Boynton Beach commission halts negotiations on Nichols parcel, orders independent environmental study

The Boynton Beach City Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to halt negotiations over the Nichols parcel—commonly referred to by residents as the Boynton Forest—and to instruct staff to commission an independent environmental impact study that will include research and compliance review of Florida Statute 379.411, the law protecting endangered species.

The motion, made by Commissioner Turkin and seconded by Commissioner Cruz, was amended on the floor to add an explicit requirement that the study assess compliance with the cited state statute. The amended motion passed unanimously.

Commissioner Turkin, who introduced the motion, said he had received “dozens and dozens of emails” and acknowledged he had not fully understood the parcel’s environmental importance earlier. “I did not verify the importance and the impact of this property and what it means to our green space, what it means to environment and endangered species,” he said during the discussion. Turkin said his proposal was intended to “identify and do our due diligence first.”

Commissioner Cruz, who added the statutory compliance language, told the commission the statute was directly relevant to concerns raised by residents about endangered species on the site. Staff confirmed the environmental review would address protections required under the statute. Several commissioners said they preferred completing a formal study before taking further action, citing liability and due‑diligence concerns in a potential land transaction.

The decision followed several hours of public comment from neighborhood residents, conservation advocates, and regional conservation experts who described sightings of gopher tortoises and other wildlife and urged the city to preserve the property. Jessica Namath, who identified herself during public comment as a longtime resident and organizer for public-land advocates, thanked the commission for “listening and recognizing that a decision was made that was the wrong one and to own up to that and to try to move forward and make the right decision.”

Commissioners discussed alternative approaches—some suggesting the city explore deeding the land to a conservation entity or partnering with a nonprofit—but the commission settled on commissioning a third‑party environmental impact study and pausing negotiations while that work is completed.

The motion directs staff to stop active negotiations with the current developer on the Nichols parcel, hire an independent environmental consultant to evaluate habitat and species presence, and include a compliance check with Florida Statute 379.411 on the protection of endangered, threatened or special‑concern species. The commission did not set a timeline in the meeting for the study’s completion.

Residents who spoke at the meeting said they will press for permanent protection if the study confirms the presence of protected species and sensitive habitat. The commission’s action places a formal pause on the transaction and creates a defined next step—an independent study—to inform any future decision about the site.