Supporters and opponents of a possible land swap deal that could bring development to an agricultural preserve in west Boca Raton. At some point in the coming months, the Palm Beach County Commission will vote on whether to develop more than 680 acres of the Agricultural Reserve, an area west of Boca Raton, west of State Road 7, south of Avenida Del Rio and north of Stonebridge Boulevard. A ‘yes’ vote would also make sure a 1,600-acre area of Loxahatchee is preserved moving forward, and the county creates and maintains a new agricultural area, including a new reservoir, for the residents in the Acreage.On Wednesday, the county commission voted five to two to approve the possible land swap, though the final vote of adoption for all changes to the county’s comprehensive plan will be at a later time. Currently, some residents are in favor of the proposal while others are against it. “We are pleased the Palm Beach County Commission saw merit in our proposal and look forward to returning in the fall to present our final plans,” Misha Ezratti, the president of GL Homes, said.Click here to view the recent Palm Beach County Commission meeting where the vote to approve the possible land swap proposal occurred.Commissioner Maria Sachs, who represents west Boca Raton, where the development would go, is voting against the land swap. She says it’s unfair to her district since the county’s comprehensive plan from 1998 stated the agricultural reserve would not be developed. There was also a bond vote that year stating that the Agricultural Reserve in West Boca Raton would only have development if 60% of the project site was preserved and the other 40% of the project site was developed. The new land swap proposal allows the area currently allotted for preservation to be developed, while instead moving the new preserved portion to the Acreage. “The commitment made to the county was that it would never be developed. Well, now they want it developed,” Sachs said. “I like to think that your word is your bond.”We don’t have the infrastructure, we can ‘t begin to build more units and have more people come in and use the limited resources that we have because that would negatively impact the people who already live here,” Sachs said. She also says the county does not have the resources to create and maintain a reservoir, and instead, the US Army Corps of Engineers or one of the local water districts should have been asked to undergo that effort. “It’s not a good deal for the county,” Sachs said. “If GL Homes wanted to be a good neighbor, they should deed to the US Army Corps of Engineers. Let’s work with them to do it.””It was the best thing for the people of this district and for the people of the county to not have 1,200 additional units along 441, which is a state road, it’s not our road, we don’t have the infrastructure to maintain 1,200 units going in and the people and the cars,” said Sachs. The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations is also against the proposal. “What is the benefit of the preserve?” said Dr. Lori Vinikoor, president of the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations. “Well, the benefit is that it’s not going to be developed on, and it will be less dense and less traffic and more agricultural. Now, guess what? It’s going to be developed on.””Now we’re being asked for support another area of the county with just a not really necessary regional water benefit, but a local water benefit, so that’s another thing, an inequity,” Vinikoor said. Supporters of the land swap, like the Indian Trail Improvement District in Loxahatchee, say having the conservation area in Loxahatchee will have more of a benefit than if it was in South County. “We do not have the infrastructure here in the acreage, and it affects tens of thousands of more people by having the development here,” said Elizabeth Accomando , supervisor of Indian Trail Improvement District. “We don’t have a lot of ways to get out, we’re very limited on main roads, God forbid there was an emergency, the less cars on our roads, the better. It’s really a benefit. I really appreciate the sentiment of the people down south who voted for the bond many years ago but as things change and progress we have to kind of be fluid.Not being a municipality is very expensive for the residents here, 45,000 residents would have to deal with that amount of traffic , and again they don’t realize that we are really preserving more acres of agriculture. We do not have the infrastructure here in the Acreage, and it affects tens of thousands of people by having the development here,” said Accomando. “We’re still going to have quite a few homes built, but however that reduction is going to save our taxpayers quite a sum of money. The roads won’t need as much improvement.” If the proposal is approved, Ruth and Normal Rales Jewish Family Services leaders said they would build affordable housing for seniors and adults with disabilities in west Boca Raton.”I’m sure when the plan for the Agricultural Reserve was created 25 years ago, nobody thought that there would be an explosion of people relocating or the cost of housing would be so high or a thousand other things, so I understand and appreciate the intention of those decisions made so long ago but just like everything else we need to be able to change and be malleable,” said Danielle Hartman , president and CEO of the Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services “We don’t think it’s fair to tell a senior who has built their life in south county that if they want to find an affordable alternative, they have to move out of Boca Raton or Delray Beach. We need more affordable housing options. I think we need to consider that times change, and things that happened 25 years ago could not have been predicted to where they are right now with the extent of population growth and the demographics in our area, so I respect (people’s opposing viewpoints), but I think we need to evolve.”
