Trolley tour participants enjoy a stop at the Briny Breezes
oceanfront clubhouse. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Tim O’Meilia
More than a dozen community leaders — and a sprinkling of elected officials — took a trolley tour along 10-plus miles of State Road A1A between Delray Beach and Manalapan last month to acquaint themselves with their neighbors.
At the invitation of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, and co-sponsored by The Coastal Star, the tour passengers visited Manalapan’s new Tranquility Park, squeezed through the Town Hall parking lot, inspected the new gates at Ocean Inlet Park and toured Briny Breezes’ oceanfront clubhouse.
They glided past Gulf Stream School, the only school on A1A, checked out one of the controversial sober houses in Delray, ate box lunches at the McCormick Mile Beach Club and were shooed out of the St. Andrew’s Club parking lot by a security guard.
Dubbed the “A1A Future Plan Trolley Tour,” the three-hour expedition was meant to show coastal leaders the unique aspects and concerns of the seaside communities, said tour guide Kristine de Haseth, the coalition president.
“Every one of these communities has a character. They are what they are and they like what they are,” said Robert Ganger, a Gulf Stream commissioner and a coalition officer.
“None of us wants to lose the individual character that we have, and we’re trying to balance that with the need for cooperation for our mutual benefit. That is the challenge,” he said.
De Haseth led the tour through seven jurisdictions — including the unincorporated so-called “surf pocket” — that include, by the coalition’s count, three hotels, eight parks, 10 residential clubs, one assisted living facility, five commercial districts and one post office.
Almost 9,900 people live in nearly 6,000 housing units along the strip, which is worth $3.7 billion in property value.
In 2011, the coalition launched its A1A Future Plan to engage local leaders in common problems such as police and fire efficiency, building density, water and irrigation costs, beach renourishment and transient housing.
Several of the tourists were impressed with the excursion. “It gave us a chance to understand what’s going on in the different communities. We can build on that in dealing with mutual issues,” said Jeff Lee, an Ocean Ridge resident and owner of several shopping centers.
“I was surprised by what the coalition has done and what they’re trying to do,” said Gulf Stream resident Frank Augustyn. “I’m trying to absorb it all and spread the word. The problems are many and we can’t solve them all at once.” Ú
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