Lift station update — Thomas Biggs, executive vice president of Mock Roos, which is building South Palm Beach’s new wastewater lift station, updated Town Council members on the project at their June 9 meeting and assured Mayor Rafael Pineiro that the project is on track for a spring 2028 completion.
Town Manager Jamie Titcomb said the town is seeking grant money from both federal and state agencies. The “early indications are we might have some success in both those arenas,” he said.
Pineiro said he is hopeful Resilient Florida, which offers grants to mitigate the impact of sea-level rise and flooding, will provide $2.15 million of the expected $4 million to $5 million cost.
A1A planning timetable accelerated — Kim DeLaney, a representative of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, appeared remotely at the June 9 council meeting and offered details on a plan for the revitalization of the State Road A1A corridor that has been accelerated by nearly a year.
DeLaney in April had told the Town Council her agency anticipated the final planning to be completed by early 2028. After Mayor Pineiro said he hoped she could speed that up, she returned to say the planning phase would now be completed by March 2027.
“This schedule suggests the process could begin immediately to work with town staff … and council members and begin a very careful public engagement effort,” DeLaney said. “It’s a complex corridor to resolve the challenges the town is facing and it’s going to take a series of complex solutions.”
DeLaney said a number of entities need to be brought into the conversation, including FPL, her district, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Palm Beach County, neighboring municipalities and the town’s own condo associations.
After preliminary meetings with the various groups, the process is expected to include a public workshop in November, followed by an analysis of steps to be taken through next January, with a draft project report in February and a final report in March.
A significant question facing the town has been the struggle to find a place to create a crosswalk where residents could cross A1A safely. Pineiro said the Florida Department of Transportation owns 50 feet on either side of the center line of the road, opening up the possibility for a crosswalk to be created. DeLaney said she would research that and get back.
Sea wall markings approved — The Town Council adopted a resolution to require all condominiums facing the ocean to be marked with the numbers of their address to make it easier to communicate to police and fire agencies more accurately the exact location of beach emergencies. About half the buildings had already taken that step.
Board appointments — The council approved the appointments of Donna Pallante and Susan Saluru to the Community Activity Advisory Board.
— Brian Biggane
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