A season extended: Town Council tackles construction, parking, and traffic during winter season

Traffic, construction and parking were among the biggest issues addressed by the Town Council during Palm Beach's resurgent winter season.

As normalcy returned to the island following two years of COVID-related restraints, council members made decisions on issues ranging from limiting Saturday construction hours to converting parts of Worth Avenue to paid parking.

Council members also are considering adding more restrictions on construction and landscaping activity during the holidays in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion. Construction activity on the island has been booming, and that has led to clogged roads during the holiday season, council members have said.

"You couldn't get into any of the parking lots," council member Bobbie Lindsay told her colleagues in January. "It was full everywhere I went, and a lot of the slowdowns were construction-related."

From the end of September through March, Lindsay said, the town had issued 734 construction permits worth $111 million — nearly double the amount from the previous year.

Additional limits on holiday construction hours were passed by the council on first reading, but the issue has been referred to the Ordinances, Rules and Standards committee for further review.

New marina makes fall debut

The town opened its newly renovated marina Nov. 1 after 17 months of construction.

The $38 million facility, which can accommodate vessels from 60 to 294 feet in length, features 84 slips to allow larger boats, floating docks, a new security system, and upgraded technology that includes high-speed Wi-Fi and enhanced shore electrical power.

A fourth dock also was added to the marina's north end. The 240-foot Palm Way Dock joins the classic Australian, Brazilian, and Peruvian docks at the marina, which was built in the 1940s and most recently renovated in 1998.

"Not only is it beautiful, but it's a revenue generator for us, significantly more than the previous marina," Mayor Danielle Moore told the Palm Beach Civic Association at its annual meeting April 12. "It's beautiful, and it's beautiful, and it's beautiful. It's a win-win for the town. It's always great to finish a project, and everybody's happy with it."

Opening alongside the new marina Nov. 1 was Lake Drive Park, which underwent a $4 million redesign and had been closed since May 2021.

Upgrades included new cobblestone walkways, native and low landscaping, traditional-style benches, a new flagpole, bike racks, and new dog fountains composed of coral and antique tile with a bronze fixture.

Saturday construction limits

Following months of discussion and review, the council approved an ordinance that eliminates Saturday construction hours during the winter peak season, among other changes.

The measure, which includes exemptions for some properties, took effect Jan. 31.

New restrictions include: The elimination of construction hours on Saturdays during the peak season, which begins on the Monday preceding Thanksgiving through the end of April; a requirement that workers no longer be allowed to arrive to construction sites prior to 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays; and limits quiet indoor construction, which will be permitted only during the summer months, along with quiet lawn maintenance and tree trimming.

All multi-family properties south of Sloan’s Curve with a governing board that approves construction work — with the exception of those located on Ibis Isle — are exempted from the new restrictions.

Council members said they weighed the concerns of residents and construction companies in creating the new restrictions.

"I've heard loud and clear from a lot of residents that they want some quiet Saturdays," council member Ted Cooney said. "But we do have a lot of construction activity going on, and those doing construction aren't having the easiest time. They're saddled with the international supply chain issues slowing their projects down and causing delays. I'm also sensitive to residents who are doing work."

New steps for Memorial Fountain

An 11-year effort by the Palm Beach Centennial Commission to add stairs to the historic Mizner Memorial Fountain was rewarded with a vote of approval on March 8.

Council members agreed to move forward with plans for the addition of stairs and the inclusion of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access on the south side of the fountain in Memorial Park.

Council members voting to approve the project — Cooney and Julie Araskog dissented in a 3-2 decision — said the steps are needed to improve the aesthetic appearance of Memorial Fountain Park on the north side of the fountain and connect it with Town Square Park on the south side. Providing access to the steps for visitors with disabilities also was a key factor in their decision to move the project forward.

Previous efforts to add stairs to the landmarked structure, which was designed by famed architect Addison Mizner in 1929, were scuttled when the Florida Division of Historical Resources objected to the project over concerns that it would detract from the architectural integrity of the fountain.

Three retain Town Council seats

In December, Lew Crampton, Lindsay and Margaret Zeidman were re-elected unopposed to their Group 1, 2 and 3 council seats, respectively. All three announced their re-election bids in October.

They took office March 8, which was the date of the town's scheduled municipal election. The election was canceled Dec. 13 after no candidates filed paperwork to run against the three incumbents, who were sworn in April 12 by Judge Lisa Small.

