atlantic dunes park - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T10:49:28Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/atlantic+dunes+parkDelray Beach: Parks bond won’t threaten Australian pines at Atlantic Dunes Parkhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-parks-bond-won-t-threaten-australian-pines-at-atlant2022-09-28T15:19:33.000Z2022-09-28T15:19:33.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>Delray Beach city commissioners passed a $20 million bond referendum for parks improvements at their Sept. 19 meeting after removing projects that required 83 Australian pines at Atlantic Dunes Park to be cut down.<br /> The vote was unanimous after the proposed work on the ocean side of the park was removed from the proposed referendum. The bond issue will go before city voters March 14, along with a separate $100 million public safety bond referendum.<br />Three Delray Beach residents gave impassioned pleas to save the Australian pines at Atlantic Dunes Park at the meeting. <br />Mayor Shelly Petrolia then asked that the ocean side improvements be removed from the proposed parks referendum.<br /> “I don’t want the trees to be the focus of the bond issue. It would be controversial,” she said. The rest of the park’s improvements are needed, she added.<br />Parking lot work on the west side of Atlantic Dunes Park, which is divided by State Road A1A, will be included in the bond. That includes upgrades to the storm drainage system. <br />Resident Sandy Zeller, who also sits on the city’s Planning & Zoning Board, said he was concerned that the bulk of the money for Atlantic Dunes would be used to remove the Australian pines on the ocean side. <br />“They are historic pines, been there 50 to 70 years,” he said during the public comment portion of the meeting. He suggested a formal study of the shade canopy the pines provide, comparing it to the Australian pine canopy over A1A that Gulf Stream was able to preserve in 1996. The town lobbied the state Legislature for two years to keep the trees from being cut down.<br />Resident Gayle Clark called the Australian pines in Atlantic Dunes Park “tall, stately and slender. You go into the park and immediately feel the cooling effect of the pines.”<br />Paul Ludwig, who has lived in Delray Beach since 1978, sent the commissioners a petition with almost 1,000 signatures of people who didn’t want to see the Australian pines replaced by an outdoor grilling area and a playground. <br />He also dismissed the suggestion that the pines are considered invasive. The ocean section of the park where the pines are located has condominiums to the north and south, the ocean to the east and A1A to the west. “There’s nowhere for them to invade,” he said.<br />The pines provide “40,000 square feet of shade, and they block the light for the nesting sea turtles,” he said. The pines offer homes to roosting herons and egrets. <br />The parks bond also has improvements to Catherine Strong Park, where the city plans to cover an artificial multi-purpose practice field, provide covered basketball courts, add a walking trail and improve the splash pad. The park is on Southwest Sixth Street, just east of Interstate 95.<br />At Miller Park, on Southwest Fourth Avenue south of Linton Boulevard, the city plans to add outdoor pickleball courts, said Sam Metott, the city’s parks and recreation director. But that’s only after fire rescue staff moves from trailers at the park into a rebuilt station on Linton Boulevard, he said.<br />Other improvements will be made throughout the city’s park system, including restroom renovations, improved lighting and facilities improvements, he said.<br />The bond language will return to the commission this month for final approval. The parks bond is estimated to cost $22 a year for 30 years for a home valued at $250,000.</p></div>Delray Beach: Art project in works for burned-out beach pavilionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-art-project-in-works-for-burned-out-beach-pavilion2016-09-29T13:44:59.000Z2016-09-29T13:44:59.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> Artist Glenn Weiss was shocked when, during a summer trip to the beach, he discovered that the pavilion at Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach had been destroyed in June during a middle-of-the-night fire that has been ruled suspicious. <br /> Now Weiss, who married his wife, Maria, at the pavilion in 2003, is creating a work of installation art on the burned-out site, using 30 pairs of shoes, a holy book and a boom box to symbolize a wedding and to create a temporary memorial. <br /> “I want to remind people that this is a place of memories,” he said. “This is similar to other temporary memorials but it’s about a place, not about a person.”<br /> Weiss’ Wedding Shoes Project will be on display Oct. 5-16 and he hopes others with memories of the pavilion will send photos and stories that can be lashed to the metal barricade fence now surrounding the site. They can be sent to Weiss at gw@glennweiss.com. Images and stories will also be posted on Facebook at Atlantic Dunes Memories. <br /> An opening reception is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5.