By Jane Musgrave
The Boca Raton resort has won preliminary approval from the city to demolish three aging wooden docks and replace them with four new ones that will be longer, wider and more resilient to the vagaries of Mother Nature.
Both the city’s Planning and Zoning Board and its Marine Advisory Board on Oct. 15 signed off on the resort’s plans.
Both advisory boards had to approve the plans because three of the proposed docks will extend roughly 104 feet into the Intracoastal Waterway, 54 feet longer than city codes allow. The fourth proposed dock will measure 65.5 feet. All will be 8.3 feet wide, roughly 2.3 feet wider than codes permit.
Even though the docks will be far longer than the existing ones, they will still be at least 62 feet from navigation channels, said city Zoning Manager Tori Boone, who recommended approval.
Without discussion, the planning board unanimously agreed to waive city rules to allow the docks to be built. To make sure larger boats can reach the new docks, the area will be dredged. The resort agreed to relocate 12 colonies of coral that will be disrupted.
In addition to City Council approval, the resort must get permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before construction can begin.
The state agency must also agree to increase the amount of submerged land the resort is leasing from the state to accommodate the larger docks.
It has already given preliminary approval to increase the lease from 24,600 square feet to 32,200 square feet, Boone said.
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