News

By Tim Pallesen
    
Mayor Cary Glickstein has persuaded Atlantic Crossing developers to reconsider a Federal Highway access road to relieve traffic on East Atlantic Avenue.
    The Edwards Companies will present two possible site plan revisions for city commissioners to review on June 16.
    “We have agreed to explore a site plan modification in the spirit of cooperation and at the mayor’s request,” developer vice president Don DeVere confirmed.
    The developer has zoning approval to build the $200 million mixed-use project without the east-west access road from Federal Highway that neighbors want.
    City commissioners approved a site plan without the road in January 2014 and a circuit court judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking the road last January.
    But some residents still worried about Atlantic Avenue traffic congestion have continued to pressure commissioners to do something.
    “The single criticism that I kept hearing was that people want the road,” said Glickstein, who approached the developer in February.
    “I didn’t understand the unwillingness to revisit this. It didn’t appear to me to be that difficult to make this modification,” the mayor said. “I asked them to give it another shot.”
    One modification for commissioners to consider on June 16 would be to add Atlantic Court back onto the site plan as the east-west surface road to connect Federal Highway to Northeast Sixth Avenue.
    The other alternative would still have ramps from Federal into an underground parking garage, but with improved traffic circulation inside the project. Glickstein said the developer will present an “animated” visual to demonstrate how traffic would flow.
    Glickstein applauded the developer for willingness to address citizen concerns. The Edwards Companies and Carl DeSantis are developing the project.
    “Nobody likes to be told what to do. In their minds, they have gone through the process legally,” the mayor said. “I give them credit for going back to the drawing board. We’re trying to forge a compromise.”