<br /> “I hope people will think about places that have meaning to them or maybe a place that they have lost,” Weiss said.</p></div>Along the Coast: Future of burnt Atlantic Dunes pavilion hangs on insurance decisionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-future-of-burnt-atlantic-dunes-pavilion-hangs-on-2016-08-03T18:35:11.000Z2016-08-03T18:35:11.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> A popular beachfront pavilion in Delray Beach that was destroyed in what has been described as a suspicious fire will be rebuilt, but when it will reopen and how much it will cost the city to rebuild it are yet to be determined. <br /> Delray Beach firefighters were called to Atlantic Dunes Park, just north of Linton Boulevard on State Road A1A, at about 3 a.m. on June 28 and discovered the large pavilion engulfed in flames. <br /> Parks and Recreation Director Suzanne Fisher said firefighters were unable to save the pavilion, which collapsed under the heat. <br /> The city plans to rebuild the wooden structure, Fisher said, but is waiting for information from the insurance company before determining when a new pavilion will be built. <br /> “It’s really a gem on Delray Beach,” she said. “It serves such a need.”<br /> Built in 1977, the pavilion was popular with beachgoers, families and others celebrating weddings or family reunions, as well as with visitors who stopped by on a regular basis in the early morning to take in the surroundings. <br /> The city’s only large shelter available for rental on the east side of State Road A1A — just a flight of stairs from the beach — the pavilion brought revenue into the city with rentals costing $110 for two hours and $200 for four hours. <br /> “It was very heavily used,” Fisher said. <br /> As a result of the fire, the city was forced to cancel a number of bookings and offer refunds. <br /> The fire also resulted in the closing of the park because of safety concerns, but Fisher said city crews did an outstanding job of clearing and opening the site in time for visitors to watch the July Fourth fireworks from the beach. <br /> The fire at the pavilion was one of three set that same morning, and fire officials have classified the other two — both not nearly as extensive as the one at Atlantic Dunes — as suspicious. <br /> The Atlantic Dunes fire was investigated by the city and the state Fire Marshal’s Office but the cause remains listed as undetermined. <br /> “It will remain that way until a tip is received,” Delray Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Kevin Saxton said, adding that anyone with information should contact Delray Beach police or Delray Beach Fire Rescue.</p></div>Along the Coast: 3 fires damage park pavilion, 2 homes' outbuildingshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-3-fires-damage-park-pavilion-2-homes-outbuildings2016-06-29T17:07:58.000Z2016-06-29T17:07:58.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659899,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659899,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960659899?profile=original" /></a><em>A suspicious fire June 28 consumed the pavilion at Atlantic Dunes Park located on A1A near Linton Boulevard.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Two other fires damaged a tiki hut and a gazebo at private homes in Delray Beach and Gulf Stream on the same night.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>The cause of the fires was under investigation. <strong>ABOVE:</strong> Delray Beach Rescue Capts. Andy Close and Brian Pollack</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>hose down the remains of the park structure.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></p></div>Delray Beach: Police step up efforts to keep dogs off beachhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-police-step-up-efforts-to-keep-dogs-off-beach2016-06-01T18:20:02.000Z2016-06-01T18:20:02.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960661894,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960661894,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960661894?profile=original" /></a><em>Friends of Delray Dog Beach held a demonstration May 7 in hopes of raising awareness</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>and gaining approval for dogs to be permitted on part of the public beach. The demonstrators gathered</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>in front of the city’s beachside pavilion.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Among the signs: ‘Surfers, paddleboards, volleyball, sunbathers ... Everyone can use our beach but dog owners.’</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> Dog owners who fought to have a portion of Delray Beach’s public beach set aside for their four-legged friends appear to have lost their months-long battle. <br /> Now there may be even more bad news — especially for pooch owners who scoff at the law — as the city begins cracking down on those who violate its no-dogs-on-the-beach ordinance.