height - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T12:33:38Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/heightHighland Beach: Town settles lawsuit over boat lifthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-town-settles-lawsuit-over-boat-lift2021-06-02T13:47:36.000Z2021-06-02T13:47:36.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Highland Beach commissioners have reluctantly agreed to settle a lawsuit stemming from actions by the town’s planning board dating back to 2017 and involving the height of boat lift pilings. <br />As part of the settlement, the owner of waterfront property agrees to reduce the height of 10 wood pilings from 12 feet high to 7 feet and the town agrees not to enforce its contention that the pilings should be no more than 4 feet tall.<br />In addition, the property owner, 1006 Grand Court LLC and Richard Touchette also agree to pay $2,500 for the town’s legal fees. <br />At a meeting last month, town commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the settlement with Commissioner Evalyn David casting the no vote. <br />Even the commissioners who voted to approve the settlement did so with reservations, understanding that some residents in the Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina fear the loss of their view should a large boat be placed on the lift.<br />In voting against a settlement, David said she thinks it sends a wrong message to the community. <br />“We need to say you can’t interfere with the quiet and enjoyment of someone else’s property,” she said<br />Mayor Doug Hillman, who like David lives in the Boca Highland community, noted that the property owner will be cutting 5 feet off the current pilings, which will then be just 3 feet higher than the town’s request.<br />“It’s not perfect but we don’t live in a perfect world,” he said. “Compromises have to be made.”<br />Hillman and Vice Mayor Natasha Moore used the case to re-emphasize the importance of town boards’ doing due diligence before making decisions.<br />“The proper research has to be done before a vote comes to the board,” Hillman said. <br />In the case of 1006 Grand Court, the town’s planning board twice approved the project as early as 2017, but the town’s building department stopped construction from continuing once 12-foot-tall pilings were installed. <br />When the property owner came back to the planning board and asked to be allowed to keep the pilings at 12 feet, the request was denied. <br />The planning board later denied the owner’s request to have the pilings at 7 feet, which led to an appeal to Palm Beach County Circuit Court. <br />In court filings, the lawyer for the property owners said part of the problem is that the town code addresses the height of dock pilings but not boat-lift pilings.<br />“The confusion arose because the initial application showed four-foot pilings for the dock which the town assumed also applied to the pilings for the boat lift,” attorney Scott Weires wrote. <br />Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that part of the problem was that the town, which has a full-time planner on staff now, did not have one at the time.<br />“This should have been caught but it wasn’t,” he said. <br />The town is in the process of amending the code to address the height of boat-lift pilings, he said. <br />“This is an unfortunate circumstance,” Commissioner John Shoemaker said. “It shouldn’t have happened but it did.” </p></div>South Palm Beach: Jordan: 3550 project exposes procedural problemshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/south-palm-beach-jordan-3550-project-exposes-procedural-problems2019-01-30T16:57:31.000Z2019-01-30T16:57:31.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Dan Moffett</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">Stella Gaddy Jordan insists that she has been an unwavering supporter of the luxury condo project at 3550 S. Ocean Blvd., the site of <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960836463,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960836463,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960836463?profile=original" /></a>the old Hawaiian Inn hotel.</p>
<p class="p3">The South Palm Beach councilwoman says that her frequent complaints about the building have been mostly about the construction process, not the product.</p>
<p class="p3">“I’ve always been OK with the 3550 project,” Jordan said. “I just think we need to know how we got here. We want to be sure this doesn’t happen again. There was miscommunication throughout.”</p>
<p class="p3">For months, Jordan has criticized how the town signed off on plans for the project and how the Town Council didn’t get a final review before construction began. She blames the town’s building inspector and three town managers, who have come and gone during the past five years, for failing to enforce building rules and for cutting council members out of the approval loop.</p>
<p class="p3">“The plans should have come to the Town Council after they were approved by the architectural board,” she said after the council meeting on Jan. 8. “We didn’t get to see them. That has to change.”</p>
<p class="p3">Had the council given the project that final review, Jordan says, she would have questioned the building’s height and the site’s landscaping. She believes the building, at roughly 106 feet above grade level, is 10 feet higher than code allows. She also thinks the project’s footprint doesn’t have adequate space for landscaping, as state building rules require.</p>
<p class="p3">It has been difficult to find a South Palm Beach official, elected or hired, who shares her concerns.</p>
<p class="p3">Mike Crisafulle, the town’s building inspector, told the council the project looks the way it is supposed to look.</p>
<p class="p3">“The building is being built in the way the plans were submitted,” Crisafulle said. “To me, there is no issue.”</p>
<p class="p3">The town’s last two managers, Bob Vitas and Mo Thornton, have agreed. No issues, no problems. Shortly before abruptly retiring in December, Thornton said the 3550 “conforms to the town’s code and was built according to approved plans.”</p>
<p class="p3">Council members Elvadianne Culbertson and Bill LeRoy have suggested it’s a moot point to second-guess the project — now that the building is standing and soon to be ready for occupancy.</p>
<p class="p3">“What do we do about it?” Culbertson asked with a shrug.</p>
<p class="p3">Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb has focused on the positive — and there is a substantial amount of it. With 30 high-end condos selling for as much as $5 million each, the town’s tax base could rise by roughly 30 percent.</p>
<p class="p3">“We’re going to get a lot of benefit from this project from the income the town will receive,” Gottlieb said.</p>
<p class="p3">Mayor Bonnie Fischer has said the council may consider two of Jordan’s concerns. It can close a loophole in the code that doesn’t specify height limits of garages — an omission that contributed to confusion over the 3550 structure’s total elevation. And the council can tighten its building approval procedures.</p>
<p class="p3">“The 3550 is a great building,” Fischer said. “However, it would behoove the town to examine garage height and footprint with respect to future development.”</p>
<p class="p3"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> The new condo building, developed by Manhattan-based DDG real estate investment group, is expected to open its doors sometime this summer.</p>
<p class="p5"><b>In other business:</b></p>
<p class="p3">• Joseph Kusnir, the town’s consultant from StormwaterJ Engineering in West Palm Beach, told the council that work on the town’s sewer lines is likely to cost substantially less than expected. The council set aside $512,000 to repair and replace the aging pipes, but because a main line didn’t need work, Kusnir said the project, slated for completion this spring, “definitely will come in under budget.”</p>
