Boca Raton City Council Regular Meeting Summary – March 24, 2026
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Boca Raton City Council Regular Meeting Summary – March 24, 2026
The Boca Raton City Council held a regular meeting on March 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included agenda amendments, board appointments, consent agenda approvals, several quasi-judicial public hearings, a presentation on the MiCA autonomous shuttle ridership update, and public requests. Key decisions included the removal of several downtown-related ordinances, postponement of a freestanding emergency room ordinance, and approval of a major development project at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.
Agenda Amendments
- Removal of Downtown Ordinances: Council voted 4-1 (Mayor Singer, Deputy Mayor Nachlas, Council Members Drucker and Thomson in favor; Council Member Wigder opposed) to remove Ordinance Nos. 5771, 5774, 5775, and 5776 from the agenda. Most of these items were related to the downtown campus plan that had been rejected by voters. Council Member Wigder argued that two of the ordinances (5774 and 5776) were unrelated to the campus and would protect the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) area and preempt Live Local Act projects. The majority decided to remove all four.
- Postponement of Freestanding Emergency Room Ordinance (Item 12A): Council voted 3-2 (Mayor Singer, Council Members Drucker and Wigder opposed; Deputy Mayor Nachlas, Council Member Thomson in favor) to postpone Ordinance No. 5767 to the second regular meeting in April 2026. The postponement was requested to allow parties involved in litigation related to a previous freestanding ER application to negotiate a settlement. Staff recommended proceeding, but the majority favored postponement to facilitate resolution.
Board Appointments
- Community Advisory Panel: Appointed Jolisa Caballero, Martin Castellanos, Linda Marinos, and John Shrey (all reappointed/appointed) by a 5-0 vote.
- General Employees’ Pension Board: Appointed incumbent Mr. Lally by a 5-0 vote.
- Planning and Zoning Board: Appointed Jorge Cameo by a 5-0 vote.
- Police and Firefighters’ Pension Board: Reappointed John Gerard and Paul Lawless by a 5-0 vote.
Consent Calendar
- Approved unanimously (5-0) with no removals. Items included:
- Sealed bid for cartridge filters for potable water ($216,000).
- Intergovernmental agreement for various trailers ($249,815).
- Change order for nanofiltration unit upgrades ($217,866).
- Resolution No. 018-2026: Grant application for citywide tree inventory.
- Resolution No. 020-2026: Work order for 6551 Municipal Building renovation design.
- Resolution No. 021-2026: Incentive for D-Wave Commercial Inc. (up to $500,000) – a quantum computing company creating 100 jobs (avg. salary $125,000) and partnering with FAU.
- Resolution No. 024-2026: Agreement with American Express for card acceptance services.
- Resolution No. 025-2026: Second Amendment for school police officers.
- Board resignations (William Murphy, Marine Advisory Board).
- Certification of elections for pension board trustees.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Consent Agenda (Item F): Joseph Puchowski requested removal of D-Wave incentive item, questioning the definition of “qualified applicant” and noting the company had not appeared before council. Staff explained the incentive is performance-based, paid over time as jobs are created.
- On Boca Raton Resort Development (Quasi-Judicial Hearings): Several residents spoke:
- Margie Alloy (210 SE Mizner Blvd): Requested shifting the road alignment 10 yards south to preserve more mature trees.
- Judith Kay (327 E Royal Palm Rd): Asked for pedestrian/bike access to the resort from Mizner Boulevard, noting the resolution language seemed to prohibit it.
- Stephanie Rosenzwag (200 SE Mizner Blvd): Requested protection for pedestrians and cyclists during construction, citing Vision Zero and Complete Streets policies. She argued the Mizner Boulevard entrance should not be used for construction vehicles.
- Mike Liebelson (398 NE 3rd Ct): Criticized the acreage change from 1.774 to 5.224 acres as not a scrivener’s error, and opposed construction traffic on Mizner Boulevard. He also called for disclosure of campaign contributions.
- Richard Warner (1322 SW 9th Terrace): Opposed the rush to approve projects before the new council takes office, and raised concerns about cumulative traffic impacts from multiple developments.
- Pam Pashki (341 SW 2nd St): Asked about parking compliance; noted the applicant was not requesting any deviations.
- Joseph Bujalski (17309 Belboa Point Way): Requested a meeting with the applicant to discuss recorded property rights regarding fitness center access, and alleged the city and applicant were shifting responsibility.
