After roughly five hours of a county commission meeting (including an hour break for lunch), the developer requested a 6-week postponement to continue discussions with the zoning staff and the community associations.
The attorneys from all sides seemed to agree with the postponement, though one suggested that six weeks is not enough and thought 90 days would be more sensible. The Commission voted 6-1 to postpone until March.
During discussion of the postponement, Commissioner Santamaria noted that this would increase costs on all sides, including legal fees for all parties and county zoning staff. He also expressed concern about all the people who had come up from Boca del Mar to West Palm Beach for today’s meeting, and would now have to come back a second time. Santamaria represents District 6, which is roughly Wellington, Royal Palm, and out toward Lake Okeechobee. He was the lone dissenting vote.
Commissioner Abrams, who represents the district that includes Boca del Mar, seemed to suggest that residents should be ready to compromise because otherwise no developer will want to buy the land in question. He also disclosed, at the end, that he had discussions with two zoning commission members after they had their meeting.