Crampton will serve a third term on the council, while Lindsay and Zeidman will serve their fourth terms.

Zeidman will serve a third straight year as council president following a unanimous vote of her colleagues, and Lindsay was elected unopposed as president pro tem.

New Strategic Planning Board

The council voted unanimously last fall to establish an ad hoc advisory strategic planning board tasked with writing a new long-range plan for the town to replace the one completed in 2003 and updated in 2012.

It would provide basic policy direction to all functions and operations of government regarding the town's social, economic and physical development.

Moore is leading the effort to write a new strategic plan that would be based on the model from 2003, which was developed under the guidance of her mother, then-Mayor Lesly Smith.

A nine-member Strategic Planning Board was seated in December. It will submit a proposed plan to the council for its consideration no later than its regular meeting on April 11, 2023.

Water panel completes its work

An expert panel tasked with finding ways to protect West Palm Beach’s water supply from blue-green algae contamination has completed the first stage of its work.

Created in June, the panel was tasked with reviewing the circumstances leading up to the discovery last spring of the toxin cylindrospermopsin in the city’s water supply.

West Palm Beach provides water to 120,000 of its own residents and those in Palm Beach and South Palm Beach.

The panel, which was composed mostly of scientists and engineers, reviewed methods to detect and identify the presence of cylindrospermopsin and other cyanotoxins in West Palm Beach’s water supply and analyzed water treatment methods.

Cylindrospermopsin, which is produced by blue-green algae, can be harmful to vulnerable populations.

Palm Beach officials, who were not notified of the discovery of the toxin last May before West Palm Beach issued a weeklong drinking water advisory, expressed anger and frustration in the aftermath.

Ultimately, officials from both municipalities agreed to cooperate on testing and other issues related to the safety of West Palm Beach's water supply.

A new panel will be created later this year to replace the old one, and will be tasked with developing additional recommendations for water treatment processes.

Coastal resiliency planning

Since receiving the Woods Hole Group's Level-Up Palm Beach Coastal Resilience Implementation Plan last summer, the town has accelerated efforts to strengthen the community’s resilience to coastal flooding.

The plan, which builds on the findings of the 2019 Town of Palm Beach Coastal Flood Vulnerability Assessment, recommends a variety of steps for the town to take, including mandates for new seawalls to be 2 feet taller and first-floor building elevations up to 3 feet higher than current standards; higher bulkheads on the Lake Worth shoreline; upgrades to pump stations; deployable and permanent flood walls; and dune enhancements, among others.

Phipps Ocean Park revitalization

The Town Council voted unanimously last June to move forward with a proposed master plan for the revitalization of Phipps Ocean Park.

Miami-based landscape architect Raymond Jungles will handle design development for the project, which will include a new entrance, walking paths, a dune playground and a native plant propagation area.

Work is expected to get underway in the summer of 2023, and will take about six months to complete.

The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach is spearheading the renovation plans, and underwrote the $160,000 cost for a phased master plan and survey of the park. It also has committed to raising funds for the project.

Royal Poinciana Playhouse

Following Town Council approval in March, Massachusetts-based developer WS Development is moving ahead with plans to transform the long-shuttered Royal Poinciana Playhouse into a cultural arts center.

Council members approved the proposed architecture, variances and special exception requests that were needed to move forward with the project, which is seven years in the making.

The project will include a top-to-bottom renovation of the two-story, 34,517-square-foot landmarked building at 70 Royal Poinciana Plaza, which closed in 2004.

It is expected to reopen in 2023.

Water feasibility study completed

Environmental consultant Kimley-Horn presented options for the town to renew or replace its water agreement with the City of West Palm Beach in April, two years after it was hired to complete a water feasibility study.

The town's contract with West Palm Beach expires in 2029.

Options include renewing the decades-old agreement with the city, building a town-owned water utility at Quadrille Boulevard in West Palm Beach or Phipps Ocean Park, or creating new agreements with Palm Beach County or another municipality.

Town Manager Kirk Blouin said council members will weigh each option carefully and consider the benefits and risks before reaching a decision.

There is no timetable, though Blouin said it was "highly likely" the town would opt to extend its agreement with West Palm Beach beyond 2029 if council members chose to implement an alternative other than renewing its current contract with the city.

Jodie Wagner is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

@JRWagner5

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach tackled wide range of issues during winter season