News

Sale and development wouldn’t come easy 

Included in the property for the planned Milani Park in Highland Beach is Yamato Rock, a favorite spot for snorkeling so named because the area was used in the early 20th century by members of the Yamato Colony, a group of Japanese pineapple farmers. The historical link of the site to that colony could impact how the property is developed. File photo/Provided by Rodrigo Griesi

By Rich Pollack

When several Palm Beach County commissioners last month threw the proverbial monkey wrench into plans to continue developing the Milani Park property as a park, they left open the possibility that the property could be sold for residential development.

If that takes place, the county’s coffers would grow greatly from the sale and future property tax revenue, while the door would be open for a developer to benefit financially as well.

Anyone purchasing the 5.6-acre parcel at the south end of Highland Beach would have to overcome a series of obstacles, however, including a hefty price tag and more recent archeological findings that could limit where construction takes place.

“There are some challenges but they’re not insurmountable,” said Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie, whose Town Commission would have to change the zoning of the property from use as a park to residential.

Plans for the park, which has faced opposition from the town and residents for more than 30 years, seemed to be on track until early last month, when Cam Milani told the County Commission his family, which sold the land to the county almost 40 years ago, no longer wants a park built there.

That was an about-face of the long-term position of the family, which in the past had financially contributed to the campaign of at least one member of a previous County Commission who had pushed for development of the park.

In an email to The Coastal Star, Cam Milani said that the decision to oppose the park came because “resident opposition to the park has reached levels we did not anticipate. We want peace and harmony in our community as we live here and want to continue to live here.”

Milani’s comments at the June 3 meeting set off an often-tense exchange between Commissioner Marci Woodward, who supports the park and whose district includes the Milani Park property, and Commissioner Joel Flores, who had previously voted in favor of developing the park but was now questioning that position.

Woodward has pointed out that Flores’ political action committee received $30,000 in contributions from Highland Beach Real Estate Holdings, a company controlled by the Milani family. The Coastal Star independently confirmed that three $10,000 contributions from the company went to the political action committee Friends of Joel Flores in 2024.

“We are proud to support candidates who share the same values as our family and will continue to do so as we feel that is our civic privilege and obligation,” Cam Milani said.

Following the discussion last month, commissioners agreed to meet individually with county staff for updates on the status of park development before deciding on the park’s future. Those discussions are expected to continue through early July.

If the county agrees to sell the land, the Milani family has not ruled out making an offer. The family, under a 2010 settlement agreement, has the right of first refusal, meaning that it could buy the property with an offer that matches the highest bid.

“Should the county decide to sell the lands, we will determine at that time if it makes economic sense to exercise our right of first refusal to repurchase,” Cam Milani said. “We would also work and cooperate with the town and its residents to ensure a development that is beneficial to all parties.”

Obstacles to development
Two of the biggest obstacles facing a developer hoping to build on the property, should the county sell it, would be zoning and price, and the relationship between the two.

In a letter to Woodward dated April 2024, Highland Beach Mayor Natasha Moore wrote that the property had been appraised at $45.75 million by an independent appraiser based on medium density on the west side of State Road A1A and low density on the east side.

Multifamily low-density zoning allows for six units per acre, while medium density allows for 12 units per acre.

Were the property to be sold to a developer, the new owners would first have to go before the Highland Beach commission to apply for a zoning change since the property is zoned for a park.

Along with density restrictions, the zoning comes with height restrictions: Buildings would probably be limited to 35 feet above the finished first-floor elevation on the east side, if approved for low-density zoning, and as much as 40 feet above the first-floor elevation on the west side if approved for medium density.

Moore said she believes residents who have opposed the park have focused their concerns mostly on the number of parking spaces — about 100 — that the county plans to put on the west side of A1A.

“My understanding of what most residents want is that they would like to see a park with just a few parking spaces as opposed to development of more residential units,” she said.

Archeological issues
A buyer who might be interested in building on the eastern parcel of the property, which the county is planning to turn into a beach park, would also face a major obstacle due to the archeological significance of the property.

County planners have long known of the existence of a Native American burial ground on the property and the historical significance of the use of the area by members of the Yamato Colony, a group of Japanese pineapple farmers in the early 20th century.

Woodward said that as the county conducts an archeological study, it is discovering that the historical significance of a portion of the property is greater than originally thought.

“It’s a treasure trove,” she said, adding that it is the only undisturbed place in Palm Beach County where evidence of a Japanese colony still exists.

Bryan Davis, a principal planner with the county working on efforts to get the area registered nationally as a historic site, says the Yamato Colony’s link to the property makes it unique.

“Every other piece of the Yamato Colony is gone,” he said. “It’s the only parcel left that’s still identifiable as associated with the Yamato Colony.”

Davis said that the Native American burial ground is the last remaining one of seven similar mounds — from Riviera Beach to Deerfield Beach.

“I like to call the area a unicorn,” he said, adding that there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the county.

The county’s design for the park includes elevated walkways over the historically significant areas with educational material posted along the walkway.

“It is the best thing we could do to this land,” Woodward said.

The county has submitted a National Register of Historic Places nomination for part of the property, and the state division of Historical Resources has confirmed that it is eligible for listing on the national register. The county is providing additional information to the state as requested.

“I think there are limitations on what could be done on the east side,” Labadie said.

Potential next steps
Should the county sell the property, it could be at least four years before construction could be completed. The county estimates it would take nine months to sell the property once a decision is made, and the town estimates it would take six months to go through the rezoning process.

Another nine months would be needed for plan review and permitting, and then it would take about two years for construction.

Ron Reame, former president of Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina, which is adjacent to the park property, said he is hoping a compromise can be worked out with no more than 40 parking spaces at the park.

“I don’t think people realize what the alternatives to a park are and what the impact would be,” he said.