By Rich Pollack
With construction of the controversial Milani Park no longer in doubt, a spirit of cooperation between Highland Beach and Palm Beach County appears to be gaining traction.
Last month Highland Beach Mayor Natasha Moore and two residents sat down with Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward and other county leaders to get an idea of an emerging vision for the 5.6-acre park at the south end of town.
They also had a chance to voice concerns and share ideas to a receptive audience.
At the table was the lead architect hired by the county to design the beachside park. Along with members of his firm, he shared thoughts on what the property might look like when completed.
“It’s going to be a very beautiful park with trees and lots of landscaping,” said town resident Maggie Chappelear, whom Woodward invited to the meeting. “Part of the emphasis will be creating parking that doesn’t look like parking.”
Highland Beach residents for decades have resisted efforts to build a park on the property the county acquired from the Milani family more than 35 years ago. Following legal battles and deadline extensions, county commissioners agreed in May to move forward with development.
With that in mind, Moore and other members of the Town Commission are focused on putting the battle to stop the park behind them and are looking at how they can be involved in the process.
“It feels like a reset,” Woodward said of the town’s willingness to work with the county. “Instead of wanting to stop the park, it’s now, how do we get the park we want.”
Moore said some in the community still believe the town should continue its efforts to stop development but that at this point working with the county might be the better path to take.
“We’ve done all that we could possibly have done to stop the park,” she said. “If we continue to be difficult, the county may not take into consideration our preferences in the design of the park.”
The park property straddles State Road A1A. Designing both the east and west sides to be aesthetically pleasing to residents and others is one of the missions given to the architectural firm.
“The design team is doing the best it can to make the park as attractive as it can and to maintain it to high standards,” said County Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Cirillo.
Hamstringing the design team’s efforts, however, may be the need to comply with a decades-old settlement agreement that followed a lengthy court battle with the town over the park property.
Cirillo said the county will stick to the conditions of that agreement, which will include having a lifeguard at the beach and a staffed gatehouse at the parking lot, but will also look for some flexibility.
“We’ll address the concerns of residents to the degree that we can,” she said.
One of the main concerns of the town leadership and of residents has always been the number of parking spaces on the west side of A1A. While it appears the county is sticking with the agreement, which allows for more than 100 spaces, it is making an effort to make the parking lot as attractive as possible.
Cirillo said the design team is looking at the feasibility of using permeable grass pavers in portions of the parking lot and is focusing on native trees.
Both Cirillo and Moore, who led Highland Beach’s contentious fight against the park, said there was a spirit of cooperation at the meeting.
“The tone was very collaborative,” Cirillo said.
Moore said she was pleased with the county and the design team’s willingness to address town concerns.
“I walked away feeling that they really listened to us,” she said.
Among the town’s issues raised at the meeting, the mayor said, were the number of parking spaces on the west side, excessive traffic, safety of beachgoers around Yamato Rock, and environmental concerns.
During a Town Commission meeting last month, Moore said she believes there is still an opportunity to incorporate the preferences of Highland Beach into the design.
A follow-up meeting with Moore, Chappelear and resident Laura Thurston and the county is scheduled for early next year, with a meeting open to the public likely coming several weeks later.
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