Residents gather to oppose development in Palm Beach Farms, Jan. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Boca Raton’s planning board faced jeers from dozens of residents of the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood Thursday night following a decision to recommend approval of a townhome development in place of a long-standing commercial parcel.
The residents, all wearing red in support of their cause, said they opposed the development of what would be known as the Ibis Row townhomes at the corner of Juana Road and SW 18th Street. The four townhomes would back up to SW 17th Street in a neighborhood that, except for a single convenience store, is completely developed with single-family homes. The lot where the townhomes are being proposed is also a half-acre commercial parcel that falls within the “neighborhood commercial” zone, allowing for light commercial uses. It is currently developed with a building that is vacant.
A commercial space proposed for redevelopment in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood of Boca Raton, Jan. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Proposed townhomes in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood, Boca Raton, FL, Jan. 2025. (Planning Document)
A commercial space proposed for redevelopment in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood of Boca Raton, Jan. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Proposed townhomes in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood, Boca Raton, FL, Jan. 2025. (Planning Document)
The residents argued a new residential use would add traffic to the neighborhood, but more importantly, could open the door to future multifamily development. Many expressed concern that developers – once a precedent is set to allow multifamily residential in the neighborhood – could begin targeting other properties and slowly change its character. The neighborhood, as it currently stands, consists of no high-rises, gated subdivisions or homeowners’ associations. Residents spoke of a “domino effect” that could see multifamily development proliferate to other portions of Palm Beach Farms, including the small food market across the street.
“The applicant and their attorney are very aware of our opposition,” said neighboring resident Laura Coffy. “We’ve spoken to them many times, and we don’t want this. This lot is literally the center of Palm Beach Farms, and it is a unique neighborhood in the way the lots are done.”
Coffy said she and her neighbors have collected 353 signatures on a petition opposing the conversion of the commercial lot to a multifamily residential use, telling board members the residents would not be opposed to the construction of single-family homes more in line with the remainder of Palm Beach Farms.
“It certainly does open the door for the redevelopment of other lots,” Coffy said. “What’s to stop a developer from buying up properties and converting them to multifamily properties to line their own pockets? Right now, there are no other multifamily properties.”
Attorney Ele Zachariades is representing the developer and owner of the property, Neil J. Haynie.
“I hear the concern about the proliferation of multifamily, but this property was never single-family,” said Zachariades. “Is it possible the commercial property across the street wants to follow suit? It’s a possibility, I’ve never spoken to the property owner.”
A commercial space proposed for redevelopment in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood of Boca Raton, Jan. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
Zachariades argued the townhome use would not only produce minimal traffic, but would actually reduce traffic as compared to any commercial use that would be allowed. A 7-Eleven store, which notionally could be built on the property, would produce 3,133 trips per day versus just 27 for the four townhomes. The figure of 27 trips, she said, cuts in half the number of trips that were historically produced by the existing commercial building.
“I, too, live in this neighborhood,” she said. “I, too, have a daughter who rides her bike to school. I get that change can be scary, but we need to know what the issues are, and if the issue tonight is traffic, this is the least amount of traffic that can be produced.”
Resident Craig McDonald said he does not mind the commercial space since it existed there previously, saying construction of higher-density residential housing causes a greater concern.
“The neighborhood is happy with it, the neighborhood supports it, and there are no problems,” he said, of the current configuration. “If it’s going to be changed to anything, it should be single-family homes.”
Another resident, Ryan Aboud, echoed the same concerns.
“It’s a slippery slope,” he told board members. “Let’s say there’s a fire that damages a home and it needs to be rebuilt. I could see a developer coming in, buying the property, and saying, ‘Why not build multifamily homes here, there are others around this property?’”
“The idea that this is better than a 7-Eleven is preposterous because there is no 7-Eleven there,” he continued. “There never was. What should be built there are single-family homes. There is nothing consistent, reasonable or appropriate about building a multifamily development in a single-family community.”
A commercial space proposed for redevelopment in the Palm Beach Farms neighborhood of Boca Raton, Jan. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
The townhomes would consist of four units divided between 11,277 square feet of space. The building would stand 24-feet tall, and consist of multiple pools and outdoor patios. Zachariades said the building was architecturally designed to resemble the height, look and feel of a single-family building in order for it to fit the neighborhood’s character.
“It feels more like a single-family in nature,” she said, arguing that the townhomes would likely be worth more than many of the single-family homes nearby, and could have an ancillary benefit of raising property values.
Residents expressed some anger, calling the development “short term profit-chasing” on the part of the owner. Others feared the units could be used as investment properties that would be leased to a high turnover of tenants.
Board members ultimately sided 4-1 with the developer, recommending approval to the city council.
Allowing the townhomes might provide a chance for younger families to access the neighborhood, which has seen property values skyrocket in recent years with few homes going up for sale, said board member Gregory Mitchell.
“We’re stuck in condos, townhomes and apartments elsewhere because there is no opportunity for us younger folks to buy in,” said Mitchell.
Board member Christen Ritchey said she was concerned that if the townhomes were not approved, a higher-intensity commercial use that fits the underlying zone could be built there – from the proverbial 7-Eleven store to a chain urgent care facility.
“I am very concerned about what could go in if there was a commercial project there,” she said.
Meanwhile, board member Larry Cellon told residents before voting that the property owner is “down-zoning” the plot, versus making its use more intensive.
“What you are concerned about is that the lot next to your house is going to get up-zoned to a multifamily lot, and I can tell you that is not going to happen,” said Cellon. “That’s just not how it works. This is a property that is begging to be redeveloped some way, in the best, highest use. If it’s not residential, it’s going to be commercial with intensity over and above what the applicant is proposing.”
Board member Jean Da Rocha cast the sole ‘no’ vote. The application requires a final approval from the city council before building permits can be issued.
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