Boca Raton’s city council announced on April 14 that it is moving forward with legislation to require voter approval for any future sale or lease of city-owned land larger than half an acre. The announcement came during a late-night council meeting, where members also voted to create a committee to determine the future use of 30 acres of public land following the recent rejection of the One Boca development plan by voters.
The proposed measure follows last month’s city election in which 74.5% of voters rejected plans by Miami-based Terra and Palm Beach-based Frisbie Group to build a mixed-use project on a 7.8-acre site near Brightline Boca Raton Station and Memorial Park. The election also saw Andy Thomson, who had opposed the One Boca plan, elected as mayor alongside Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman and Save Boca-backed candidates Michelle Grau and Stacy Sipple joining the city council.
During the meeting, the council voted 3-1 to establish the Downtown Civic Engagement Task Force. This nine-member committee will be appointed by the city council and tasked with recommending improvements for both the former One Boca site and other parts of Boca Raton’s government campus, including Memorial Park, an outdated community center, and City Hall.
Previously, under an agreement with Terra and Frisbie Group that has now been set aside, there was an option for these developers to construct new municipal facilities in exchange for developing part of the property. With that deal no longer in place after its rejection at referendum, Mayor Thomson said officials must now find alternative ways to upgrade public facilities without private developer involvement.
Council member Pearlman cast the only dissenting vote against forming a new task force. He said they do not need “an unelected blue-ribbon commission” to decide how best to use city properties. Instead, Pearlman called for “an ordinance and charter amendment that would require voter approval of any sale or lease of city-owned land larger than half an acre.”
City Attorney Joshua Koehler told members he could draft such an ordinance later this month but noted it would likely require subsequent voter approval through referendum. As Palm Beach County does not allow special elections outside regular cycles, any changes could not go before voters until next March.
