Highland Beach planning board approves pier and mooring piling at 1006 Grand Court

The Town of Highland Beach Planning Board on April 10 approved a special-exception permit allowing AJR Grand Highland Beach LLC to install a finger pier and one mooring piling at 1006 Grand Court, planning staff said. The board recorded yes votes from Vice Chairperson Mendelson, Member Evelyn David, Member Axelrod and Chairperson Goldenberg; Member Rosen’s vote was not audible on the record.

The approval follows a staff presentation by Ingrid Goodall, town planner, and a technical review by the town’s coastal engineering consultant. Goodall told the board that the project’s final development plan includes a note that “a separate permit from Army Corps is not required,” and that the planning board may approve, approve with conditions, or deny special-exception requests under the town code.

Goodall said the proposed marine facilities would be located on the north side of the property at 1006 Grand Court and described the application as requesting a finger pier and one mooring piling. The transcript contains inconsistent size figures: an early agenda reading says the application requested a 20-square-foot finger pier, while staff later described it as a roughly 100-square-foot finger pier and used dimensions described on the plans of about 30 feet long by 4 feet wide; the record also shows one mooring piling. The planning board packet includes aerials, the staff report, the final development plan and a coastal engineering report by Dr. Michael Jenkins.

Goodall reviewed relevant local code language included in the staff report that limits how far accessory marine facilities may extend into waterways (the staff report cites sections read aloud as “30 dash 68 g 6 a” and “30 dash 6 c g 7 c 4” in the transcript). She also told members that the property had prior marine facilities: a boat lift approved in 2017 whose pilings were later the subject of a settlement and were removed; those previous pilings were on the property’s south side and extended farther into the canal than the current proposal, Goodall said.

Dr. Michael Jenkins, identified in the packet as the town’s coastal engineering principal, prepared a review of the proposed pier that appears in the board packet and was available to answer questions, Goodall said. No members of the public spoke during the public-comment portion of the hearing.

After brief board comments and no contested public input, a motion to approve the special exception was made and seconded (mover and seconder not specified in the record). Mr. Hart conducted a roll call: Vice Chairperson Mendelson — yes; Member Evelyn David — yes; Member Rosen — not audible/not specified; Member Axelrod — yes; Chairperson Goldenberg — yes. The chair then announced the request approved. David Nutter, listed in the record as the applicant’s authorized agent and speaking as property owner, said in the hearing, “This is perfect.”

If the planning board’s approval is to be implemented, Goodall reminded the board the applicant must obtain a town building permit before starting construction and must initiate construction within two years of the planning-board approval. The town packet contains the final development plan and the coastal engineering memo for reference.

The planning board meeting began at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at about 9:40 a.m. The board listed its next meetings in the packet.