Board, spoke during the public comments at the special meeting. He said removing the tree would actually damage the integrity of the canal bank since the roots go so deep. 

Moore said he would work on parallel tracks of continuing the effort to save the tree while preparing for its demise. He tempered expectations.

“If there’s any time an opportunity exists to preserve a tree, save whatever we can, we take every effort to do so,” Moore said. “This was an arduous consideration, an arduous request, because, as it turns out, Lake Worth Drainage District has never in known history granted such an authorization.”

There is a bit of good news for golfers, though, Barletto said in January.

The renovation of the municipal course has already made rapid progress since construction began in December. She said crews are moving at “an incredible pace” and that keeping the tree would be a priority. 

By Mary Hladky

The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has consented to the transfer of long-term commercial ground leases in Mizner Park to four entities led by CP Group, the owner of the Boca Raton Innovation Campus.

Brookfield Properties, the current owner of Mizner Park, now holds those leases and also must approve the transfer. Brookfield owns most of the buildings in Mizner Park. The CRA owns the land underneath them.

Brookfield wants to sell the iconic retail, dining and cultural destination and has been in negotiations with a prospective buyer, widely believed to be CP Group, for about one year.

No deal has closed yet, and CP Group has not confirmed it is the buyer.

The Boca Raton CRA commissioners, who also are City Council members, unanimously consented to the transfer on Feb. 9. But they could withhold it only if they determined that the new lease holders do not have the financial ability to fulfill their obligations.

“I am excited” about the new lease holders, said CRA Chair Marc Wigder, adding that he hoped they would improve the 35-year-old property. Mizner Park has looked run down for several years.

In addition to CP Group, the new lease holders are subsidiaries of StepStone Group Real Estate, a global private markets investment firm; ACRE, a multifamily owner, operator and developer; and Georgetown, an owner and developer of office, residential, retail and recreational properties.

Deputy City Manager Jorge Camejo, who focuses on the CRA, noted in an interview that CP Group is the direct descendent of Crocker Partners, led by developer Tom Crocker, which built Mizner Park.

“From that standpoint, I am excited, because I think CP Group may have a better understanding and desire to move Mizner Park in a direction that will improve the conditions, and therefore improve the value,” he said.

The other companies joining with CP Group have “the knowledge and experience to make a center like Mizner Park more successful,” he said.

Camejo was Boca Raton’s CRA executive director until he left to take a similar position in Hollywood before returning last year and seeing Mizner Park’s current condition.

“I think we can do better, and I am looking forward to doing better,” he said.

Mizner Park was put up for sale in 2023, with at least three potential buyers wanting to acquire the property. The offers submitted were for as much as $290 million, The Real Deal reported. However, no deal was finalized.

It also went on the market in 2016 but was pulled off after pricing fell short of expectations, the Palm Beach Post reported at the time.

By Rich Pollack

With an eye to the future, Highland Beach leaders are finalizing a strategic priorities plan that puts an emphasis on continuing to maintain the town’s brand as “three miles of paradise.”

“The strategic priority process allows us to constantly recalibrate on where we’re going, how we are going to get there and how to plan for the resources needed to get there,” Town Manager Marshall Labadie said. “It’s a dynamic process.”

In all, town commissioners and town staff have identified 23 priorities placed into four categories: community safety; community enrichment and sustainability; public infrastructure and resiliency; and organizational excellence.

Integrated into the plan is a budgeting element where town leaders mesh the priorities with thought-out steps to ensure money is available to cover the costs.

Listed as the top priority in the coming year is continuing to work with Palm Beach County on the development of Milani Park, a hot topic since many residents opposed the county’s creating a park at the south end of town.

“We’re continuing to keep an eye on the project and advocating for the town’s position along the way,” Labadie said.

The Milani Park issue falls under the community enrichment and sustainability heading, where many of the projects are focused on maintaining the quality of life and livability of Highland Beach.

