Boca must defend Midtown plan refusal
Boca Raton must go to court to defend its refusal to act on the massive Midtown project, a judge ruled Monday.
Last January, the City Council rejected the plan, which could have added up to 2,500 condos or apartments. That decision that has created a flurry of legal action.
One of the landowners, Crocker Partners, officially filed suit last week asking for $137.6 million in damages for the drop in value of its properties along Military Trail near the Town Center of Boca Raton. They say the drop was caused by the council’s rejection.
Cypress Realty filed suit earlier this month, on Oct. 12, asking the Circuit Court of Palm Beach County to compel the city to hold a hearing on its plans to build housing on its property near Military Trail, currently the site of a bowling alley and a bar and grill. And Monday, Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Gillen agreed that there’s enough evidence to hear the company’s case.
Within the next 10 days, a hearing will be scheduled, he ruled.
The property was annexed from Palm Beach County and the city has stated its intention to turn it into a “live-work-play” center. But the city has never adopted the rules that would allow residences to be built there.
Nader Salour, a principal the Jupiter-based company, said that he’s been waiting for more than three years to get the city to move on his company’s plans for the property they’ve owned for seven years.
“We’ve cooperated with the City in good faith,” he said. “We now find ourselves in an untenable situation and a classic Catch-22. The City won’t schedule our site plan application for review without regulations in place. Yet, they refuse to put the regulations in place.” Firefighter Dennis Bigford of Oakland Park Fire and Rescue carries a dog from a house fire Tuesday on the 200 block of Northwest 51st Court in Oakland Park. The fire was contained to a kitchen and there were no injuries to occupants or firefighters. Preliminary investigation indicates the fire was caused by a faulty appliance. After a brief check, the dog walked away in good shape.