Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton
August/September 2021
Volume 14 Issue 7
Older condos dominate barrier island Residents bear rising costs of upkeep to live by water By Joel Engelhardt The average age of more than 300 condominiums dotting the oceanfront and Intracoastal Waterway along the barrier island from South Palm Beach to Boca Raton is 44 years, a Coastal Star analysis of property records shows. That’s four years older than Champlain Towers South, the 12-story Surfside condo building that collapsed on June 24. In the three towns with the most high-rises — South Palm Beach, Highland Beach and Inspection Boca Raton — the rules take average building age shape is 42 and the average Coalition plan height is seven floors, for coast targets the analysis showed. buildings 25 years In Delray Beach, or older without Manalapan, Boynton regard to height Beach, Gulf Stream Page 22 and Ocean Ridge, the average age rises to 47 and the average height drops to three stories. The 19-mile strip of richly landscaped estates and glossy high-rise condos is ground zero in Palm Beach County for the newfound focus on inspections and repairs born of the collapse in Surfside, which killed 98 people. Nearly two-thirds of the 348 condos reviewed by The Coastal Star were built in the 1970s or before. North Palm Beach structural engineer Don Chalaire said that most are supported by concrete columns that initially resist water, a seal that eventually gives way, allowing water and air to rust the critical rebar supports within. “Every building we look at we see spalling damages that need to be repaired,” Chalaire said. Local governments initially indicated they were preparing to require inspections for “threshold buildings,” those defined in Florida law as greater See CONDOS on page 20
Along the Coast
Consultants’ climate report calls rain, flooding top threats By Mary Hladky
A1A is lined with condos in Boca Raton, where 77% of barrier island condos are 40 years or older. While the City Council considers a measure to inspect buildings taller than three stories 30 years after construction, the League of Cities is pursuing an even more rigorous standard. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
An in-depth assessment of how vulnerable southeastern Palm Beach County cities and towns are to climate change has found that the risks are increasing, with anticipated tidal flooding alone threatening more than $10 billion in property values by 2070. A study by a team of consultants, commissioned by seven cities, towns and Palm Beach County, identified the top climate change threats to the area and pinpointed significant facilities in each city and town that are especially at risk. In what may surprise people who live inland, the study predicts that rainfall-induced flooding caused by changing rainfall patterns will be the biggest threat to the southeastern part of the county. This type of flooding has a big impact on inland areas, where many residents don’t expect it, and can overwhelm stormwater drainage systems. “It is really eye-opening that the flooding isn’t just coastal,” said Lindsey Nieratka, Boca Raton’s sustainability manager. “We need to be considering our stormwater systems and green space inland.” More green space would help absorb the rainfall. Tidal flooding, long the bane of coastal residents, will become a bigger problem, the report says. See CLIMATE on page 15
Along the Coast
Decades-old wildlife sanctuary faces unclear future under new owner
By Larry Keller Rob Patten recalls the first time he stepped foot on Beer Can Island. “I thought if I was a homeless person, I could make a fortune selling aluminum cans. It was just a huge party island. Litter was everywhere. Biologically speaking, it was pretty much a wasteland.”
That was three decades ago. Today, the islet is known as Bird Island — a roughly 7-acre private wildlife sanctuary adjacent to the Boynton Inlet — thanks to the years-long efforts of Patten and others, and the billionaire who owned the land and paid for its transformation. The island’s future is unclear now, however, since the Ziff PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BCH FL PERMIT NO 4595
family sold its 15.65-acre ocean-to-Intracoastal estate in Manalapan for $94.17 million in March. Bird Island is west of the estate and was sold for $200,000 as part of the same transaction. Patten, an expert in coastal habitat and dune restoration, says altering the island “was a See ISLAND on page 16
Pelicans rest on boulders placed around Bird Island to keep boaters out. Photo provided by Rob Patten
Library at the laundry Delray’s Wash & Read assists homeless. Page 25
Delivery of this month’s edition is sponsored by our friends at
Boca Junior League marks 50 years of service. Page AT1
Norton exhibit fetes women artists. Page AT9