November 2019
Serving Hypoluxo Island, South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Coastal Delray Beach
Volume 12 Issue 11
Manalapan
Delray Beach
State OKs signs to show A1A speeds Accident-prone curve lies south of Town Hall By Dan Moffett
Crews pumped 4,583 cubic yards of concrete from about 500 trucks in one day last month for part of the underground garage floor at Atlantic Crossing. Noise from trucks awakened neighbors as early as 2 a.m. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Atlantic Crossing milestone
Concrete pours into future garage as massive project starts building up By Jane Smith The first concrete mixer truck rumbled into Delray Beach in the predawn hours the first Saturday in October. When it was over nearly 15 hours later, some 500 trucks had delivered 4,583 cubic yards of concrete to create part of the underground garage floor for the massive Atlantic Crossing project. It was, according to the city, the longest
and largest continuous concrete pour in county history. “It was neat to see,” said Andy Spengler, president of Spengler Construction & Masonry Inc., which partnered with Titan America. He arrived at the job site to the northeast of the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Federal Highway just after midnight and stayed until 10:15 a.m. The work crews were already there, and the
trucks began arriving about 1 a.m. That pour created one-fourth of the underground garage floor. On Nov. 2 the trucks were scheduled to return again in the wee hours for another pour, although Spengler said that one would not be as large. Jordan Vance, who lives just south of the project, won’t be pleased to learn See CROSSING on page 12
Months of persistence in dealing with state transportation officials has paid off for Manalapan. Well, at least partly paid off. Police Chief Carmen Mattox got a call from the Florida Department of Transportation just before the Oct. 22 commission meeting with news that the state has agreed to install speed monitoring signs at the accident-prone S-curve on A1A a little more than a mile south of Town Hall. They won’t be the flashing warning signs that Mattox wanted. But they will be motion-activated signs that display the speeds of approaching northbound and southbound drivers. “After a year and a lot of pushing and jumping over certain people to get us to this point,” Town Manager Linda Stumpf said, “we’re going to be getting speed monitoring signs. It’s a good start.” Stumpf said she expects the See CURVE on page 13
Along the Coast
A towering memorial to lover of ocean
By Margie Plunkett
When you someday find yourself atop the new observation tower at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, and the Intracoastal-to-ocean view inspires in you joy, the sensation of being alive and awe at the beauty of nature, you will be experiencing Jacob’s Outlook. This is how Jacob Kosowsky’s parents hope to memorialize and share the spirit of their exuberant 21-year-old son, who was killed in a traffic accident a year ago last month.
“We like to think that Jake would be helping people to think about conservation, beauty and the ocean,” said his father, Stephen Kosowsky. Kosowsky and his wife, Sharilyn Jones, have pledged $250,000, half the sum needed to pay for an inclined elevator, or funicular, that will be part of the 40-foot tower once it’s been restored. A plaque with the name Jacob’s Outlook will be placed at the site in their son’s honor. The donation kicked off an Oct. 1 campaign by Friends of Gumbo
Inside Artistic harmony
Three photographers share the bill at Ann Norton. Page AT9
Regilding the dome
Boca Raton’s old town hall gets covered in gold. Page AT1
Limbo to raise $500,000 to Bring Back the Tower, according to Michele Peel, president of the Friends. The tower was closed to the public in 2015 and demolished after being deemed unsafe. The funicular is essential to make the tower, which had stood for 30 years, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The city of Boca Raton is proceeding on the design and See JACOB on page 11
Thanksgiving volunteers Hundreds across the area lend a hand to make holiday special for others. Page H1
Gumbo Limbo’s new tower will be known as Jacob’s Outlook in honor of Jacob Kosowsky, who died in a car accident last year. His parents pledged $250,000 toward the cost.
Can Tri-Rail and Virgin Trains coexist? Page 15
IPic headquarters to stay in Boca. Page 13