<p class="p3">• Robert Kellogg, the newly hired and sworn-in interim town manager, said he expects to sign his formal contract by the Feb. 12 council meeting. In December, the council agreed to pay Kellogg a $95,000 annual salary. </p></div>South Palm Beach: Town delves into height of new condohttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/south-palm-beach-town-delves-into-height-of-new-condo2018-10-31T18:42:05.000Z2018-10-31T18:42:05.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960824695,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="600" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960824695,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960824695?profile=original" /></a><em>With the outer structure complete on the 3550 condo in South Palm Beach, the Town Council’s only recourse may be to fine the developer if the town determines that the building violates rules on height. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong></p>
<p>South Palm Beach council members want to double-check measurements of the 3550 South Ocean condominium project to make sure it complies with the town’s building code.<br /> At issue are the structure’s height and the area set aside for green space on the site.<br /> Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan says she is concerned that the building’s six stories above a garage exceed the town’s height limit and that the structure’s footprint does not preserve enough open space.<br /> “They’re both terribly incorrect,” Jordan said of the two code issues.<br />A spokesperson for the developer says Jordan is mistaken.<br />“3550 South Ocean has obtained all necessary approvals from the Town of South Palm Beach and is fully compliant with all regulations,” the spokesperson said.<br /> The councilwoman blames the town’s building official for not bringing changes in the project to the council for approval. She said she believes the developer, Manhattan-based DDG real estate investment group, and contractor KAST Construction did not adhere to the original plans.<br /> Jordan claims the building has grown to a height of about 106 feet from ground level, roughly 20 feet above what she says the council was expecting. Part of the increase is due to a foundation with a starting point above those of surrounding buildings — 7.6 feet higher — that is mandated by flood plain requirements. A 21-foot garage space and a roof with elevator shafts and stair towers account for more of the total additional height, officials say.<br />In response to Jordan’s complaints, Town Manager Mo Thornton inspected the building in mid-October with Hector Garcia, the project’s architect, and Mike Crisafulle, the town’s building official. Thornton said they measured the six floors of living quarters and together the height of those six stories was slightly less than 60 feet. She said they were unable to measure the equipment on the rooftop, however. Some of the roof structures are roughly 15 feet tall. <br />Jordan has complained that the structures on the roof were not part of the developer’s original plans.<br />Thornton said, based at least on the floor-to-ceiling measurements, the building complies with the town’s code.<br />“It’s built according to the approved plans,” she said.<br />Mayor Bonnie Fischer said the council will discuss Thornton’s measurements at the Nov. 13 town meeting and decide whether more double-checking is needed. Jordan wants to have the entire building surveyed from the ground up, but other council members have balked at spending several thousand dollars to measure a building that’s essentially already built.<br /> Council members Elvadianne Culbertson and Bill LeRoy have questioned what remedy the town has to address the issues at this late date — now that the outer structure is built and developers are aiming toward a grand opening next summer. <br /> “I’m still trying to understand,” Culbertson said. “What do we do about it?”<br /> “We’re pretty much stuck with the building,” Jordan said, “unless we want them to tear off the top floor.”<br /> She told the council it’s important, however, that the project’s changes go on the record, and if violations of town rules occur, then fining the developer is an option.<br /> “I don’t think it’s wise to allow people to get away with so much without proper notification from the town,” Jordan said during the council meeting on Oct. 9. “This needs to be documented.”<br /> With 30 luxury units priced between $3 million and $7 million, the 3550 project offers opulence unlike anything South Palm Beach has seen, appealing to affluent buyers from an international market and promising a huge boost to the town’s tax base.<br /> Among the amenities are concierge service, a dog park and VIP access to the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa.<br /> In October, DDG announced it was also offering buyers private jet service on demand. The developer has contracted with Star Jets International to provide 24-hour jet travel, with planes capable of leaving the runway within hours of request.</p></div>Delray Beach: Vote on amended Atlantic Avenue height district postponedhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-vote-on-amended-atlantic-avenue-height-district-post2018-10-03T14:58:20.000Z2018-10-03T14:58:20.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Jane Smith</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Delray Beach Oct. 2 delayed its controversial vote to settle a lawsuit by carving the contested properties from its reduced height district on East Atlantic Avenue.</p>
<p class="p3">City commissioners voted 3-1 to push the vote to Oct. 16 when all five could be present. Vice Mayor Adam Frankel did not attend the Oct. 2 meeting.</p>
<p class="p3">Mayor Shelly Petrolia voted against the postponement. She prefers getting the lawsuit dismissed to preserve the small-town ambience of the downtown.</p>
<p class="p3">The reduced height district covers Atlantic Avenue between Swinton Avenue east to the Intracoastal Waterway.</p>
<p class="p3">When introducing the ordinance that would change the height district, Development Services Director Tim Stillings said it would be moving the district line to the east and staff recommends approval. The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> property owners could then<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> build 4 stories, or 54 feet.</p>
<p class="p3">Only two people spoke.</p>
<p class="p3">Resident Mitzi Kaitz, who usually talks about the city’s golf courses, said the amendment would set a precedent.</p>
<p class="p3">“The beauty of Atlantic Avenue is the low height,” she said.</p>
<p class="p3">The other speaker was Billy Himmelrich, who filed the lawsuit in June.</p>
<p class="p3">“I’ve done everything in my power to make Delray a great place to be. It always was a tight vote,” he said. “I hate to see a tie vote.”</p>
<p class="p3">The City Attorney agreed.</p>
<p class="p3">“A tie vote would mean no action,” Max Lohman said.</p>
<p class="p3">In June, bakery owner Himmelrich and his business partner sued the city for $6.9 million for value that was lost on their properties.</p>
<p class="p3">They own the .65-acre site that houses two buildings and two parking lots across from Old School Square. Himmelrich once used the building that faces the historic site for his Old School Bakery. The bakery now sits on Congress Avenue, west of the interstate.</p>
<p class="p3">Restaurants, Tramonti and Cabana El Rey, occupy the ground floor of the buildings with long-term leases. After the leases expire in 2024, Himmelrich said they would like to develop the property.</p>
<p class="p3">In February 2015, a previous city commission passed the reduced height district for East Atlantic Avenue. The height for new buildings is limited to three stories, or 38 feet. Most residents wanted to preserve the quaint look of the downtown.</p>
<p class="p3">Himmelrich, though, spoke against the changes, saying they would hurt his property values.</p>
