North county annexation: County won't oppose Gardens, North Palm but wants to keep 6 parcels

Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read
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Palm Beach County won’t stand in the way of either Palm Beach Gardens or North Palm Beach as they try to annex residential areas that the county now governs.

It doesn’t, however, want to lose control of six county-owned parcels that fall within one of Palm Beach Gardens’ five proposed annexation areas. Together, they total 20.7 acres, with the largest of them the 13.9-acre Juno Park.

County commissioners this week directed staff to send a letter to Palm Beach Gardens, saying they want to maintain ownership of the six parcels regardless of what happens with the annexation vote on March 19.

“These annexations are not a surprise to anybody,” said County Commissioner Maria Marino, who represents north county. “This is only 20 acres. The reason why the county wouldn't want the land to be annexed is because the county has its control when it is unincorporated.

“I don’t see why we should oppose the annexation. I believe we should give voters the opportunity.”

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Juno Park largest of six parcels Palm Beach County wants to retain from annexation

Juno Park, off Ellison Wilson Road near Juno Beach, is among the Palm Beach County properties that Palm Beach Gardens has proposed annexing in the March 2024 election. County commissioners said in November 2023 that they want the park to remain in county control.
Juno Park, off Ellison Wilson Road near Juno Beach, is among the Palm Beach County properties that Palm Beach Gardens has proposed annexing in the March 2024 election. County commissioners said in November 2023 that they want the park to remain in county control.

The six parcels are all within Area 1 of Palm Beach Gardens’ plans. It is the largest of the five areas, covering 1,244 acres, 3,607 homes and 7,760 people.

As it stands now, all neighborhoods in Area 1 would become part of Palm Beach Gardens if a simple majority of all the area’s voters — 50% plus one — cast ballots in favor of the move, even if entire communities vote to oppose it.

The six parcels the county wants to keep control of are:

  • Juno Park, which covers 13.9 acres at Juno and Ellison Wilson roads.

  • Cabana Colony Park, which covers 1.47 acres on Holiday Road.

  • Government facilities leased to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for the Police Athletic League program, which covers 0.47 acres on Alternate A1A near Cabana Colony.

  • Prosperity Oaks natural area, which covers 1.5 acres on Lone Pine Road.

  • Pawpaw Preserve natural area, which covers 3.2 acres on the east side of Ellison Wilson Road.

  • A right-of-way buffer, which covers 0.1 acres. The county didn’t specify this buffer’s location during its presentation Tuesday.

Ron Ferris, Palm Beach Gardens’ city manager, said the city’s response depends on the outcome of the annexation vote, which is set for March 19.

“The city would be open to a dialogue with the county to determine the best way to serve the residents in the area by utilizing any available property,” Ferris said Tuesday.

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In four places, Palm Beach Gardens and North Palm Beach will compete to annex the same neighborhoods in March. Officials acknowledge that this type of competition is rare, and say the courts likely would have to resolve the matter of residents' vote to have both municipalities annex their lands.

Attorneys for both Palm Beach Gardens and North Palm Beach appeared before the commission Tuesday to speak about their annexation efforts.

R. Max Lohman, the Palm Beach Gardens attorney, said his city has “has worked with the Village of North Palm Beach as far back as 1989, trying to resolve disagreements about their future annexation areas It has just been to no avail. They have agreed to disagree over the years unfortunately.”

Lohman told commissioners that North Palm Beach’s proposed annexation areas do not meet the “compactness” requirement for annexation per state law, which means that the concentration of property in each area must not create pockets of unincorporated land within it or boundaries that are too winding.

Leonard Rubin, village attorney for North Palm Beach, directly refuted Lohman’s claim.

“I don't agree with (Lohman’s) analysis about the creation of enclaves and I don't agree that the city cooperated with the village,” said Rubin. “Palm Beach Gardens has no interest in meeting with us.”

Residents in Hidden Key, a neighborhood east of U.S. 1 off Jack Nicklaus Drive that Palm Beach Gardens has proposed annexing, have raised a similar question about the shape and size of Area 1. They have asked the city to create an annexation district exclusively for their neighborhood, wanting their votes to stand on their own and not be blended into the other communities in the zone.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County won't fight Gardens, North Palm on annexation vote