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Council approves Safe Harbor marina land‑use changes with neighborhood commitments, adds hydrant condition
Summary
Riviera Beach council approved amendments allowing a fee‑in‑lieu for waterfront landscaping, abandoned two internal right‑of‑way segments and granted site‑plan approval for Safe Harbor's expanded boatyard, with council adding conditions that funds benefit adjacent neighborhoods and that a fire hydrant be provided near a fuel facility.
The Riviera Beach City Council approved a package of land‑use and site approvals for Safe Harbor Marinas on Wednesday that will allow the company to expand and consolidate a boatyard campus in the city’s downtown marine area — conditional on a series of neighborhood protections and infrastructure commitments.
Council voted unanimously to amend the Downtown Marine zoning rules to permit a fee‑in‑lieu option for landscape requirements for working‑waterfront projects, and the council amended the ordinance on the floor to require that funds collected under that text amendment be used in neighborhoods directly adjacent to the project. “If it is the board’s desire to effectively do that, we can make the appropriate amendments to the ordinance,” City Manager Jonathan Evans said; the council adopted the amendment without dissent.
The council also approved an abandonment of two right‑of‑way segments — a portion of Avenue C and a portion of East 20 First Street — that are internal to the Safe Harbor property; staff reported the privilege/abandonment fee at approximately $861,738 (figure stated as an April 2, 2025 estimate). The abandonment and the zoning change were both presented as part of a three‑item package (text amendment, abandonment, and site plan) submitted by Safe Harbor.
On the site plan (Resolution 23‑25) the council approved Safe Harbor’s consolidated campus and a new multi‑story service/maintenance building, parking and operational layout covering roughly 18.7 acres with an approximately 4.8‑acre project limit area. Principal Planner Kurt Thompson described the building as roughly 45 feet tall with first‑floor shops and upper‑level offices and said staff found the application met site‑plan criteria and recommended approval.
Residents from the adjacent Lakeview Park neighborhood and other nearby blocks testified at length, urging that some portion of the payments and contributions be earmarked for local infrastructure problems such as seawall, drainage and street repairs. “There’s a desperate need for funding because there’s frankly, there’s been no funding put into that neighborhood for decades,” Lakeview Park neighborhood president Brandy Davis Balzamo said.
In response, councilmembers and staff described a multi‑component contribution package: fees collected under the landscaping text amendment will be placed in a dedicated escrow for city landscaping and beautification, but the council amended the ordinance to direct that proceeds from the project‑related contributions be prioritized for the neighborhoods adjacent to the development. Council also voted to split certain proceeds 50/50 between Lakeview Park and Park Manor.
As the council considered the site plan, members of the public and council raised fire‑safety and traffic concerns near an existing fuel delivery operation on East 20 Second Court. A motion to add a requirement that Safe Harbor fund or support installation of a fire hydrant near the fuel pump area was offered and approved; that motion carried with Councilperson Davis Penier recorded in the transcript as dissenting. Council also asked staff to review hydrant placement and coordination with the utility district and fire department.
Safe Harbor representatives in the chamber — Colby Cooper, chief development officer, and Eric Hirska, vice president and general manager — told the council the company has been negotiating changes with neighbors and said the corporate partner now acquiring Safe Harbor would continue local management. Cooper described the planned upgrades as intended to consolidate boatyard operations and to invest in community improvements that accompany the project.
Why it matters: the council approved both the zoning text amendment and the abandonment that permit Safe Harbor to expand its working‑waterfront operations while insisting that community impacts be mitigated and neighborhood improvements funded. The council also added a public‑safety condition and directed funds to affected neighborhoods.
What’s next: The approvals allow Safe Harbor to proceed to final permitting and future replat steps; city staff will coordinate required hydrant work with utilities and the fire department and return to council if further appropriation or capital spending is required.