<p class="p3">When Himmelrich and part-time resident, David Hosokawa, bought the properties the number of stories was not specified, but the height limit was 48 feet.</p>
<p class="p3">They sued under the Bert Harris Act that protects private property rights. It allows local governments to change their land development rules and requires written notice to affected property owners.</p>
<p class="p3">Himmelrich said he never received the notice, meaning the clock had not started ticking for the one-year time frame for the lawsuit to be filed.</p>
<p class="p3">He wondered about the elaborate lengths the city was going through to settle the lawsuit.</p>
<p class="p3">Even so, Himmelrich signed a settlement agreement on the morning of Oct. 2, awaiting city commission approval.</p>
<p class="p3">The city commission first voted 3-2 on Sept. 4 to exclude the contested properties after a closed commissioner-attorney meeting. There was no discussion and no public comments.</p>
<p class="p3">Commissioner Bill Bathurst and Mayor Petrolia, who often speak about preserving the small-town look of Delray, were on the losing side.</p>
<p class="p3">To carve out the properties, the city voted to amend its height ordinance passed in early 2015 after 18 months of community meetings.</p>
<p class="p3">That meant the amended height ordinance had to be shown to the Downtown Development Authority on Sept. 10 and go before the city’s Planning & Zoning advisory board.</p>
<p class="p3">On Sept. 17, P&Z board member Kevin Osborne asked why were two buildings being pulled out of the district? The board attorney, Bradley Boggs, did not mention that the height ordinance was changing to settle a lawsuit. He said, “It’s a city commission recommendation.”</p>
<p class="p3">Two members asked whether they were setting a precedent with the change. Boggs addressed that indirectly by saying, “If the city didn’t notify all property owners, the affected owners could bring a claim.”</p>
<p class="p3">Then, he said, all downtown property owners will be notified of the change.</p>
<p class="p3">Board member Christina Morrison asked, “Isn’t this spot zoning?”</p>
<p class="p3">Boggs said, “No, it’s just moving a district line.”</p>
<p class="p3">The board voted 5-1, with member Osborne dissenting.</p>
<p class="p3">The amended ordinance came before the city commission on Sept. 25 for its first reading.</p>
<p class="p3">The vote was similar to the one they cast after the Sept. 4 meeting, 3-2, with Petrolia and Bathurst voting no.</p>
<p class="p3">Commissioner Ryan Boylston said he wanted to clarify for the public that only the carved-out property owners would be able to build four stories. </p></div>Boca Raton: City limits new buildings’ height in business zonehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-city-limits-new-buildings-height-in-business-zone2017-03-01T15:57:24.000Z2017-03-01T15:57:24.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Sallie James</strong><br /><br /> The hot-button issue of building height and how it affects residents who live on the barrier island near East Palmetto Park Road is cooling off. <br /> City Council members at their meeting Feb. 28 approved an amendment that establishes a 30-foot height limit on future construction in the area’s business district east of the Intracoastal Waterway and adjacent to East Palmetto Park Road. The amendment was crafted to quell residents’ fears that towering new buildings would mar the area’s unique ambiance. <br /> Specifically, the 30-foot height limit would apply to all structures east of the Intracoastal Waterway. Buildings west of the Intracoastal could rise to a maximum height of 50 feet if city officials determine the additional height is “not injurious” to surrounding property.<br /> The amendment was approved about three months after plans for the Chabad of East Boca to build a sprawling orthodox synagogue and museum in the area were halted in the wake of a series of court rulings. Height was a hotly contested aspect of the proposed worship center and museum. <br /> The synagogue/museum project came to a grinding halt after the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach declined to hear an appeal to allow the proposed 18,000-square-foot project, at 770 E. Palmetto Park Road. Chabad of East Boca had filed the appeal after a lower court in June ruled the city erred in allowing the project because zoning in the area did not permit a museum.<br /> Residents on the barrier island protested the synagogue and museum because of the project’s size, parking concerns, and proposed height, nearly 41 feet.<br /> The newly approved height limits along East Palmetto Park Road were established to eliminate similar conflicts in the future.<br />“This is sort of a very resident-friendly amendment to the ordinance,” said Glenn Gromann, a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, which also reviewed and recommended the height amendment.<br /> Resident Kevin Meaney was thrilled with the city’s action.<br /> “I live on the barrier island and my main concern is the barrier island and the homes adjacent to the B-1 [zoning]. I would like to support this being passed to protect those residents on either side of the road,” Meaney said. <br /> “We’ve come a long way,” he said at the Feb. 28 meeting.</p></div>Boynton Beach: CRA allows 10-story building despite resident oppositionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-cra-allows-10-story-building-despite-resident-oppos2016-08-31T16:01:49.000Z2016-08-31T16:01:49.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960671872,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960671872,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960671872?profile=original" /></a></strong><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960671872,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>Dozens protest before the Boynton CRA meeting in opposition to the height of a project proposed for the southeast corner of Woolbright Road and Federal Highway. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> More than 50 residents protested outside City Hall carrying signs that read: “Save Boynton, Stop High Rises” and “Better Not Bigger” before a meeting when building height would be discussed.<br /> About 100 residents wore white shirts with stickers bearing the numeral 4 in red, indicating their four-story preference. They packed the Boynton Beach Commission Chambers, forcing others to stand along the sides and the back of the room.<br /> The City Commission, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, reviewed the agency’s consolidated plans on Aug. 9. </p>
<p>The plans detail nine changes throughout the eastern half of the city, with the height and density increase at Woolbright Road and Federal Highway the most contentious. The changes will shape the city’s eastern half for the next 20 years.<br />The final vote on raising the height at the intersection to allow for 10 stories was 3-2 in favor. The vote to approve the consolidated plans was unanimous. <br />The plans still must be approved by the same five CRA board members sitting as the City Commission Sept. 8 and 20.<br /> Twenty-five people spoke against increasing the height to 10 stories at Woolbright and Federal. Six people were for it, including three consultants hired by Isram Realty, which owns Riverwalk Plaza at the intersection’s southeast corner. <br /> Isram submitted plans last year that call for demolishing the plaza and replacing it with a 10-story apartment building. The original proposed zoning and land-use plan allowed seven stories. The changes discussed Aug. 9 allowed 10 stories. A separate meeting will be held to review Riverwalk’s plans.<br /> The developer sounds like “a bully,” resident Maureen Trufano said at the CRA meeting. She said she ran a preschool where respecting others was an important rule the children learned. She said Shaul Rikman, Isram’s owner, stood up and said he needs 10 stories to make a profit when he knew only seven stories would be allowed. “He is flaunting the rules,” she said.