April 2017
Volume 10 Issue 4
Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton
Local Airports
President’s visits disrupt busy airports By Rich Pollack
When situations are normal, the two-hour Angel Flight that pilot Kelly Gottlieb flies to Gainesville a few times a year with a passenger who needs special medical treatment is fairly routine.
These days, however, normal has been redefined for pilots like Gottlieb who fly out of Palm Beach County Park Airport at Lantana, thanks to temporary flight restrictions activated every time President Donald Trump is in town. Now, Gottlieb says the
certainty of the free flight she’s planning for a woman later this month is, well, up in the air because the airport for all intents and purposes is shut down during the president’s weekend visits to his “winter See AIRPORTS on page 24
Boca Raton Airport has seen an increase in traffic because of temporary flight restrictions impacting the area’s heavily traveled airspace. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Spring has Sprung
Boca Raton
Opponents want hearing officer to review Wildflower ordinance By Steve Plunkett The group that wants to invalidate an ordinance reserving city-owned land on the Intracoastal Waterway for public uses has withdrawn its lawsuit but has not dropped its complaint. ForBoca.org Inc., which is led by former Chamber of Commerce chief Mike Arts, will seek a decision from an administrative law judge, or hearing officer, instead of a circuit judge. “We definitely are pursuing the case, but we’re pursuing it administratively as opposed to through the court for technical reasons,” said Gerald Richman, the group’s West Palm Beach attorney. The ForBoca.org lawsuit Richman filed in January said Boca Raton’s new ordinance limits the use of city land on the Intracoastal
ABOVE: FAU student Ryan Uber does a back flip March 25 at South Beach Park in Boca Raton. RIGHT: Aquatic-themed kites fly at the Air Waves event in mid-March at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star INSIDE: Have fun with grandkids, AT1 Summer Camp Guide, H13
See HEARING on page 18
Boca Raton
Board OKs 6-story condo proposed for A1A at Palmetto Park Road
By Sallie James
A proposed six-story, 70unit condo complex slated for the southwest corner of South Ocean Boulevard and East Palmetto Park Road got a thumbs up from Boca Raton’s Planning and Zoning Board last month. Next, the Ocean Palm project will head to the City Council for review.
Planning and Zoning Board members also unanimously voted to recommend amending the future land-use map and change zoning in the area to make way for the nearly 300,000-square-foot project, which will rise to 65 feet. They reviewed the project for consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan, compatibility with surrounding development and availability of
public services. Traffic studies indicated the project would produce fewer trips per day than if the land were developed to its maximum allowed density. If approved, the project would add an estimated $127 million in taxable value to the city, up from the property’s current taxable value of $12
Inside What’s blooming at the beach? Flowering plants also nourish dunes. Page H1
‘Pirates’ in West Palm
Palm Beach Opera takes to the high seas with classic tale. Page AT11
See CONDO on page 18
Condo balconies are cantilevered. Rendering by GS4 Studios
Young sea turtle released
Five-oh returns to the ocean after recovering from severe injuries. Page 19
Boca wants partners for downtown transportation. Page 15 Highland Beach decision to move polling place succeeds. Page 14