<br /> Delray Beach commissioners at a workshop meeting in May shot down a proposal that would have established a six-month pilot program crafted by city staff with input from local pet owners. <br /> That plan would have set aside a small portion of Atlantic Dunes Park as a dog beach for a few morning hours and a few evening hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.<br /> During a lengthy discussion in which 16 dog owners spoke in favor of the proposal and 16 mostly beachside residents spoke against, commissioners were told that many owners are acting in violation of city ordinances and allowing their dogs to run free on the beach.<br /> Part of the problem, according to Mayor Cary Glickstein, is that the city has been lax in enforcing its no-dogs-on-the-beach policy, a responsibility that currently falls on the shoulders of police officers. <br /> “We all look silly not enforcing our laws,” the mayor said. “We also look silly having sworn police officers doing the dog patrol. The solution is educating volunteers and park rangers who may be given authority to write citations.”<br /> While attorneys are investigating the possibility of changing city ordinances to allow those other than police and code enforcement officers to write civil citations, the police department has already begun implementing a plan to keep dogs off the beach. <br /> This month, according to a memo Police Chief Jeff Goldman wrote to Glickstein, the police department will begin an educational campaign with fliers, social media and traditional media designed to remind dog owners of the law. <br /> Beginning in July, violators of the city ordinance will receive a written warning for a first offense and a citation for a second offense. The city’s code enforcement department will assist police on the enforcement side.<br /><br /><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:georgia, palatino;"><strong>Minimal enforcement</strong></span><br /> According to the police department, there has been little enforcement of the city ordinance by the department up to now.<br /> Through the first four months of this year, no citations were written for dogs on the beach, according to police department records. In all of 2015, there were only nine citations issued. Police issued 30 citations for dogs on the beach in 2014 and 43 in 2013.<br /> Of all the 82 citations written since 2013, about half were written to individuals with Delray Beach addresses. Four were written to out-of-state residents and the remainder were to South Florida residents living outside of the Delray Beach area. <br /> Many residents who spoke during May’s commission meeting cited the lack of enforcement as a problem. <br /> “It’s despicable the number of people who disregard the ordinance,” said resident Steve Blum. <br /> Several residents spoke about health concerns associated with dogs on the beach, reporting that not all owners clean up after their pets.<br /> Others said that unleashed dogs have approached them when they were walking on the beach, leading to safety concerns. <br /> “There are always dogs on the beach,” said resident Alan Schwartz, who added that additional enforcement could lead to more revenue for the city.<br /> Some, however, including Vice Mayor Al Jacquet and Commissioner Mitch Katz, said that creating a dog beach could actually help reduce the problem.<br /> “It seems we have a problem enforcing the laws we have on the books,” Jacquet said. “People are already having dogs on the beach. Let’s put it all in one area where we can regulate it.”<br /> At the same time, however, Jacquet agreed with Commissioner Jordana Jarjura that the city is facing more pressing financial issues that need to be addressed.<br /> Citing health and safety reasons as well as other priorities facing the city, Jarjura, Glickstein and Commissioner Shelly Petrolia said they were not in favor of creating a dog beach.<br /> Proponents of the proposal noted that dog beaches work in many other communities, including Boca Raton. However, Glickstein and several others pointed out that those beaches are larger and configured differently than Delray’s public beach. <br /> “Boca’s beach is twice the size of Delray’s beach,” he said. “Fort Lauderdale’s beach is four times the size.”<br />Delray Beach resident Harvey Starin, who represented the 1,000-member Friends of Delray Dog Beach, said he does not believe increased enforcement will work.<br /> “It will make people really angry,” he said. “It’s going to force people to go to Boca or Jupiter. <br /> “Other people will grin and bear it and be disappointed in City Hall.”</p></div>Delray Beach: Delray to discuss plan for dog beachhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-delray-to-discuss-plan-for-dog-beach2016-03-30T19:34:19.000Z2016-03-30T19:34:19.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> After months of study and research, the Delray Beach Parks and Recreation Department has submitted a draft report to City Manager Don Cooper, recommending a six-month pilot program for a dog beach at the city’s Atlantic Dunes Park.