<br /> Mayor Steven Grant and Commissioner Christina Romelus were on the losing side of the vote regarding the Woolbright and Federal Highway intersection. <br /> Romelus, whose district includes Riverwalk, said she had to support her residents, even if they did not vote for her in the March election. She said her vote that night “doesn’t demean staff. It’s just not the right plan.”<br /> Grant wanted an impartial review of the plan by the not-for-profit Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, which provides planning and growth management services for communities in the region. Otherwise, it would look as if the city is just changing the zoning for Isram. No board member supported him. <br /> Rikman shouted at Grant over the gist of their first meeting. Romelus asked for a short break. When the CRA meeting restarted, police officers moved from the back of the chambers to the front to maintain order.<br /> Former CRA board member James “Buck” Buchanan urged the CRA board members to think destination and promote “the Floribbean/fishing village concept that was adopted years ago.” Buchanan was ousted during a reorganization of the board last fall after disagreeing with a city commissioner at a CRA meeting.<br /> During the CRA meeting, two residents presented survey results in support of lower height guidelines in the CRA district. Fourth-generation Floridian Susan Oyer used the Survey Monkey program. It was online for seven days and received 545 responses. The survey had six questions that the CRA should have asked in June, she said. <br /> The middle-school history teacher said she reached more than 7,000 residents. The overwhelming response was for lower heights, she said. <br /> “We pay taxes here, we live here, we care about this area,” Oyer told the CRA board members. “You are supposed to represent the residents, not the developers who are here today and gone tomorrow.” <br /> Commissioner Joe Casello questioned whether anyone could vote twice in the survey. Grant said the program allows only one vote per household, recognized by the computer’s internet protocol address.<br /> Resident Debbie Lytle, who lives west of the interstate in Commissioner Justin Katz’s district, also had an online petition. “Regardless of where you live, [the plan] affects the whole city,” she said. <br /> Lytle held a stack of 726 signatures for her petition that asked people to sign if they favored the lower height at the Woolbright intersection.<br /> She planned to keep the survey online until Sept. 8 in an effort to collect 1,000 signatures. <br /> “We like that you want to set the standards high, but don’t set the buildings high, too,” she said.<br /> Katz voted for the height increase, saying most of his constituents are newer residents. They moved to Boynton Beach in the past 10 to 15 years and “don’t mind the height increases,” he said.<br /> After the vote, former Mayor Jerry Taylor deviated from his usual path to leave the chambers. Instead of using the side aisle, he climbed the center stairs and gave Rikman a thumbs-up sign. Rikman’s company had donated $2,000 to Taylor’s re-election campaign last year.</p></div>Boca Raton: Developer downsizing Elad condo proposalhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-developer-reducing-proposed-height-for-elad-condo-proj2015-01-16T23:00:00.000Z2015-01-16T23:00:00.000ZMary Thurwachterhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryThurwachter<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960549067,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960549067,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" width="750" alt="7960549067?profile=original" /></a><em><span class="font-size-3">The original proposal for the Mizner on the Green “ultra-luxury” condo project called for 30 stories (as shown above), </span></em><em style="font-size:13px;"><span class="font-size-3">but the newest proposal is shorter and smaller. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></span></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>The New Mizner on the Green “ultra-luxury” condo project is going to be shorter and smaller than originally envisioned.</p>
<p>Bill Shewalter, senior executive officer for developer Elad National Properties, said Friday that after completing a review of what potential buyers want, the company plans to make significant changes.</p>
<p>The original proposal called for four towers, with the tallest reaching 30 stories, on nine acres on Southeast Mizner Boulevard near the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The height elicited sharp criticism from many downtown residents, who do not want the downtown area to lose its Mizner-style, low-rise appearance.</p>
<p>Shewalter said he does not know the new heights, since the plans are still in the process of being redrawn.</p>
<p>But he indicated they still will be taller than downtown building guidelines allow, saying “no matter what, we need to go ahead with the city council.” The city council would have to take action to allow the project to exceed the height limits.</p>
<p>The size of the condos will increase, and as a result the project will have fewer units. Shewalter does not know the exact number yet, but estimated it would go from 500 to about 400.</p>
<p>Initial plans called for units of about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. They now will range from about 2,500 to 4,000 square feet.</p>
<p>Amenities also will be improved, such as nicer kitchens and a larger workout area.</p>
<p> “It will be just as beautiful. It will be fantastic,” he said. “… It will be a significant, material reduction of the heights.”</p>
<p>Plans will be presented to the city in about two to three months, he said.</p>
<p>The buildings are not being downsized because of public pressure, Shewalter said.</p>
<p> “Everybody involved knew and knows it is a process,” he said. “My personal feeling is (the original plan) is quite beautiful. But I also realized that would not be what would be ultimately proposed.”</p>
<p>With the new design, “perhaps the heat can come down a little bit,” he said.</p>
<p>Elad’s survey also provided more information about likely buyers. At least 50 percent would come from the Boca Raton area, many of them empty nesters who want to relocate downtown. The next largest group would be from the Northeast. Elad has no plans to do much international marketing, he said.</p></div>30-story 'ultra-luxury' condos proposed near Boca Raton Resort & Clubhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/30-story-ultra-luxury-condos-proposed-near-boca-raton-resort-club2014-09-04T00:00:00.000Z2014-09-04T00:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960528479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960528479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960528479?profile=original" /></a> In what is certain to stir controversy in Boca Raton for years to come, a developer has submitted plans for an “ultra-luxury” downtown condominium project that would include four towers rising as high as 30 stories.</p>
<p> ELAD National Properties of Plantation proposes 500 units on nearly nine acres on Southeast Mizner Boulevard near the Boca Raton Resort & Club.</p>
<p> In announcing the project Sept. 2, ELAD National Properties Senior Executive Officer Bill Shewalter said in a statement: “This project represents next-generation thinking about development in Boca Raton.”</p>
<p> The developer also presented its rationale why such a tall project would be good for the downtown, where building heights are largely limited to 100 feet. ELAD said it would offer ocean views, add affluent residents, and increase both the tax base and demand for downtown shops and restaurants.</p>
