By Mary Hladky
Despite a concerted effort by neighbors to derail a proposed four-building development near the downtown, they were unable to persuade Boca Raton City Council members to vote against it.
Developer Fabio Pereira has proposed Pine Circle Villas, which would include four duplexes with eight total units at 101 Pine Circle, located just north of West Palmetto Park Road and two blocks west of City Hall.
Neighboring property owners turned out in force at the virtual meetings of the Planning and Zoning Board on Dec. 3 and the City Council on Jan. 26 to oppose the project.
They said it is too large to fit well in their largely single-family home neighborhood and would increase traffic and lead to more accidents on narrow Pine Circle.
But their biggest concerns about the 1.14-acre project are rooftop amenities that they contend create a fourth floor, such as barbecue and lounge areas and jacuzzis.
They fear the villa owners will be able to look down onto their houses and yards, taking away their privacy. Another worry is that the rooftop features will blow off during hurricanes or strong storms.
“I am not looking forward to having grills and flower pots on my roof,” resident Kathleen Spaulding told the City Council.
City staffers said they were aware of privacy concerns and told Pereira to provide screening on the rooftops and glazed or frosted windows that face the neighbors. The rooftops, Pereira said, face the interior of the property so neighbors need not be concerned about prying eyes.
Staff also said the rooftop amenities meet the building code and will be secure.
Despite the neighbors’ pleas to at least disallow the rooftop features, the planning board and City Council voted unanimously to approve the project.
It is the latest one proposed for the vacant land.
In 2015, James Batmasian, the city’s largest downtown commercial landowner, wanted to build eight townhomes.
Neighbors objected to that project as well, and then-Mayor Susan Haynie proposed as a condition of approval a requirement for speed reduction devices or signage on Pine Circle. Other council members supported that change.
The planning board and City Council unanimously approved the project, allowing Batmasian to build 9.5 units per acre rather than the previous limit of five units per acre.
Except for neighbor objections, the project generated no controversy at the time.
But Batmasian, who bought the property for $737,000 in 2012, never built the townhomes. He sold the property for $1.5 million in 2016.
Haynie was arrested in 2018 on public corruption charges. She has pleaded not guilty. A trial date has not been set.
A state prosecutor in 2019 introduced as evidence in the case city records about the Batmasian project approval. It was the fifth instance cited by the state of Haynie voting on a matter before the City Council that benefited Batmasian. But since the City Council unanimously approved the project, Haynie’s vote was not pivotal.
Batmasian has not been charged.
His project featured Mediterranean-style architecture and no rooftop amenities. Pereira’s project is a streamlined contemporary style.
It differs from Batmasian’s in other ways. It has 69% open space, 8% more than Batmasian’s, and increased rear building and side building setbacks. At 34 feet, the buildings will be one foot shorter. It also has more landscaping.
Traffic studies showed that both projects would generate very little increased traffic, despite residents’ concerns. Ú
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