The meeting to vote on 2600 N Ocean beachfront development has been scheduled for Tuesday, Feburary 26, 2019 at 6:00 PM at City Hall in the Council Chambers. Agenda item 17A Resolution No. 22-2019.
2600 N Ocean Blvd, is set to be presented to Boca Raton's City Council for approval or denial to build on. This would be the first, private residential beach construction since the 1980s! Please use the below to help our cause to preserve and protect our City's Code of Ordinances.
Talking Points:
The City of Boca Raton adopted a Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) to regulate structures and activities which can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes, damage upland properties, or interfere with public access. CCCL regulation is also designed to protect sea turtles and dune plants.
Boca Raton's CCCL Setback Ordinance (City Code Section 28-1556) prohibits building on the beach seaward (east) of the Coastal Construction Control Line. In order to commence construction, a Variance must be provided by City Council. This specific CCCL Variance, if granted, would give the property owner permission to build on untouched beach dunes of Boca Raton. 2600 N Ocean lies east of this CCCL.
To gain a CCCL Variance, the private property owner had to first present their project to the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB), which issued a non-binding recommendation to the City Council on January 10, 2019. The EAB recommended that the City DENY the Variance.
The EAB made it clear that there are too many environmental concerns to permit this building on the beaches of Boca Raton. In turn, the board recommended that the property owner's request for a Variance be denied and the building should not be permitted.
The City's Code of Ordinances states "Seaward of the established coastal construction control line no person shall: (a) Construct any structure whatsoever."
Now, City Code Section 28-1556 (4) allows for a Variance (exception), and 2600 N Ocean is applying for that exception to build on the beach.
Note, this is private property.