October 2017
The COASTAL STAR
News 15
Along the Coast
Delray, Boca ban medical marijuana sales; Boynton, Lake Worth don’t
By Jane Smith Medical marijuana dispensaries are banned from opening in the city limits, Delray Beach city commissioners decided at the end of September. Acknowledging Florida voters who overwhelmingly approved the state ballot question on medical marijuana last November, Commissioner Mitch Katz persuaded his fellow commissioners to revisit the decision in one year. They unanimously agreed. A majority of Delray Beach voters also voted in favor of medical marijuana sales. State legislators tied the city’s hands when they said local governments could regulate the dispensaries with only the same rules placed on pharmacies, City Attorney Max Lohman
said. That means no limits on the number or where they can operate. Marijuana sales are still illegal on the federal level, making all dispensary sales cash-based, he said. “They can’t accept credit or debit cards,” he said. Lohman also pointed out issues with the unregulated dosage strength of medical marijuana. The city’s two public safety chiefs spoke out against the dispensaries when asked their opinion by the mayor. “They harden the buildings to avoid robberies, which makes it harder for us to enter,” Police Chief Jeff Goldman said. “It adds another issue to our being able to protect the public.” Acting Fire Chief Keith Tomey said the dispensaries would likely lead to an increase in calls for fire-rescue staff.
“We are the poster child for irresponsible prescribing of opioids,” Mayor Cary Glickstein said. “Will there be irresponsible prescribing of medical marijuana?” Delray Beach staff will watch to see how nearby cities of Boynton Beach and Lake Worth handle the dispensaries, along with the county. Boynton Beach tried to regulate the location of the dispensaries before the state Legislature determined its rules in June. Then, in August, the City Commission on a 3-2 vote decided not to ban the dispensaries. Lake Worth did not try to regulate the dispensaries, and two have plans to open there along Dixie Highway. Boca Raton in late September tentatively passed an ordinance that permanently bans medical
Delray Beach
King tides expected to bring street flooding By Jane Smith
Marine Way residents in Delray Beach are bracing for more seasonal flooding from the autumn king tides. Water can be knee-deep in some areas. The Delray Beach streets prone to flooding sit next to the Intracoastal Waterway. The king tides are predicted for 10 a.m. Oct. 7 and 10:50 a.m. Oct. 8, according to the Tides & Currents section of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. King tides is the nonscientific term for the highest tides of the year, according to the NOAA website. The king tides will
occur again at 8:41 a.m. Nov. 5 and 9:32 a.m. Nov. 6. The public marina, south of Marine Way, also is prone to flooding, along with low spots on the barrier island, near Casuarina Road and the Intracoastal. In Veterans Park, on the north side of Atlantic Avenue from Marine Way, Delray Beach is upgrading sea walls and replacing docks. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is paying for the work, which includes raising the sea walls to 20 inches and making them level for the 400-foot length of public sea wall to the Atlantic Avenue bridge. That work
Irma blows beach project off projected timeline By Jane Smith Hurricane Irma’s winds delayed the beach promenade construction in Delray Beach by at least two weeks, according to the project manager. The new expected completion is by Thanksgiving. The contractor removed construction equipment from the promenade just after Labor Day to prepare for Irma. Work resumed Sept. 18, said Missie Barletto, project manager. About half of the newly planted shade trees and coconut palms toppled, she said. Many were replanted; others that couldn’t be saved will be replaced. Delray’s beach promenade work is now concentrating on the north end, Barletto said. For safety reasons, the city asks residents and visitors to enter the beach at the designated entrances: across from the Sandoway parking lot on the
south end, at the main pavilion at Atlantic Avenue and at the Thomas Street entrance on the north end. The $3.1 million project includes solar-powered smart meters, a tricolored sidewalk, new benches, showers, water fountains, bike and surfboard racks, and trash containers. In addition, the city’s parks department purchased mobility mats that sit atop the sand to help wheelchair users access the beach, Barletto said. One set will be placed near the main pavilion at Atlantic Avenue. The mats roll down to the water line, allowing wheelchair users to enjoy the beach. Boca Raton purchased the mobility mats in 2015 for two of its city beaches. The city has added a third Downtown Trolley route for those choosing to park in the city garages. For questions about parking during the construction, call Jorge Alarcon at 243-7000, Ext. 4112. Ú
should wrap up by the end of the year. Design work for the bridge’s south side will begin next year. Separately, a citywide study assessing the vulnerability of sea walls along the Intracoastal will start soon. Delray Beach has 19 miles of sea walls along the Intracoastal, and a small fraction are public, according to Jeffrey Needle, the city’s stormwater engineer. Ú
marijuana dispensaries from operating in the city. The tentative ban passed just weeks before a yearlong moratorium on medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensing organizations expires in November. The moratorium was instituted in November 2016 for the second time in two years so City Council members could review related land development regulations. The county waited for the
state to issue its rules and is working on an ordinance that would allow the dispensaries to operate in the areas outside city limits. Delray Beach is taking a watch-and-wait approach. “The commission can always adopt it at a later point when it sees the problems with it,” Glickstein said. Ú
Sallie James contributed to this story.
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