<p><font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409841805999_288054" face="arial" color="#000000" size="2"><font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409841805999_288053" size="2"><font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409841805999_288052" face="arial"> In an interview, Shewalter said ELAD has shown the concept to many downtown business people and residents. While most of the feedback has been "very positive", he said the company will address any questions or concerns.</font></font></font></p>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409841805999_288058"><font face="arial" size="2"> </font> <font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1409841805999_288065" face="arial" size="2">"It is up to us to communicate the positives, the benefits, which include tax benefits to the city, a two-acre public park and truly world class architecture," he said.</font></div>
<p> ELAD proposes tearing down the 246 Mizner on the Green rental units on Southeast Mizner Boulevard and including in the project a two-acre public park, which the developer said would rejuvenate the area.</p>
<p> The project must win many city approvals before construction can begin. It will need the blessing of the Community Appearance Board, Planning and Zoning Board and the City Council. The council also would have to pass an ordinance that changes height restrictions.</p>
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<p><em>— Mary Hladky</em></p></div>Delray Beach: Neighbors challenge Atlantic Crossing developers in courthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-neighbors-challenge-atlantic-crossing2013-01-30T21:48:36.000Z2013-01-30T21:48:36.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Tim Pallesen</strong><br /> <br />A citizens group has sued Delray Beach, saying its density approval for Atlantic Crossing violates the vision for Delray to always be “a village by the sea.”<br /> City commissioners approved 40 housing units per acre for the East Atlantic Avenue project formerly known as Atlantic Plaza II on Dec. 4. The developer still needs site plan approval before construction can begin.<br /> The lawsuit claims the Dec. 4 vote was inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan that calls the central business district and surrounding neighborhoods the core of a charming village to be preserved.<br /> “We hope the developer and the city will work with us to design a project that preserves the charm of Delray Beach as a village by the sea and keeps the small-town feeling,” said Ralf Brookes, the attorney hired by the citizens group Save Delray Beach to file the lawsuit.<br /> Neighbors on both sides of the Atlantic Avenue Bridge fear the multi-use project will cause traffic congestion. Opponents met with Atlantic Crossing project manager Don DeVere on Dec. 17 to discuss possible revisions to the project. But the developer ended informal talks when Save Delray Beach filed its lawsuit on Jan. 2.<br /> “We think it’s unfortunate that the lawsuit was filed,” developer spokesman Bill Morris said.<br /> But attorneys have continued to work toward a possible settlement of the lawsuit. Brookes said Atlantic Crossing requested design drawings by three local architects working with neighbors. Those drawings were given to the developer on Jan. 22, he said. “We are trying to incorporate as many of their ideas and suggestions as possible,” Morris said. <br /> Morris said developer architects will address the concern that delivery trucks to restaurants and stores would enter the multi-use project from East Atlantic Avenue to reach loading docks.<br /> “We hope we can resolve this lawsuit,” Morris said.<br /> Save Delray Beach organizer John Papaloizos said the lawsuit was filed on Jan. 2 to comply with a court deadline 30 days after the City Commission vote on Dec. 4.<br /> “The lawsuit is a way to get our voices heard,” Papaloizos said. “We hope we can settle with developer.”<br /> The goal is for the developer and opponents to agree on a design before the Atlantic Crossing project goes before the City Commission for site plan approval.<br /> If approved, the $200 million project would have 356 apartments, 79,000 square feet of office space and 80,000 square feet of restaurants and retail shops. </p></div>Delray Beach: Atlantic Plaza II density set; one resident group plans lawsuithttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-atlantic-plaza-ii-density-set-one-resident-group-pla2013-01-02T19:00:00.000Z2013-01-02T19:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Update: Citizens group <a href="http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-citizens-group-sues-city-over-density-approval-for-a">sues city</a> over density approval for Atlantic Plaza II</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Tim Pallesen</strong><br /> <br /> Coastal residents near the proposed Atlantic Plaza II project remain concerned after Delray Beach commissioners narrowly gave developers the OK to build 40 units per acre last month.<br /> “The density is resolved. Everyone is satisfied with the number of housing units,” Barr Terrace resident John Papaloizos said. “The concern now is over the mass and scale of the project.”<br /> Papaloizos says his group, Save Delray Beach, will file a lawsuit against the controversial project even though the Beach Property Owners Association decided not to sue after commissioners voted on Dec. 4.<br /> “We’re happy to see the density reduced, but we still have some concerns,” beach owners president Andy Katz said.<br /> The developer originally asked for 51 housing units per acre. The reduction to 40 units per acre was necessary to win a 3-2 commission vote for a conditional use permit.<br /> Mayor Woodie McDuffie joined Commissioners Adam Frankel and Angeleta Gray to approve the lower density. McDuffie said office space included in the multi-use project will attract young professionals to high-paying jobs in the downtown.<br /> Vice Mayor Tom Carney and Commissioner Al Jacquet voted against the density request, saying it should be cut more.<br /> The Dec. 4 vote came after a second marathon public hearing where neighbors objected to the traffic that the $200 million project would generate on East Atlantic Avenue near the bridge.<br /> Developers want to build 79,000 square feet of office space and 80,000 square feet of restaurants and retail in addition to 356 apartments on the north side of Atlantic Avenue east of Federal Highway.<br /> The developer negotiated during the Dec. 4 hearing with neighbors north and south of the project site to win their support. The developer will pay to close Northeast Seventh Avenue and install traffic calming to the south.<br /> But Save Delray Beach still plans to file its lawsuit to meet a 30-day deadline after the commission’s Dec. 4 vote. “We still believe it’s too big,” Papaloizos said.<br /> The developer will ask the city for site plan approval this year.<br /> Katz said the Beach Property Owners Association will review the site plan application to decide whether to object, as the coastal residents group did at the two density hearings.<br /> “We want the project designed to be attractive for residents to see when they come over the bridge,” Katz said. “The bridge is our connection to the rest of the city.” <br /> Atlantic Plaza II project manager Don DeVere met with neighbors on Dec. 17 to discuss a possible compromise prior to site plan hearings. Three architects who live near the project suggested modifications to preliminary designs.<br /> “Most of their comments were in line with what we believe the design issues to be,” DeVere said. “We’re putting forth an earnest, good-faith effort to respond quickly to community feedback on design.”<br /> Papaloizos described the two-hour discussion as productive. “But the developer doesn’t want to give up square footage,” he said. “The city master plan says this project must be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. The developer said nothing to put people at ease.”<br /> Neighbors remain concerned about traffic congestion after DeVere said large delivery trucks to restaurants and other businesses would enter on East Atlantic Avenue rather than Federal Highway. <br /> DeVere will meet with opponents again in late January before submitting a site plan application.