By Patrick Sherry and Larry Barszewski
Island residents will have to drive a little farther in the future if they want to get their fix of authentic Italian cuisine from Josie’s Ristorante. Owners of the popular Boynton Beach dining spot are making preparations to build a new home for their restaurant.
The new location will be on Federal Highway 1.5 miles south of Josie's current home at the southeast corner of Woolbright Road and Federal Highway.
The standalone restaurant would be at 3047 N. Federal Highway, on the east side of Federal a few blocks north of the Walmart, but the land first needs to be rezoned by the city from special high density residential to general commercial.
The City Commission gave initial approval to that rezoning at its Jan. 20 meeting. A second vote, scheduled for its Feb. 3 meeting, had to be postponed because the item was not advertised properly. The commission now plans to take up the request at a special meeting Feb.10.
At the Jan. 20 meeting, Joni Brinkman, principal and senior planner for Urban Design Studio, spoke on behalf of the applicant.
“They are an establishment that’s been here many years,” Brinkman said. “They’re a staple of the community, and they’re excited to be able to go into a new building eventually.”
The owners’ lease ends in November, and they have already started the permitting process for the new construction. They were not able to provide details on how the new restaurant will look or when they expect it will be completed.
The new site is being split from another parcel that will still be zoned for high density residential.
The rezoning initially worried some commissioners who feared current state law could open the doors to a development they would not want to see at the site.
Commissioner Angela Cruz said the rezoning might make the property eligible to be used through the state's Florida’s Live Local Act.
“I just wanted to get a commitment that that’s not the intent here, and it’s just to build a restaurant,” Cruz said.
State lawmakers designed the Live Local Act to increase affordable housing by incentivizing the building of residential developments on sites zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed use.
Several municipalities across the state have criticized the law because it allows developers to override local restrictions for housing projects.
Brinkman told commissioners the owners only want to build a restaurant on the property.
“The applicant has gone to extensive costs to date to prepare all the drawings, the architecture, and the permitting … my understanding is their intent is to build the restaurant,” Brinkman said.
Local residents also voiced support for the restaurant and its plans.
“I think we should go forward with this,” Susan Oyer said. “I’m sure they’re going to do the right thing because they’re fine upstanding people in our community.”
Commissioners then unanimously approved on first reading amending the site’s future land use map and the rezoning of the property for commercial use.
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