Sensing defeat, developer of huge Park West project west of Delray gets postponement

The developer looking to build a massive development west of Delray Beach at Atlantic Avenue and Florida's Turnpike was granted a postponement Wednesday to allow him to make the project more "palatable" to area residents.

The postponement was requested after it became clear the builder lacked the support needed for the project to move forward.

Two weeks ago, the Palm Beach County Planning Commission unanimously concluded that Park West should not be built. The proposal calls for 734 apartments, a 150-room hotel, 200,000 square feet of commercial retail and office space and a luxury condominium-style garage. The builder was looking for six changes to the Ag Reserve zoning code that county planners warned would set a dangerous precedent.

"Something is going to be built here," said County Commissioner Maria Marino, "but the applicant is going to have to make this more palatable."

Critics called for the commission to deny the postponement. Dagmar Brahs, a member of the Planning Commission who voted against Park West, said there is nothing that can be done to tweak the project to make it viable.

Jennifer Morton, the agent for Park West, said the postponement is designed to allow the developer to "regroup" and to meet with community organizations. The project is expected to come before the commission in August.

County commissioners were not obligated to approve the postponement. It was made Tuesday night, just hours before the Wednesday meeting. Drew Martin of the Sierra Club noted that residents came to the meeting expecting a public hearing to be held, noting: "We are ready and want this to be heard today."

But the commissioners voted unanimously to grant the postponement.

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Park West would devote 10 acres for a luxury condominium garage for collector cars

Morton noted that the applicant was seeking to initiate a “text amendment,” a change to the zoning code. It is the first step in a process that can take as long as a year before it can be considered for final approval.

The 62-acre parcel sits on the edge of the 22,000-acre Agricultural Reserve. Ten of the acres on the south side of Atlantic Avenue are designated for a luxury condominium garage that would house expensive collector cars.

Building on the parcel has been difficult for developers. Kushner Companies, affiliated with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, proposed to build a 1 million square-foot Amazon-type warehouse in 2022 but abandoned its plans in the wake of intense opposition.

In 2017, another developer submitted plans to build 360 apartments, a 115-bed nursing home, 155,000 square feet of commercial and retail space and a 130-room hotel. Like the Kushner proposal, the plan was also withdrawn after strong opposition developed.

The latest bid to build came from the owner of the property himself, Paul OKean, who has operated Morningstar Nursery there for more than 30 years.

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Park West wants to be exempt from several Ag Reserve requirements

At issue is the extent of the changes requested. County planners said approval would result in “major departures from most of the fundamental policy concepts” designed to protect the Ag Reserve. Planners were also concerned about more traffic being placed on failing roadways such as Atlantic Avenue.

Among the breaks Park West is seeking is to be exempt from the Ag Reserve’s commercial cap of 1 million square feet. There is only 10,000 square feet left before the cap is reached. Park West would add 300,000 square feet of commercial square feet, so it would exceed the current cap by 30%.

It has also proposed a density of 12 residences to the acre, much higher than the current maximum of eight.

At the Planning Commission hearing, Morton acknowledged that major changes were needed for Park West to be built, but she noted that conditions have also changed over the years in the Ag Reserve and the county needs to adapt to those changes.

She pointed to the construction of Bethesda West Hospital and a Solid Waste Authority Transfer station as examples.

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Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Developer of Park West project west of Delray Beach gets postponement