<br /> “How do you scale down a very large project into the scale of Delray?” DeVere asked in explaining the challenge.<br /> “We really want this project to be something that we all can be proud of,” Papaloizos said. “That’s our rallying cry.” </p></div>Delray Beach: Packed meeting sends plaza planners back to density drawing boardhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-packed-meeting-sends-plaza-planners-back-to-density-2012-11-29T16:36:43.000Z2012-11-29T16:36:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960422089,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960422089,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="538" alt="7960422089?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Before the meeting, more than 80 people gathered in front of City Hall to protest the proposed density of Atlantic Plaza II.</em> <strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related story:</strong> Dec. 4 decision might, or might not, be <strong><a href="http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-dec-4-decision-might-or-might-not-be-last-word">last word</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Tim Pallesen</strong><br /> <br />Atlantic Plaza II developers will cut back their proposed density after hitting a wave of protest from residents in eastern Delray Beach.<br /> “We’ll try to come back with something less dense,” developer Jeff Edwards promised after a marathon Nov. 13 public hearing where the Beach Property Owners Association joined opposition to the multi-use project on Atlantic Avenue east of Federal Highway.<br /> Atlantic Plaza II was seeking city approval for 442 apartments and condos, 79,000 square feet of office space and 80,000 square feet of retail space. The City Commission will review a scaled-down proposal when Edwards returns on Dec. 4.<br /> Coastal residents joined homeowners living north and south of the proposed $200 million project to voice concern about an increase in traffic congestion on East Atlantic Avenue. <br /> “This will affect traffic on the Atlantic Avenue Bridge,” Beach Property Owners vice president Andy Katz warned commissioners.<br /> “If traffic becomes a stranglehold, it will keep backing up until it is almost impossible to get over the bridge,” said Benita Goldstein, a bed-and-breakfast owner north of the project.<br /> Some coastal residents fear that police and fire-rescue vehicles might be unable to cross the bridge.<br /> “This is our gateway to the beach from downtown,” real-estate agent Judy Craig said, warning that coastal residents would be forced to detour to alternate bridges at George Bush and Linton boulevards to reach the mainland.<br /> “This is total madness that would destroy our quality of life,” said Craig, who gave the council a petition signed by 813 residents opposing the project.<br /> An overflow crowd warmed up for the Nov. 13 public hearing by carrying “Too Dense for Delray” protest signs during a rally outside City Hall.<br /> Steve Blum, a candidate in the March council election, led the chant: “Hey. Hey. Ho. Ho. Atlantic Plaza has got to go.” Blum was later kicked out of the hearing by Mayor Woodie McDuffie for his behavior.<br /> Speakers at the four-hour hearing were split over whether Atlantic Plaza II would benefit the city.<br /> Greg Weiss, the economic development chairman for the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, called the project “a much-needed investment for the future of Delray Beach.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960422457,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960422457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="538" alt="7960422457?profile=original" /></a><em>Property owner Carl DeSantis explains to the crowd and commission his views on the value of the development.</em></p>
<p><br /> Rexall Sundown founder Carl DeSantis acquired the 9-acre site and partnered with Ohio-based The Edwards Companies to develop it. Local developer Bill Morris acts as their consultant.<br /> McDuffie and Commissioner Adam Frankel thanked the developers for proposing to spend $200 million to help redevelop the downtown business district.<br /> “This project is important for business development growth because it closes a gap between the Atlantic Avenue business district and the Intracoastal Waterway,” city economic development director Vincent Nolan said.<br /> McDuffie, Weiss and Nolan all applauded Atlantic Plaza II also for bringing much-needed Class A office space to attract businesses to the downtown.<br /> “We need professional people like attorneys. This project brings us the office space we’re looking for,” McDuffie said. <br /> Atlantic Avenue shopkeepers joined in the praise.<br /> “It’s going to be the jewel in the crown of Delray Beach,” said Lee Harrison, owner of the Blue Anchor Pub across the street from Atlantic Plaza II.<br /> “This is progress,” jeweler George Kientzy added. “We’re not a little village by the sea any longer. We’re an international destination.” Kientzy & Co. is located two blocks east of the proposed project.<br /> The city’s planning and zoning director defended the proposed density.<br /> “Density should not be the issue,” Paul Dorling told commissioners. “It’s really about how well the building is designed.”<br /> Atlantic Plaza II is designed like a tiered wedding cake, with building heights ranging from three to five stories. The project would have underground parking in addition to a five-level parking garage. The developer has pledged $500,000 to enhance Veterans Park to the east along the Intracoastal.<br /> As an example of poor design, Dorling showed commissioners a photo of the 12-story Barr Terrace condos across the waterway where residents are vehement against the project.<br /> “There isn’t one person in the building who isn’t worried,” homeowners president Emma Betta said. “Emergency vehicles already have a difficult time getting down Atlantic Avenue. That’s a huge concern if we have more traffic backup.”<br /> One resident, John Papaloizos, hired attorney Ralf Brookes, who recently won court approval for a referendum to overturn the Boca Raton City Council’s approval of a 378-unit apartment project in that city’s downtown.<br /> “Citizens are not happy with this project,” Brookes told commissioners at the hearing. “Their objections will be sustained in court.”<br /> Faced with opposition from residents on both sides of the bridge, commissioners asked Edwards to redesign the project with fewer apartments and condos.<br /> “The density is too high,”Vice Mayor Tom Carney said. “You need to significantly reduce it.”<br /> “I honestly believe you will come back with something that’s OK with all of us,” Commissioner Al Jacquet assured Edwards.<br /> “We can work together,” McDuffie said. “I think you’re awfully close.” </p></div>Delray Beach: Dec. 4 decision might, or might not, be last wordhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-dec-4-decision-might-or-might-not-be-last-word2012-11-29T16:35:52.000Z2012-11-29T16:35:52.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p>At press time, Atlantic Plaza II was scheduled to come back to City Commission on Dec. 4.<br /> The commission can either approve or deny the developer’s conditional use request to allow for building heights approaching 60 feet and a density of about 51 residential units per acre.<br /> If the request is denied, “the matter is settled and the file is closed,” according to Delray Beach senior planner Scott Pape.<br /> The developer does, however, have options, including to scale back the mixed-use project to a residential density and building height that does not require conditional use approval, Pape wrote in e-mailed comments.<br /> While the developer has options, the City Commission’s decision cannot be appealed within the municipal body. The only recourse to the commission’s decision is through the judicial system, according to the planner. </p>