<br /> While the proposal is good news for proponents of a dog beach, it has not received the approval of the city manager, who is recommending city commissioners reject the plan — in large part because it would be implemented at a time when two other beach projects would be underway. <br /> “My big concern is we’re going to have a lot of things going on at the beach,” Cooper said, explaining that construction of portions of the beach master plan and installation of new parking meters would likely be taking place at the same time as the pilot project. “If we’re going to do it, I want to do it correctly.” <br /> The final decision will rest with city commissioners, who are expected to discuss the plan during a May workshop. <br /> The proposed pilot project would restrict the dog beach to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only with two hours in the morning — from 7 to 9 a.m. — and three hours in the afternoon ending at sunset. <br /> Under the proposal, the dog park would be supervised by a park ranger, and users would be required to show proof that dogs have a current license and have received all required shots. <br /> Although the future of the proposal is still up in the air, the plan is drawing praise from dog beach advocates. <br /> “This is going to end up being a win-win proposition for the city and for dog owners,” said Bob Brewer, who leads the Friends of Delray Dog Beach, a group that has been working with the city on the proposal. <br /> In making the recommendation to go forward with a dog beach pilot project, Parks and Recreation Director Suzanne Fisher pointed out that supervised dog beaches have been successful in other cities throughout South Florida. <br /> “This program would increase our services provided to city residents and visitors alike,” she wrote. “Similar programs have been done in local municipalities, including Boca Raton, and have been shown to be successful.” <br /> Under the proposal, Delray Beach residents would be able to obtain an annual permit for $30 per dog. That cost, however, would jump to $165 a year for nonresidents, the same fee Boca Raton charges for nonresidents. A $10 per dog visitor weekend pass would also be available.<br /> While Brewer is pleased overall with the proposal, he thinks the recommended annual fee for nonresidents could be adjusted. <br /> “I think it’s excessive,” he said. <br /> In the proposal, the parks and recreation department staff estimates that revenues to the city could exceed $50,000 annually, while expenses — including the hiring of a part-time park ranger — could be as low as about $25,000.<br /> In his memo to commissioners recommending against approval, Cooper said he believes the staffing needs and the costs associated with them are underestimated. <br /> Under the proposal, a 100- to 300-yard portion of Atlantic Dunes Park — just north of Linton Boulevard — would be reserved for dogs. The pets would be required to be leashed until they reached the dog park and then could be off leash within the boundaries. <br /> Fisher said the area would be marked off by temporary fencing that could easily be installed and taken down twice a day by the park ranger. The ranger would also be responsible for making sure owners pick up after their pets, she said, and would be charged with removing anything left behind.<br /> Advantages to the site, according to the report, include two nearby metered parking lots, restrooms and a single entry point where a ranger could check for permits. <br /> Parks and recreation department staff wrote that after the six-month pilot program is concluded, several criteria could be used to determine whether to extend or end the project. Among those would be the amount of usage, how well the program was received by the public and whether there were compliance issues. <br /> The evaluation would also explore whether or not the dog park helped reduce the number of people bringing dogs to other parts of the municipal beach, which is prohibited.<br /> Cooper said he is concerned that some members of the public will believe that the beach is open to dogs all the time and that additional resources would be needed to enforce the ordinance. <br /> “Right now we still have people bringing their dogs to the beach,” said City Commissioner Mitch Katz, a proponent of creating a regulated and supervised dog beach. “Having a dog beach is one way to regulate that and to keep dogs in a section by themselves. This may be the only way to stop people from bringing their dogs to other parts of the beach.”<br /> Should commissioners give the proposal a green light, Cooper said it would be several months before it could be implemented. <br /> “I expect there will be significant pressure to proceed with the pilot program and because of the costs, procedures necessary to implement and the required personnel, the pilot program would not be ready until Oct. 1, if the commission directed such a program,” he wrote.</p></div>Along the Coast: Beachside sunset yoga classhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-beachside-sunset-yoga-class-12015-07-29T17:31:14.000Z2015-07-29T17:31:14.