- On Golf Envy Conditional Use: No public comment.
- Public Requests (End of Meeting):
- Jonathan Unjin (6501 Congress Ave): Criticized the freestanding ER ordinance as overly restrictive and suggested it was designed to benefit certain parties.
- Judy Morrow (no address given): Shared her experience as a poll worker and advocated for lower building height limits.
- Pam Pashki: Criticized the CRA for granting a 41% parking variance without adequate discussion, and urged updating the city code.
- Michael Schneider (5500 NW 2nd Ave, Condo 3): Opposed development on public land (North Park), skate parks, and Boys & Girls Club in his area; advocated for a golf course and community center.
- Martha Parker (64 NW 7th St): Thanked council for tabling downtown ordinances and requested public meetings to educate residents about the Live Local Act’s impact.
- Joe Majus (254 NE 5th St): Thanked outgoing council members for their service.
- Richard Warner: Thanked staff and council, but criticized the council’s development agenda and urged protecting the “orphaned block” from future upzoning.
Discussion Items
- Boca Raton Residential and Parking Structure (Quasi-Judicial Hearings): The council considered four interrelated items for a new 76-unit residential building, fitness center, and site improvements at the Boca Raton Resort and Club (501 E Camino Real).
- Staff Presentation: Owen Devlin (Senior Planner) presented the request for a future land use amendment (PR to RH), rezoning (REC to R-5), master plan amendment, and site plan approval. The 5.224-acre site (corrected from originally advertised 1.774 acres) will house an 8-story, 100-ft tall building with underground parking. The master plan consolidates prior approvals and caps residential units at 1,140. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval 6-0. Staff proposed conditions (blacklined) to address construction traffic, including minimizing use of the Mizner Boulevard entrance, requiring off-site worker parking, and allowing city staff to restrict times.
- Applicant Presentation: Bonnie Miskell (attorney for applicant) and architects Jim Tinson and Michael Gayhart presented the design, emphasizing preservation of mature trees, integration with the golf course, and a new sidewalk. The applicant opposed the staff’s blacklined conditions, preferring to handle construction logistics through the standard Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) process after approval. They offered to build ADA ramps and work with staff on pedestrian/bike safety.
- Council Deliberation: After extensive discussion, council reached consensus to delete staff’s blacklined conditions and instead rely on the MOT process, with the applicant’s proffers (ADA ramps and pedestrian/bike safety focus) added to the site plan resolution (Resolution 17-2026). A 10-minute recess allowed staff and applicant to finalize language.
- Votes (all 5-0):
- Ordinance 5780 (Future Land Use Amendment): Adopted with scrivener’s correction.
- Ordinance 5781 (Rezoning): Adopted with scrivener’s correction.
- Resolution 16-2026 (Master Plan Amendment): Adopted with addition of “vehicular” to condition regarding access for guests/patrons, clarifying pedestrian access is allowed.
- Resolution 17-2026 (Site Plan Approval): Adopted with applicant’s proffers (ADA ramps and pedestrian/bike safety during construction) added to condition 5C.
- Golf Envy Conditional Use (Resolution 19-2026): Unanimous approval (5-0) to authorize a 3,263 sq ft indoor athletic training facility (4 golf simulators) in an existing 19,862 sq ft warehouse/office building at 6501/6531 Park of Commerce Blvd. The facility will operate 24/7, membership-only, no food/beverage. Staff and Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval. Council members noted conditional use may be unnecessary for such uses and suggested future council consider streamlining.
- MiCA Ridership Update: Zach Beer (Public Works Director) presented ridership data for the autonomous shuttle pilot in Mizner Park. Key stats: 93% autonomous operation, 150 loops completed, average loop time 12 minutes, total passengers carried exceeded benchmarks. Plans to expand service to connect Mizner Park to Royal Palm Place in summer 2026, pending NHTSA permit.
Key Outcomes
- Removal of Downtown Ordinances: Four ordinances removed from agenda (4-1 vote).
- Freestanding ER Ordinance Postponed: Continued to second regular meeting in April 2026 (3-2 vote).
- Board Appointments: All appointments approved 5-0.
- Consent Agenda Approved: 5-0, including D-Wave incentive.
- Boca Raton Resort Development Approved: All four items (land use, rezoning, master plan, site plan) approved 5-0 with modifications as described above.