<p><em>— Margie Plunkett</em></p></div>Atlantic Plaza project consideration deferred until Nov. 13https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/atlantic-plaza-project-deferred-until-nov-132012-11-02T19:00:00.000Z2012-11-02T19:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><div>In a special meeting that lasted barely two minutes on Nov. 2, City Commissioners approved deferring consideration of the Atlantic Plaza project to a 6 p.m. meeting on Nov. 13. </div>
<div>Commissioner Adam Frankel noted that he had received "many e-mails asking that the item be deferred."</div>
<p>Frankel, Vice Mayor Tom Carney and commissioner Angeleta Gray voted for the delay. Mayor Woodie McDuffie and Commissioner Al Jacquet were absent.</p>
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<p>— Staff report</p></div>Delray sets Special City Commission Meeting to consider Atlantic Plaza II deferralhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-sets-special-city-commission-meeting-to-consider-atlantic-2012-11-01T17:30:00.000Z2012-11-01T17:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>Please Note:</strong> According to Delray Beach City Clerk, Chevelle Nubin, there is a 1:00 p.m. Special City Commission Meeting scheduled for November 2, 2012, at City Hall, in the <span style="color:#1f497d;">Commission Chambers</span> to consider the deferral of the Atlantic Plaza II Conditional Use Item to November 13, 2012.</p></div>Delray Beach: Residents voice reactions, seek to delay two development planshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-residents-voice-reactions-seek-to-delay-two-developm2012-10-31T20:30:00.000Z2012-10-31T20:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><div class="WordSection1"><p></p>
<p><strong>Please Note:</strong> According to Delray Beach City Clerk, Chevelle Nubin, there is a 1:00 p.m. Special City Commission Meeting scheduled for November 2, 2012, at City Hall, in the First Floor Conference Room to consider the deferral of the Atlantic Plaza II Conditional Use Item to November 13, 2012.</p>
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<p><em>To clarify the October Coastal Star article on the Atlantic Plaza II project:</em><br /> <em>Edwards Companies and local private equity firm CDS International Holdings, owned by Carl DeSantis, are joint venture partners on the Atlantic Plaza II project. Mike Covelli of Covelli Design Associates and local developer Bill Morris are consultants on the development team.</em></p>
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<p><em> </em></p>
<p><strong>By Margie Plunkett</strong><br /> <strong> </strong><br /> Atlantic Plaza II, a $200 million mixed use development west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and a separate shopping center project at Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway came before the Planning and Zoning Board in October — accompanied by a crowd of residents anxious about what changes could be in store for the city and their homes.<br /> The Board ultimately approved both requests by 4-3 votes and moved them to the next step — Commission, but not before lengthy discussions wore into the night.<br /> Both projects were scheduled on Commission’s Nov. 6 — Election Day — meeting, prompting residents to push for the meeting or both the issues to be rescheduled. <br /> As of Oct. 30, City Clerk Chevelle Nubin said the items could not be reset because they had been advertised.<br /> If not rescheduled, commissioners have the option, if they wish, at the Nov. 6 meeting to continue the Atlantic Plaza issue, a conditional use request. The Delray Place item is a first reading, which, if approved Nov. 6, would have a second reading and public hearing at Commission’s Dec. 11 meeting.<br /> At press time the meeting agenda had not yet been set. Residents can watch for any agenda changes at <a href="http://www.mydelraybeach.com">www.mydelraybeach.com</a>.<br /> Atlantic Plaza II, which lost some interested residents when unrelated earlier discussions at October’s Planning and Zoning meeting pushed it later into the evening, had returned to the board to talk about incorporating resident and board comments from the September meeting.<br /> The project abuts Veterans Park and asked for density greater than the city permits, with 50 residential units per acre as compared with the allowed 30 units. The 442-residential-unit project, with common areas and pools for residents, featured three- to five-story buildings and also asked for relief from height restrictions. <br /> The development is planned with 82,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space as well as 80,000 square feet of class A office space.<br /> Jeff Edwards of developer Edwards Companies showed renderings to describe what pedestrians would see from the ground, in an attempt to mitigate building height. “Some of you would say, ‘You’ve obscured all the big buildings with trees.’ I’d say that’s exactly right,” Edwards said.<br /> The developer made concessions on height, moving five-story buildings that overlooked the park to the other side of the project at Atlantic near the Intracoastal, encouraging thanks from some residents at the public hearing. Residents also remained concerned that the residential density would cause traffic, drainage and other problems. <br /> In addition, Edwards moved pools out of a central common area, creating a space for the public rather than limiting it to the development’s residents. And the developer will also contribute $150,000 to buy a downtown trolley.<br /> “These developers have really listened and made the changes requested,” said Christina Morrison a Realtor and unsuccesful city commission candidate. She remained concerned, however, about the density and asked particularly about the truck traffic in and out of the development.<br /> “We would be putting a lot of people, traffic and cars in the middle of town,” said Bob Ganger of the Florida Coalition for Preservation in Delray Beach. “I’d much prefer design that came in with more open space. This is a dense area. I think the density could be reduced back to what was originally approved.”<br /> Another resident, Jack Malone, said the development isn’t in keeping with the character of the town. “The project is out of scale for our town,” he said. “We’re a fun, small town — it’s what gives our town the vibe that we have. This overwhelms our town.”<br /> The board approved height and density requests for Atlantic Plaza II, on the condition that at least one building be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The Board is advisory; it makes recommendations to the commission.<br /> In the separate Delray Place development, just west of the Intracoastal on the southeast corner of Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway, the developer, Retail Property Group Inc., requested a zoning change to allow a commercial shopping center — a departure from the office space previously allowed for the site.<br /> While the board had issues with the site plan, it voted to recommend the zoning change.<br /> The center would feature both retail and restaurants. And while some residents of the neighboring Tropic Isles waterfront community were excited to have a center they could reach by foot or bike, others protested that the back of the center and a row of restaurants were only a few yards from their homes and would change their lifestyle as well as their property values.<br /> Economic development officials spoke in favor of the project. “We’re in a process of revamping and revitalizing certain sections of the community,” said Economic Development Director Vin Nolan. “This is a spot that should be commercial retail.”<br /> Resident Michael Young was concerned that there would be “delivery trucks right outside my front doors.” He and other residents decried the route of the truck traffic, which would have to cross a lane of traffic to exit left on one side of the center. And on the other side, the trucks would have to make a U-turn to enter. <br /> Sherri Crichton and her mother spoke on behalf of her brother against the shopping center plan. Crichton said her brother lost his voice to ALS. “My family grew up in Tropic Isle. It’s an incredible place. You’re here in multimillion homes on the canals. It feels like a piece of bliss. To think that you’d have to close your windows and stay inside.”