News

By Rich Pollack

    The drawn-out saga of the $3.5 million sale of a Highland Beach town-owned property in Boca Raton may soon be coming to an end.
    Last month, the Boca Raton City Council gave its approval to a change in its comprehensive plan that will clear the way for the sale of two parcels of land between Federal and Dixie highways in northern Boca Raton to be sold to developer Douglas Durrett.
    The property had been owned by the town of Highland Beach and was the site of the town’s water treatment facilities.
    Town officials and Durrett had agreed on the terms of the sale almost six months ago and signed a contract in June.
    After the contract was signed, Boca Raton city officials discovered that while the larger parcel was properly zoned for residential usage, Boca Raton’s comprehensive land use plan had not been updated for that parcel from the previous governmental-land usage, preventing the sale from closing.
    Attorney Mitch Kirschner, representing Durrett, said that with the approval of the Boca council on both the land use change and the site plan for the project, Durrett would likely be able to go ahead with plans to build 76 townhomes on the property.
    The closing is scheduled for later this month, following a 30-day state-mandated window to allow for appeals.