Supporters and opponents of a possible land swap deal that could bring development to an agricultural preserve in west Boca Raton.
At some point in the coming months, the Palm Beach County Commission will vote on whether to develop more than 680 acres of the Agricultural Reserve, an area west of Boca Raton, west of State Road 7, south of Avenida Del Rio and north of Stonebridge Boulevard.
A ‘yes’ vote would also make sure a 1,600-acre area of Loxahatchee is preserved moving forward, and the county creates and maintains a new agricultural area, including a new reservoir, for the residents in the Acreage.
On Wednesday, the county commission voted five to two to approve the possible land swap, though the final vote of adoption for all changes to the county’s comprehensive plan will be at a later time. Currently, some residents are in favor of the proposal while others are against it.
“We are pleased the Palm Beach County Commission saw merit in our proposal and look forward to returning in the fall to present our final plans,” Misha Ezratti, the president of GL Homes, said.
Click here to view the recent Palm Beach County Commission meeting where the vote to approve the possible land swap proposal occurred.
Commissioner Maria Sachs, who represents west Boca Raton, where the development would go, is voting against the land swap.
She says it’s unfair to her district since the county’s comprehensive plan from 1998 stated the agricultural reserve would not be developed. There was also a bond vote that year stating that the Agricultural Reserve in West Boca Raton would only have development if 60% of the project site was preserved and the other 40% of the project site was developed. The new land swap proposal allows the area currently allotted for preservation to be developed, while instead moving the new preserved portion to the Acreage.
“The commitment made to the county was that it would never be developed. Well, now they want it developed,” Sachs said. “I like to think that your word is your bond.
“We don’t have the infrastructure, we can’t start to build more units and have more people come in and use the limited resources that we have because that would negatively impact the people who already live here,” Sachs said.
She also says the county does not have the resources to create and maintain a reservoir, and instead, the US Army Corps of Engineers or one of the local water districts should have been asked to undergo that effort.
“It’s not a good deal for the county,” Sachs said. “If GL Homes wants to be a good neighbor, they should deed to the US Army Corps of Engineers. Let’s work with them to do it.”
“It was the best thing for the people of this district and for the people of the county to not have 1,200 additional units along 441, which is a state road, it’s not our road, we don’t have the infrastructure to maintain 1,200 units going in and the people and the cars,” said Sachs.
The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations is also against the proposal.
“What is the benefit of the preserve?” said Dr. Lori Vinikoor, president of the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations. “Well, the benefit is that it’s not going to be developed on, and it will be less dense and less traffic and more agricultural. Now, guess what? It’s going to be developed on.”
“Now we’re being asked to support another area of the county with just a not really necessary regional water benefit, but a local water benefit, so that’s another thing, an inequity,” Vinikoor said.
Supporters of the land swap, like the Indian Trail Improvement District in Loxahatchee, say having the conservation area in Loxahatchee will have more of a benefit than if it was in South County.
“We do not have the infrastructure here in the acreage, and it affects tens of thousands of more people by having the development here,” said Elizabeth Accomando, supervisor of the Indian Trail Improvement District. “We don’t have a lot of ways to get out, we’re very limited on main roads, God forbid there was an emergency, the less cars on our roads, the better. It’s really a benefit. I really appreciate the sentiment of the people down south who voted for the bond many years ago but as things change and progress we have to kind of be fluid. Not being a municipality is very expensive for the residents here, 45,000 residents would have to deal with that amount of traffic, and again they don’t realize that we are really preserving more acres of agriculture. We do not have the infrastructure here in the Acreage, and it affects tens of thousands of more people by having the development here,” said Accomando. “We’re still going to have quite a few houses built, but however that reduction is going to save our taxpayers quite a sum of money. The roads won’t need as much improvement.”
If the proposal is approved, Ruth and Normal Rales Jewish Family Services leaders say they would build affordable housing for seniors and adults with disabilities in west Boca Raton.
“I’m sure when the plan for the Agricultural Reserve was created 25 years ago, nobody thought that there would be an explosion of people relocating or the cost of housing would be so high or a thousand other things, so I understand and appreciate the intention of those decisions made so long ago but just like everything else we need to be able to change and be malleable,” said Danielle Hartman, president and CEO of the Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services. to tell a senior who has built their life in south county that if they want to find an affordable alternative, they have to move out of Boca Raton or Delray Beach. We need more affordable housing options. I think we need to consider that times change, and things that happened 25 years ago could not have been predicted to where they are right now with the extent of population growth and the demographics in our area, so I respect (people’s opposing viewpoints), but I think we need to evolve.”