Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton
June 2014
Boca Raton
Volume 7 Issue 6
Along the Coast
Highland and Boca see decline in crime rate By Rich Pollack
Boaters use the ramp at Silver Palm Park, at Palmetto Park Road and the Intracoastal Waterway. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
New boat ramp options being discussed n Mayor outlines goals at
By Willie Howard Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie wants to improve access to the water for boaters and relieve congestion at Silver Palm Park, the city’s only ocean-access boat ramp. In her May 6 state of the city address, Haynie said the city needs to investigate the possibility of building boat ramps with parking at Lake Wyman Park on Northeast Fifth Avenue, north of the existing ramp at Silver Palm Park. “We looked into this years ago and there were some environmental concerns,” Haynie said. “But that (proposal) included a marina and fuel sales. I think that pretty much what torpedoed it.” Residents often request additional ramps in the city for trailerable boats, Haynie said, noting that the parking spaces at the Silver Palm Park ramp are often filled on weekends and holidays. Boca Raton resident Jason Naumann
‘state of the city meeting.’ Page 5
said he drives to Deerfield Beach to launch his 20-foot Sea Craft because the ramp at Silver Palm Park is “a zoo.” “A second ramp would be awesome,” Naumann said. “It would give boaters another option. Silver Palm is always packed, and parking is very limited.” Boat captain Nick Cardella said Silver Palm Park is typically full “plus some” on weekends. The southern half of Palm Beach County has fewer boat ramps providing ocean access than the northern part of the county, said Alyssa Freeman, operations director for the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. “More boat ramps in South County would be beneficial,” Freeman said. Palm Beach County residents pay $55 for an annual permit (or $20 per launch) to launch at Silver Palm Park, which is
open 24 hours a day. Boaters who live outside Palm Beach County pay $435 for an annual launch permit, or $50 per launch. Of the 1,082 boat launch permits issued for Silver Palm Park during the latest complete budget year, 75 percent were issued to city residents who pay Beach & Park District taxes. Most of the remaining launch permits were issued to Palm Beach County boaters who live outside Boca Raton. Only five boaters who live outside the county paid for a $435 annual permit. Haynie said the proposed Lake Wyman Park boat ramps could serve boaters from Palm Beach County and the city, while the existing Silver Palm Park ramps, which are closer to the inlet, could be set aside for Boca Raton residents only. So far, building boat ramps at Lake Wyman Park is just an idea.
The number of serious crimes — what little there was — declined 23 percent for six small coastal towns in 2013 and local law enforcement agencies are crediting a more vigilant population for much of the drop. In all, there were 135 serious crimes, including burglaries, robberies and thefts in the six small oceanfront communities of Highland Beach, Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and South Palm Beach, according to statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Last year the same agencies reported 176 serious crimes. Highland Beach, Gulf Stream and Ocean Ridge all saw drops in reported crime, while South Palm Beach and Manalapan each reported only one more crime than the previous year. Overall, Boca Raton reported a 9.3 percent decrease in serious crimes while Delray Beach saw a 5 percent increase. Lantana saw a 7.8 percent increase in the number of crimes reported. Breakdowns of the number of reported crimes that occurred east of the Intracoastal Waterway for those communities were not available. In Highland Beach, the number of serious crimes fell 25 percent from 2012 to 2013 while Gulf Stream had a 37.5 percent drop in the number of serious crimes. In See CRIME on page 10
See SILVER PALM on page 5
Along the Coast By Cheryl Blackerby
Hurricane center will issue new surge warnings
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, coastal residents learned the hard way about the dangers of storm surge. Sandy didn’t do its damage with high winds or torrential
Inside Around Town
Father’s Day gifts for the waterloving sportsman. Page AT1 Plus: Urban Outfitters coming to Delray Beach. Page 26
rains, but rather with large swells and powerful ocean waves that washed millions of tons of sand off beaches and from underneath beachside condos, and took out sea walls and swimming pools. This hurricane season,
Good ‘Practice’
Philanthropist and author Barb Schmidt’s new book offers lessons in dealing with stress, boosting confidence. Page H1
which started June 1, South Floridians will navigate storm warnings with the help of new “Potential Storm Surge Flooding Maps” that will be issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National
Hurricane Center. The center’s Storm Surge Team was on the Gulf Coast in late May raising hurricane awareness, said Dennis Feltgen, an NHC meteorologist. And that awareness included the
Fire rescue review
Highland Beach might switch from Delray to Boca for fire service. Page 15
dangers of surge. Hurricane warnings in the past have not included detailed advisories about surge, and, to make matters worse, the danger of storm surge generally doesn’t See SURGE on page 12
Summer Arts FAU explores all things Leonard Bernstein as a lecture by his daughter honors the composer’s legacy. Page AT6