Beach & Tourism

New Oceanfront County Park Will Offer Snorkeling, Boardwalk North of Boca Raton

by
Daniel Nee
February 20, 2025

Construction of an oceanfront park, in the making for 38 years, will likely see shovels in the ground within a year, Palm Beach County officials said at a recent commissioners’ meeting, raising the ire of some Highland Beach residents who have unsuccessfully sued to stop it from being built.

The park would be located on a parcel of land that stretches from the ocean, across North Ocean Boulevard (A1A), and into a vacant grass field slightly north of Spanish River Boulevard in Boca Raton. The park will be located within the borders of Highland Beach, whose residents have opposed the construction of the park for decades, stating in no uncertain terms that they feel beaches in their town should remain off-limits to the general public.

The future location of Cam D. Milani Park, Highland Beach, FL, Feb. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The land on which the park will be built was purchased by the county for $3.9 million in 1987, with the stipulation that it be preserved as a park that would be named for Cam Melani, the late husband of its owner, Lucia Milani. The Milani family had sought to develop the property with an apartment complex, which faced its own opposition from Highland Beach, leading the family to sell the parcel to the county. Highland Beach spent decades opposing the construction of the park in court, but ultimately settled the litigation against Palm Beach County in 2010 after both parties agreed to 43 conditions that would govern its development. Among them is a requirement that only 100 parking spaces be built despite the fact that the vacant lot could support 180 spaces.

As part of the 2010 settlement, both the county and town agreed that the park’s development would be postponed for 10 years, with the county having the right to extend the postponement for two additional five-year periods. The county exercised its first extension option in 2019, but is now ready to move forward with construction after first notifying Highland Beach of its intent to design and seek development permits in July 2023.

In the spring of 2024, the county government formally notified the town that development would commence, and county staff was directed to “proceed without further delay” on the project, said Isami Ayala-Collazo, Facilities Development & Operations Director for the county.

Last summer, the county submitted an application to have the 2.31 acres site on the southern portion to be declared a historic preservation area – a request that was ultimately granted in November by the Department of State. Design and engineering work began last fall.

The county has set aside $8.6 million in capital funding for the design and construction of Milani Park through the use of impact fees.

The future location of Cam D. Milani Park, Highland Beach, FL, Feb. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Officials ruled out a last-ditch effort on the part of Highland Beach residents to scuttle the plan to build the park, which was based on the theory that the land could be sold to a developer for between $45 million and $50 million. County leaders have said the park will be situated in the middle of a “beach desert” where there is no true public access to the ocean between Delray Beach and the southern portion of Boca Raton.

Highland Beach resident Ron Reame, one of those who oppose the park’s construction, told commissioners that he has resigned himself to the fact that it will be built, but still feels Highland Beach is not a prime location.

“The Milani land is worth $45 million,” he said. “You’re going to spend, if you don’t sell it, a lot of money to develop the park which we don’t think should be a park. Obviously, the county needs parks, but this particular piece of land, which is 400 feet on the beach, with the Yamato Rock, is not a great space for the public to be.”

He said the money should be dedicated to projects “elsewhere in Palm Beach County.”

“Our county parks are to serve all countyans,” said Jennifer Cirillo, the county’s Parks and Recreation Director. “There is a heavy concentration in North County, because when properties were being acquired, that’s where there were properties available.”

Beach access is available in Boca Raton, however officials have said many of the city-owned parks along the ocean are cost-prohibitive for non-residents.

“This is a gap between municipal beaches, many of which charge county residents more to park and access the beach,” said Cirillo. “In fact, at four of the Boca municipal beaches, three of them a county resident cannot even get an annual pass. It’s not reasonable, you can’t purchase it, they won’t allow it.”

The gap between county-owned beaches runs for nearly 12 miles between Gulfstream Park in Delray Beach and South Inlet Park in Boca Raton, just south of the inlet which bears its name.

“The location … is in a county park desert, and will serve everyone west of this location,” said Cirillo. “I cannot stress enough the importance of this property, this public beach access, with parking.”

The future location of Cam D. Milani Park, Highland Beach, FL, Feb. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The park will be unique in that it will offer both general beach access as well as snorkeling at Yamato Rock, a small reef outcropping that was known to be used for fishing by inhabitants of the Yamato Colony, a community of Japanese farmers who emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. The area still attracts anglers today, though visitors must walk a significant distance to reach the beach since there is no public access to the ocean anywhere within Highland Beach.

Cirillo said the beach will be specially managed to support the snorkeling opportunities available there, and will feature a boardwalk which will not disturb the protective dune. Mobi-Mats will extend from the boardwalk onto the sand in order to allow better access for seniors and disabled visitors.

“We manage snorkeling beaches a little bit differently,” said Cirillo. “Public spaces like this are important for our residents’ public health and also the love for their community, because we know when people experience the outdoor environment, they are more likely to take care of it.”

The park will also feature a lifeguard station which will be built in the footprint of a residential home that once stood on the property. The home is long gone, with the only remnant being a depression in the ground where a pool once existed.

The future location of Cam D. Milani Park, Highland Beach, FL, Feb. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The park will be constructed with conservation in mind, officials said.

“We expect an elevated boardwalk to touch the ground as least possible in order to avoid disturbing the land,” said Cirillo. “The goal is to keep it as passive as possible.”