Surprise Vote Nixes ‘Surf Park’ Proposal in Boca Raton; Golf Course Debate Gets Heated

The northwest corner of North Park, Boca Raton, FL, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

An unexpected vote at Monday night’s meeting of the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District has resulted in the scrapping of a proposal to build a $59 million surf park at the district’s North Park property in Boca Raton.

After a remote video presentation by representatives of Boca Surf Park, a group of local investors who pitched the plan to the district, Commissioner Bob Rollins made a motion to set aside the plan – and any like it – entirely due to “community compatibility issues.”

“I think the traffic situation is probably one of the overriding factors I have, but the other is the response the neighborhood has had to the project,” Rolins said. “Listening to the public, I’m uncomfortable moving forward and having any further discussion on this project.”

The surf park, which commissioners initially ranked first out of several proposals for the northwestern portion of North Park, would have consisted of the installation of a massive wave pool using an internationally-developed system that would have been built over about 23 acres. Facilities would have included the wave pool itself, a “surf lagoon,” wellness center and other features. The pool was proposed to have been large enough to accommodate about 80 surfers per hour, and wave heights could be programmed to match the skill level of those catching a ride. The “lagoon” itself would measure 6.3 acres in area, including a “reef” and “bay” zone. The privately-owned facility would have operated under a 49-year initial lease, during which time the parks district would have collected between 3 and 5 percent of the profits.

A rendering of a potential surf park at Boca Raton’s North Park property. (Planning Document)

A park current utilizing the Wavegarden system. (Credit: Boca Surf Park)

Though the plan generated excitement from some commissioners and members of the local surf community, neighboring residents railed against it, citing traffic and noise concerns. The proponents argued that traffic would be minimal and enough parking would be provided, and the wave-generating technology would be several times quieter than the ambient noise already generated from I-95, which would be located to the park’s west side. Still, residents remained unconvinced, with Monday’s meeting often pitting younger attendees versus older attendees who said they would rather see a golf course built at the site.

“Have you walked the property” Commissioner Craig Ehrnst asked Rollins. “It’s disgraceful, it’s overrun by iguanas, and the thought of having another golf course is ridiculous – adjacent to another one. These folks are willing to invest $50 million plus into something that I think reduces noise, is unique to the community, and I think creates a lot of value. We’re in the exploratory stage, and you’re kind of pulling the rug out from everything that’s already been done.”

Commissioner Susan Vogelgesang said she voted against moving forward with the project because of objections from residents.

“It’s a beautiful proposal, but in view of the residents who have been bombing us with e-mails – some civil and some not quite as nice – it’s a very hard decision,” said Vogelgesang. “Their property values are at risk, so they say, they’re very concerned about their quality of life … it’s just that a lot of the e-mails we’ve gotten from the [pro] surf people are not even residents.”

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The idea of turning the western portion of the park into a golf course drew strong reactions from both sides. The younger residents who spoke favored the surf park, in many cases, saying the lack of large waves in South Florida mean that surfing culture could thrive with an alternative. One older resident, however, said that “surfing is done in the ocean” and younger residents would benefit from learning how to play golf. Ehrnst said that he would not support scrapping the wave park idea, adding that he felt residents had also rejected golf course proposals.

“The community has said no to a lot of things,” said Ehrnst. “This is a recreation area. In my opinion, it would be a tragedy for the rest of the community, who has openly spoken of the fact that they don’t want another golf course in close proximity to another one, to have that there.”

Other commissioners said they had not made up their minds on the matter as a whole, and therefore did not favor completely doing away with not only the Boca Surf Park proposal, but any similar proposals, as Rollins’ motion called for.

“It’s very early on in the process, so that’s what makes me hesitant to cancel it right away,” said Commissioner Erin Wright. “We might get there by doing our due diligence.”

Ultimately, the 3-2 vote saw the surf park idea officially put to pasture. No representatives from Boca Surf Park spoke before or after the vote, with the exception of the earlier prepared video presentation. Rollins, Engel and Vogelgesang voted in favor of rejecting the surf park plan, while Ehrnst and Wright both dissented. Engel suggested going back to the drawing board and determining exactly what facilities should be developed on the west side of the park before accepting more proposals.

“Right now, we’re kind of all over the place,” he said. “Maybe we should put everything aside for the time being, leave the property as it is, develop the east side with walking paths, and then revisit this.”

Walking paths on the east side of the park are already under design, an official said.