Another priority in that section — although not one of the top 10 overall issues — is continuing to educate the community on the importance of dune restoration, handing the lead of that project to the town’s Natural Resources Preservation Board.

Labadie said many of the priorities are improvements that have long been planned for.

“Our strategic priorities are more focused on capital improvements than they have been in the past,” he said. “We’ve been planning and saving for them over the last several years.”

Public safety continues to be a major focus. Six of the top 10 priorities fall under that category, with major facility improvements listed.

Among the priorities are the conversion of the town’s former post office to a real-time operations center for the Police Department, which will also serve as the public entrance for the department. The plans for the center, which is currently in design phase, call for it to focus on crime prevention.

Another public safety priority is the continuation of efforts to build a dock for the police marine unit, a process that is underway with the town hoping to get additional state funding.

The planned rehabilitation of the old fire station, which needs a major upgrade and will be used mainly to house apparatus and equipment, is also on the list.

Two issues that have been identified as concerns by Vice Mayor David Stern are also listed as priorities, although they are not high on the list. The town will be looking at what can be done to ensure pedestrian and bicyclist safety as e-bikes become more prevalent.

Another focus will be on electric vehicle protocol, with the fire department charged with working with condominiums to develop fire safety guidelines for vehicle charging and battery storage. Both those issues are priorities for state leaders as well.

Completion of the town’s sewer pipe lining project is also a priority, as are several steps designed to help the town be more efficient and effective. Those including strengthening communication with residents and working on creating a plan to get more state appropriations.

Labadie said that throughout the year he will be providing regular updates to the Town Commission on the status of many of the priorities to ensure adequate allocation of resources.

“We try and keep the process nimble and simple,” he said.

Caroline Baker overlooks the severely eroded beach at South Inlet Park in Boca Raton. Baker, of Pittsburgh, was visiting her parents in Boca Raton and spent mornings journaling at the park. Weather fronts and high tides carved out 12-foot sand cliffs. The erosion, which remained at the beginning of March, exposed the inlet’s dredge pipe, reduced dry beach area and limited public access, especially near the south jetty. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A second, final layer of asphalt to roads in Gulf Stream’s Core area is “right around the corner,” according to Town Manager Trey Nazzaro.

Roadway Construction LLC had tentatively scheduled the asphalt work for Feb. 23, but Baxter & Woodman Consulting Engineers decided not to allow the contractor to do that until it had finished items on a punch list “to minimize damage to the new asphalt,” Nazzaro said.

The contractor now says it will reach “substantial completion” on March 17 and final completion on May 22.

Nazzaro also said new striping on Sea Road’s curve has made driving on the street more manageable, so the town will not widen that section. 

“I was coming around the corner after the lines had been painted in a … full-size sport utility and I had a full-size sport utility on the other end and we were able to navigate that very easily with the lines as a visual cue to understand the width of the road,” Nazzaro said.

— Steve Plunkett 

By Michael Cook

Boynton Beach wants to change the perception that it has three “nothing-to-see-there” exits on Interstate 95 by rebuilding its downtown and waterfront as destinations — places people will exit the highway to visit.

Officials are thinking big, with a range of redevelopment projects intended to put the city in the limelight, similar to efforts in nearby cities such as West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. They are focusing on the downtown and along the Intracoastal Waterway while seeking $30 million in funding to bring these plans to life in the near future.

“We have a big appetite, and we have a big job to do,” said Christopher Brown, the new executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, who laid out the long-range strategy at a Feb. 10 meeting of city commissioners serving as the CRA board. 

Brown, who has street cred from leading successful redevelopment efforts in Delray Beach and Pompano Beach, is now helping sketch out a plan that could give Boynton Beach more buzz to its name.

The CRA is considering securing a $30 million bond to help pay for the purchase of additional properties, which it will also have to clear for construction. Once that’s done, it will open the playing field to developers to implement the city’s vision. While the agency would be bank-financing this grand project, Brown said it will create long-term tax increment funds that will put money back into the city’s pockets. 