- Golf Envy Conditional Use Approved: 5-0.
- Staff directed to work with applicant on construction sequencing through MOT process, with added conditions for pedestrian/bike safety and ADA ramps.
Council Member Reports
- Council Member Drucker: Reported on National League of Cities conference, focusing on transportation infrastructure funding, autonomous vehicles, and rail. She highlighted Boca Raton’s innovative reputation.
- Council Member Wigder: Congratulated Mayor-elect Thomson and outgoing members, reflecting on the balance between historic preservation and innovation.
- Deputy Mayor Nachlas: Delivered a heartfelt farewell speech, thanking staff, colleagues, and residents. She noted accomplishments in affordable housing, technology, and fiscal stability.
- Mayor Singer: Thanked colleagues and staff, highlighted the formal dedication of Memorial Park that day, and listed city achievements in public safety, fiscal management, economic development, and green space. He urged continued progress.
The meeting adjourned at 10:15 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to a regular meeting of the Boca Raton City Council. It is Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The time is 6 PM. Our first item of business is the invocation which I will deliver. May we be ever thankful for the many blessings we have on our strong, thriving, and vibrant city. The challenges we face as a community pale in comparison to most other places, and moreover, pale to our op compared to our opportunities. Let us give thanks to the many who serve our community and the brave men and women, both at home and abroad, who protect our city, state, nation, and our way of life. May we find the wisdom to govern among conflicting interests and issues, the ability to discern the true needs of the residents of the Bo of Boca Raton, and the grace to work together in harmony for the betterment of our great city. May we as a community continue to come together knowing that even though we may disagree at times, we can share a love for the people in this community and our city. Here. Thankful to be here. Councilmember Wake There. Here. All present. Thank you. We'll turn to the amendments to the agenda. And following up on the conversation, I at least started yesterday. Um I had indicated previously removal of the four ordinances that touched on the downtown land regulations and then brought up the issue that staff had prepared some materials that didn't are didn't relate necessarily to the campus plan, but were a variety of changes that they would recommend anyway concerning some of the area in the downtown. I'd be my preference to remove all of them and have them consider the remaining portions, the ones unrelated to the government campus. So I recognize there are some, but I believe it probably makes the most sense to have that addressed at a later date. Any further thoughts? Thanks. Mr. Wigner, okay. Further thoughts. Just because I'm going to go on the record, I believe that we can move off the things that were not related to to the actual project because the referendum failed, but there are things on here. There's two ordinances that are on here, or two of the of all like uh two of these that are on here that have to deal specifically with that piece of land that's close to the bright line that we're gonna do that's not adding density, it's not adding anything at all in terms of um no input from the from the community. It's just basically solidifying the TOD in that strip to include bright line as part of that area. What we don't want is as we move forward, whether there's growth or the new council decides to stop all growth, I don't think that'll be the case, because there's other parts of the city that are growing. We want to make sure that we protect our TOD in that area. And that brings more jobs, it brings affordability in housing, which is something that we keep talking. So in my opinion, we could push off all the LDRs, everything dealt with the with the subsections in terms of the growth or the amount, but we should hear the last couple of of of matters that are pertaining to that area. We've been working on this for years. This is not for anything for the new council or that we're trying to do anything that's nefarious. That is not what we're doing. We're trying to finish work that has already been done for 18 months. We've been working on this from before. So that would be what I would suggest that we move the things that were not gonna that were related to the campus, which has failed, and we work on the things that we can do now to approve tonight to move other projects forward. So that would be what I would like to see this council do as we wrap up, just like we're doing FSR FSER that we've been working on for 18 months, and the BoCUP uh what is it, the Boca Hotel and other things on the agenda today. Those are things that we've been working on that we're just finishing our work here. So, thank you, Mr. Mayor. So um last week when we got the agenda, there was a note saying that this was going to be taken off, and then yesterday you brought it back up again that we you know discussed it, maybe we put it back on. Um, not put it back on, but it was it was always on. But you know, as I read through the ordinances again today, there are a lot of things in there that pertain to the to the government campus, which as we all know is is null and void. But as Ms. uh Drucker said, we have been working since 2023, since I've been on this council now for three years. A TOD has been in the strategic plan for that area. So you know, I would like to hear at least what staff has to say about um about at least a couple of these ordinances that don't have have to be pertaining to the government campus. I you know the government campus is done.
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