Lotus Edge to get large walls and wide buffers to protect homeowners from high school impacts
Residents of the tony Lotus Edge development west of Boca Raton will be getting 16-foot tall walls on top of 10-foot berms to mitigate impacts from Olympic Heights High School, which abuts the 665 single-family home project.
Will it be enough to shield the residents from the noise and lights from Friday night football? Probably not. Marcie DePlaza, chief operating office of GL Homes, told The Post the wall was never intended to block the lights from the football stadium. It is designed to serve as a buffer between the high school and Lotus Edge.
GL Homes sought and obtained a variance from the county to build the higher walls, more than double what is permitted by county code. Also planned is a buffer of up to 80 feet.
“Our planning team spends a great deal of time designing and building buffers (berms, walls, lush landscaping) that will help mitigate the impact from all of the surrounding uses, not just the high school,” said DePlaza. The high wall will be built along the east and north property lines, areas that are adjacent to the high school.
Homes to start at $1.4 million
The 330-acre parcel was once one of the county’s most productive farms. GL Homes bought the farm from the Johns family for $215 million in 2021. It is west of Lyons Road and just north of the Glades Road intersection. Home prices range from $1.4 million to $2.3 million.
Construction should begin in May with the first homeowners moving in by March 2025, according to DePlaza. She expects the development to be built out within five years based on current sales trends.
GL Homes Lotus Edge lot selection is Friday
It will be the first GL community to feature padel, a mix of tennis and squash that DePlaza says is growing in popularity, noting the game is easy to learn and is very sociable.
Lotus Edge will have two padel courts in addition to six tennis courts, 10 pickleball courts and a racquet pro shop. The community will also have a cold-plunge pool along with two massage rooms. The clubhouse will feature an indoor/outdoor dining experience with an outdoor bar and lounge, a beach-entry pool, a lap pool, a kids splash park, 24-hour fitness, a card room, poker room, a teen lounge and an indoor multi-sports court for basketball and pickleball.
Lotus Edge will offer contemporary home designs similar to those at the nearby GL Home communities of Lotus and Lotus Palm. Three new floorplans have been added to the inventory of homes.
More: GL Homes sues Valencia Sound HOA over $3,900 capital contribution fees for unsold homes
More than a 100 potential buyers are expected to participate Friday at a lot selection drawing for the first 60 homesites that will be broadcasted via zoom at the Lotus Palm sales office.
For more information, visit https://www.glhomes.com/lotus-edge/
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: Lotus Edge Boca Raton development plans giant walls to mitigate noise
