A developer pared down its proposed 1,000-plus unit housing project and nixed a planned Costco at Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve.
The changes came after community uproar over the project, though the changes haven’t entirely alleviated nearby residents’ concerns. Residents at the next-door Valencia Reserve, a high-end retirement community, are concerned with the potential for more traffic and the project’s height.
West Boynton Ranches, a group led by water ski enthusiasts, now wants to build a 259-unit housing complex with townhomes and apartments on a 32-acre site at Boynton Beach Boulevard near Lyons Road, the Palm Beach Post reported. Building heights also have been reduced from four to three levels.
The site is within the Ag Reserve, a 23,000-acre expanse west of Florida’s Turnpike in an unincorporated area of Palm Beach County near Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. The Ag Reserve has drawn development, though many of those trying to build in the area have faced stiff opposition from neighbors.
County officials will hold a public hearing on April 29 on West Boynton Ranches’ smaller proposal. The developer is asking for a rezoning that requires inclusion of workforce housing. About a quarter of the homes at the proposed project would be set aside for employees in the area.
The pared down proposal marks yet another iteration of the project. Valencia Reserve residents gathered on April 16 for a homeowners association presentation on the latest plan, showing aerial footage of morning rush-hour traffic from Lyons Road intersection to Bethesda West Hospital.
In 2023, county commissioners rejected a proposal that would have allowed GL Homes to build 1,277 homes in the Ag Reserve. The homebuilder had proposed to preserve 1,600 of land it has in a northwest part of the county in exchange for developing 653 acres at the Ag Reserve.
Others building in the Ag Reserve include Erickson Senior Living, which bought a 92.5-acre tract in 2024 for $53.5 million with plans for a 1,262-bed project. ––– Lidia Dinkova
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South Florida
Developer nabs approval for 314-unit rental complex in Ag Reserve
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South Florida
Developer picks up 314-unit multifamily dev site at Palm Beach County’s Ag Reserve
Development
South Florida
Developer nabs approval for 314-unit rental complex in Ag Reserve