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960585671,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960585671,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="521" alt="7960585671?profile=original" /></a><em>A powered parachute flies above a sunset yoga class taught by Jessica Om on July 19 at Atlantic Dunes Park</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>in Delray Beach. Om has been teaching the Sunday class since 2010. She recently added a Wednesday class.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>The classes meet 5:30-7:30 p.m. A $10-$15 donation is suggested.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p></div>Delray Beach: City begins legwork for dog beach proposalhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-city-begins-legwork-for-dog-beach-proposal2015-07-29T16:14:34.000Z2015-07-29T16:14:34.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960596457,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960596457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="538" alt="7960596457?profile=original" /></a><em>The city will have another public meeting Aug. 13 to gauge community support for allowing dogs on part of the public beach.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>2014 file photo</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> Pet owners, who for years have been pressing for a designated dog beach in Delray Beach, found a glimmer of hope last month when the city’s Parks and Recreation director conducted the first of at least two meetings designed to gauge community support for the idea.<br /> During the initial meeting, Suzanne Davis explained that she and her department have spent months looking into the feasibility of a pilot project in which a portion of the city’s public beach would be designated as a recreation area for dogs. <br /> The goal, she said, will be to present the collected information, including best practices from other cities, public comments and suggestions to city commissioners soon.<br /> “We want to get as much information as possible,” she said. “We want to present the pros and cons that will help the commission make an informed decision.” <br /> Davis said one idea under consideration is to designate a portion of the recreation area at the extreme north end of the city’s public beach as a dog beach. She said there is a recreation area at the south end of the public beach, near Atlantic Dunes Park, that could also be used as a dog beach.<br /> Currently, the city does not allow dogs on any portion of the public beach. <br /> While dog owners attending the meeting appeared optimistic, Davis cautioned that more needs to be done before the idea could be presented to the City Commission. <br /> “This isn’t going to happen overnight and if it does, it probably is only going to be a pilot project,” she said. <br /> As part of the fact-gathering process, the Parks and Recreation Department researched how other cities, such as Boca Raton, have successfully implemented dog beaches and conducted an online survey prior to last month’s meeting.<br /> The survey, completed by more than 500 participants, showed overwhelming support for a dog beach, with 82 percent saying they were in favor of the idea. Those responding — as well as those attending last month’s meeting — were often split, however, on specifics such as whether the dog beach should have limited hours, whether there should be a fee and whether dogs should be required to be on leashes. <br /> Most agreed that those using the dog beach should have to register and present proof their pets had all required vaccinations. They also agreed that rules — including requiring owners to pick up after their pets — would need to be in place.<br /> During the meeting many residents, as well as Tony Chapital of Responsible Dog Owners Group of Delray Beach — who helped organize the gathering — suggested that a dog beach could have a positive financial impact on the city as well as on tourism-related businesses. <br /> Chapital said many local hotels now accept pets and having a dog beach would be an added benefit to out-of-town and seasonal visitors. Others at the meeting said the city could use the fees collected at the dog beach as an additional revenue stream. <br /> Among those attending the meeting was Andy Katz, vice president of the influential Beach Property Owners Association, who encouraged Davis to conduct additional meetings where anyone who opposes a dog beach could also be heard. <br /> Calling the first meeting “an echo chamber” in which most of the comments were in support of a dog beach, Katz urged organizers to seek out a balance of opinions. <br /> “We haven’t taken a position on this but we want the process to include everyone,” he said. “We have to figure out how all the users of the beach can work in cooperation with one another.” <br /> Davis agreed that more voices need to be heard and has arranged for another meeting aimed at getting public input, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Delray Beach Community Center.</p></div>