The Subculture Group is seeking approval to paint murals on the east and south sides of its future coffee shop on northbound Federal Highway in Delray Beach. Rendering provided
A place for art? — The City Commission has agreed to review the Public Arts Advisory Board’s approval of murals on two sides of the Subculture coffee shop that will open at 302 NE Sixth Ave. The Downtown Development Authority had recommended against the murals, voting that the proposal did not encourage economic development and did not promote “the downtown as a prosperous downtown area.”
Several commissioners were concerned about the murals in an area that is not an arts district. They were also upset that the owners had begun work on the murals before the commission rendered its final decision. Commissioners voted 3-2 to review the decision, with Commissioners Adam Frankel and Rob Long voting to let the approval stand.
A place for lawn bowlers and shuffleboarders? — The Delray Beach Preservation Trust is opposed to plans to pave over the lawn-bowling and shuffleboard courts at Veterans Park to relocate parking at the park. The existing parking spaces on the west side of the park are to be turned into additional park space that will link the existing park to the Atlantic Crossing project now under construction.
The trust said the courts are part of the historic character of the park. Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston said there are options for the future. “If there is a huge demand to bring back any bocce or lawn-bowling, two different things I’ve learned, we’re going to have all this extra new park space. If we want to put in a few courts because demand is just through the roof, we can do that,” Boylston said.
Town halls start in January — City Manager Terrence Moore is planning quarterly town hall gatherings to discuss topics of interest with residents. The first is scheduled for 5 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Delray Beach Golf Club, 2200 Highland Ave. The topics for the town hall are still to be determined.
Let there be light — Delray Beach has been experiencing delays in getting street lights replaced because a Florida Power & Light subcontractor has fallen behind on reported problems, Public Works Director Missie Barletto said in a Dec. 6 email to the city manager.
“The largest issue was on Ocean Boulevard across from the Municipal Beach, where an issue with a transformer had cut power to both the street lights south of Atlantic Avenue and to the meter on the east side of A1A, affecting both the pedestrian lighting and irrigation along the Beach Promenade. Issues to the north of Atlantic Avenue also were reported,” Barletto wrote.
She said all the problems have been fixed, but five turtle-friendly street lights on A1A “were inadvertently replaced with bright white LED lighting between Thomas Street and the Orange Grove parking lot.”
FPL promises to have those corrected by the start of turtle nesting season March 1, she said.
Parks project gets no takers — No one bid on the city’s Pompey Park construction project, which went out to bid in August. That’s “likely due to the scale and complexity of the project,” a city spokeswoman said, so officials have regrouped.
“Since that time, we have adjusted the methodology to a construction manager at risk approach, which will allow for much more collaboration between the owner’s representative, architect on record, and contractors,” said Gina Carter, the city’s communications director.
The city will now select an owner’s representative from among several submitted proposals with the goal of rebidding the project by mid-2024, Carter said.
The project is being paid for by the Community Redevelopment Agency, not the parks bond approved by voters in March. The CRA’s $40 million budget for the project this year is double the size of the $20 million parks bond.
— Larry Barszewski
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