By Brian Biggane
Aiming to make a clear break between itself and the previous administration, South Palm Beach’s new Town Council made “accelerate” the watchword of its April meeting, pushing forward two initiatives that had long been awaiting action.
The council agreed to spend $4.3 million and gave the go-ahead for construction of a new wastewater lift station. It also approved a partnership with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council on a plan it hopes will bring needed improvements to the sidewalk along the west side of State Road A1A.
“The goal is what we did today,” Mayor Rafael Pineiro said at the end of the marathon 2-hour, 40-minute meeting. “We have a number of initiatives, and we will move every one of these infrastructure initiatives to that level of simplicity.”
Treasure Coast council representative Kim DeLaney, who addressed the former council in February and was asked to return with a plan to improve the A1A corridor, laid out a timetable that encompassed improvements in transportation, utilities and infrastructure that would result in such projects being started in 22 months, or early 2028.
Pineiro listened patiently to DeLaney’s nearly 10-minute presentation, then told her at least one issue won’t work with that timetable.
“There are a lot of goals that we have, but we have certain short-term goals, in particular our sidewalk,” he said. “I would like to see us proceed with a full plan, but there has to be a place in there for us to be able to accelerate the implementation of what is a life-and-death issue.”
The previous council had been waiting for guidance from the Florida Department of Transportation with the understanding that if the town took the initiative and the FDOT disagreed with that plan, the town would be stuck with the entire bill.
Town Manager Jamie Titcomb preached caution in that regard, saying, “We can’t just build it, put our hand out and ask for money. They could say, ‘Tear it out.’”
Pineiro, however, returned to the safety issue, noting he has known a number of residents who have fallen on the sidewalk and been injured, including one woman who broke her elbow. He said he would be willing to hold a public hearing at which residents could voice their opinions, but nothing was decided.
Ultimately a motion was passed to agree to proceed on DeLaney’s plan, but at the same time to make the refurbishing of the sidewalk a priority.
Two engineers from Mock Roos, which is overseeing the lift station project, then unveiled their proposal for a project they also expect to be completed in spring 2028.
Hired last October to formulate a plan, Mock Roos engineers John Cairnes and Garry Gruber produced five options for the new facility but recommended one that will have it built at its current site on the west side of A1A.
Cairnes told the council the station was originally built in 1965 and was last significantly upgraded in 2006. Recent breakdowns have prompted the town to hire other companies for emergency repairs on several occasions, the most recent of which had been done only a week earlier. Cairnes said the engineers’ studies showed several areas that needed to be addressed promptly.
While the actual on-site construction is expected to take only six months, Cairnes acknowledged that some condos, in particular the 3560 and 3555 buildings, are likely to be inconvenienced by heavy machinery in the vicinity of their driveways. He also said the sidewalk will be affected, but didn’t get into specifics.
Pineiro requested a voice vote, and the motion to have Mock Roos get started on the project passed unanimously.
Comments