<br /> Days after the meeting, resident groups continued a push for cancellation of the Election Day commission meeting or delay of the two items, noting that both items would generate lengthy discussions and a repeat of the late night Planning and Zoning meeting.<br /> “It is clear to us that a strong majority of affected residents have concerns about (Atlantic Plaza II) that need to be vetted personally and directly to our elected officials,” wrote Ganger and Kristine de Haseth in a letter to Commission from the Florida Coalition for Preservation.<br /> The Coalition further asked commissioners to “take your time and carefully consider both immediate and longer term implications of the core decision you face — whether to increase project density at the very center of the Atlantic Avenue Downtown Corridor.”<br /> A group of about 50 residents, including from the neighboring Barr Terrace condominium, met Oct. 30, listening to remarks on Atlantic Plaza by mayoral candidate and former Planning and Zoning Chairman Cary Glickstein, amoung others, according to John Pappas.<br /> Many had attended both Planning and Zoning meetings about Atlantic Plaza. The outraged neighbors felt like they were being left out of the process, Pappas said. They feared the city will proceed with a project that will have long-term negative effects without doing due diligence, he added. <br /> “Residents were very upset to learn that the next important meeting by the city commission is to be held on election night when residents would prefer to stay home and watch the returns,” Pappas said. “Everyone had questions concerning traffic, parking, and how it will affect the surrounding neighborhoods. They feel like they are being railroaded and this project is on a fast track. Most important they feel as if City Hall is not listening.”<br /> The residents weren’t alone in drumming up support for their view.<br /> Developer Bill Morris, who works on behalf of developers Carl DeSantis of CDS International and the Edwards Companies circulated an email asking supporters to come to the Nov. 6 commission meeting.<br /> “Having supporters present will be crucial,” the email said. “We have been meeting with the neighboring homeowner groups to share facts, do our best to address concerns, and stress the importance of the project to enhance the vibrancy and sustainability of our Village by the Sea.” </p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960413882,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960413882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="576" alt="7960413882?profile=original" /></a> <em>Atlantic Plaza II as it would appear at the corner of East Atlantic Avenue and Northeast Sixth Avenue. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></em></p></div>Delray Beach: Protests send Atlantic Plaza plan back for reconsiderationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-protests-send-atlantic-plaza-plan-back-for-reconside2012-10-03T17:00:00.000Z2012-10-03T17:00:00.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402870,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402870,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="541" alt="7960402870?profile=original" /></a></b></span><em>The proposed Atlantic Plaza II would have 442 residential units, plus office,</em><br /> <em>retail and restaurant space near the Intracoastal. <b>Rendering provided</b></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><b> </b></p>
<p><span><b> By Margie Plunkett</b></span></p>
<p>The Atlantic Plaza II mixed-use development would exceed Delray Beach’s density and height under a new proposal, which drew pleas from residents to respect the surrounding area and Veterans Park.</p>
<p>Following resident protests at a packed Sept. 24 meeting, the Planning and Zoning Board postponed its vote on the request for a month, asking the developer to return after reflecting on the feedback from the board and the public.</p>
<p>“We all want this project to be viable,” said board member Craig Spodak. “It needs some reworking.”</p>
<p>The project’s height would surpass a 48-foot limit, reaching nearly 60 feet, while the density would climb from the allowed 30 residential units per acre to 51.1 units, according to plans presented to the Planning and Zoning Board.</p>
<p>“We’re asking for the same height that’s approved,” said developer Jeff Edwards of Ohio-based Edwards Companies. “We are asking for more density.”</p>
<p>The $200 million, 9-acre project, which is next to Veterans Park on East Atlantic Avenue, must also still undergo a review of its newly submitted site plan. Developers hope to start construction by the end of the year.</p>
<p>The new plan proposes 442 residential units, compared with the 197 that the city allowed in Atlantic Plaza’s last approved site plan. </p>
<p>The current plan has 79,071 square feet of office space, 52,021 square feet of retail and 28,204 square feet of restaurants. The six buildings in the plan range from three to five stories and include two pools and a “green roof.” Residents at last month’s meeting voiced concerns about the project’s height and density, drainage problems, additional traffic and that the area would be less walkable than the rest of the downtown. They also contended that Veterans Park would be in shadows much of the afternoon and that getting to the park would be more difficult.</p>
<p>The added residential cars and the delivery trucks, including for food and liquor, will crowd the city’s streets, said resident Ed McCall. “This is not going to improve the quality of life of Delray Beach.”</p>
<p>Bob Ganger, past president of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, said his organization’s purpose is to preserve the lifestyle of people in coastal communities. “Adding more density is going against our cause.”</p>
<p>While complimenting the developer’s solid work, Ganger added, “Coming from Ohio, they just didn’t read our market.”</p>
<p>Some residents as well as board members focused on LEED certification.</p>
<p>“We should mandate this developer to get LEED certification,” said board member Spodak, echoing others at the dais as well as some in the audience. “It should be incumbent for all developers who come in with a project of this size.”</p>
<p> The developer could “use the elements spelled out in the LEED program to enhance the project,” said board member Jan Hansen. </p>
<p>Board members were looking for more information on how the project would address fallout of increased density, including impacts on schools, traffic and parking. </p>
<p>Board member Thuy Shutt wanted to see school concurrency addressed as well as to know whether the developer was marketing to families or non-families. In addition, she added, “I’d like to see more strategies to relieve some of the single-user vehicles here.”</p>
<p>The Chamber of Commerce and the city’s Economic Development officials supported the project, noting it will bring needed jobs and investment in the city. “It does promote a lot of jobs,” said Michael Malone, Chamber of Commerce president.</p>
<p>At the meeting’s end, developer Edwards said, “A lot of what has been suggested … can be accommodated.”</p>
<p>Edwards is one of four joint-venture partners on the project. The local private equity firm CDS International Holdings, owned by Carl DeSantis, is also on the team, as well as resident and local developer Bill Morris and Mike Covelli.</p>
<p>The Planning and Zoning Board is an advisory board that makes recommendations to the city commission, which then approves or denies requests. </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402887,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960402887?profile=original" /></a></p>
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