The plan to rescale Boynton Beach has been in effect since 2016, and officials now plan to update it for the next 10 or more years. The effort is in addition to multiple approved eight-story developments — including Ocean One, The Pierce and Town Square — that will have residential and commercial components but have yet to break ground, as well as other recent land purchases. To avoid delays, Brown said the agency should not buy property for all projects at once, but rather focus on a particular location until the development is up and running. 

No plans are set in stone, but officials expect to host workshops to brainstorm proposed projects. Part of the blueprint includes beautifying major streets, adding a downtown parking garage, and building a hotel. At the February meeting, Brown presented multiple potential opportunities for the CRA to purchase properties, including in or near the following prime spots for development:

On the waterfront

Along the Intracoastal, the CRA has taken the first steps to expand Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, primarily known for its boat ramps, at 2010 N. Federal Highway. The agency purchased a 1.24-acre neighboring lot for $6.8 million in February to support the expansion project. The exact plan has not been finalized, but the vision is to add waterfront dining, more docks and parking to create the feel of a waterway city.

“We need to continue to buy as much Intracoastal property that is available that we can,” Brown said, telling commissioners that an investment should be made to capitalize on the waterfront experience — not only to attract visitors but also to create hot spots for residents.

Marina neighborhood

The CRA is also keeping an eye on the Boynton Harbor Marina as part of its effort to bring more people to the waterfront. Officials are looking into a four-story condominium building that sits on the north side of Ocean Avenue, east of Federal Highway. The property is between the site of the delayed Ocean One project, which is planned to offer about 370 residential rental units, and Marina Village, an active condominium complex.

The agency is seeking a condominium developer to purchase the property from the current owners and construct a parking structure with ground-floor restaurants and retail. However, officials are firm in their stance that they want to avoid another multifamily rental development on the site, if possible.

“It’s not a surprise that a lot of people are sick of high-density residential projects,” Commissioner Thomas Turkin said at the meeting, referring to the 2023 Florida Live Local Act aimed at increasing affordable workforce housing. Turkin warned that the CRA board is “losing control” over what housing projects are built because of the state law. He stated that the redevelopment plan is an effort to counter that. 

The heart of downtown

Ocean Avenue, home to City Hall and a bridge to Ocean Ridge and other coastal communities, is viewed as downtown’s Main Street. The CRA wants the avenue to live up to that name, developing it into more of a restaurant-and-entertainment district. The vision is to build up the area similar to Delray Beach’s popular Atlantic Avenue with its gold mine of restaurants, shops and cultural attractions.

One goal along Ocean Avenue could be to restore the CRA-owned 1919 Oscar Magnuson House as part of a plan to create a large food hall operation. The street would showcase modern development alongside pieces of the city’s history, including the 1927 high school, now the Boynton Beach Arts & Cultural Center, and the 1913 elementary school, now the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum. 

The Pierce and Town Square, though delayed in construction, are expected to contribute to Ocean Avenue’s vibe. One project under the redevelopment plan is actively underway: The Villages at East Ocean Avenue, set for completion in 2027. The eight-story development, on the north side of the avenue to the west of the Florida East Coast Railway tracks, will include retail and residential space. A smaller second phase is planned across the street, where the 1907 Andrews House is to be restored into a cafe as part of the project’s retail area.

Making a new entryway

The CRA purchased the former Inn at Boynton Beach hotel property on Boynton Beach Boulevard, near I-95, for $8.1 million in October. The aging hotel, once considered an eyesore and crime hot spot, was demolished in December. The land has since been cleared, and the game plan is to have the property be the centerpiece of a redeveloped boulevard extending eastward to Seacrest Boulevard — creating a true gateway into downtown.

At the Feb. 10 CRA meeting, the agency approved two deals totaling $7.824 million to buy 14 additional properties next to the site where the hotel once stood, providing more land for development. Commissioners are now seeking input to determine what residents want to see happen on the Inn property, as it is one of the first landmarks visible from I-95 — a make-or-break effort to get nonresidents to take the exit and visit the city.