Milani Park debate continues as Palm Beach County design moves forward; town says settlement limits options

The Town Commission of the Town of Highland Beach heard more than an hour of public comment on March 4 about Palm Beach County’s planned Milani Park and a conceptual design presented to the town, with residents raising concerns about parking, traffic, safety and impacts to sea turtles.

The discussion matters because Palm Beach County owns the property and, commissioners and staff said, is proceeding under a settlement agreement and a county procurement process that have already triggered design, soil testing and an architect contract. That legal position leaves the town limited options to block the project, commissioners said, so the main leverage available is public input on design details.

Commissioners and staff outlined what they said were concrete steps the county has already taken: issuing a notice to resume development, advertising and awarding an architect contract (Brooks + Scarpa) for roughly $900,000, completing soil and archaeological testing, and moving forward on timeline triggers in the settlement agreement. Town Manager Marshall said the county’s legal counsel had advised commissioners that changes could invite further litigation and delay, and that the approvals and procurement work are substantially advanced.

Residents at tonight’s meeting called for different outcomes. Maggie Chapelleer, a volunteer with the town’s Natural Resources Board, said she had tried to work with county staff and encouraged the town to press for fewer parking spaces and more bicycle amenities. “If there’s gonna be a park, we want to be heard as to what we want,” Chapelleer said, urging residents to attend an April 2 Palm Beach County outreach meeting at the South County Civic Center.

Barbara Nestle, a neighbor of the Milani family, said the Milanis had recently signaled a willingness to negotiate and asked the family to submit a written position to the county. “They are hopeful that this initial step will pave the way for a final productive meeting between the Town and themselves,” Nestle said.

A member of the Milani family, Cam Malania, told the commission the family was open to discussion. “We live in Highland Beach. We are here with you. We care about this town,” Cam Malania said. “If that’s where this commission lands — that you really, really don’t want this park — we’ll stand with you.”

Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the town’s limited legal options. Commissioner Evelyn David and Mayor Moore said the county’s settlement agreement and court history left little ability for the town to stop the park outright. “They own the land, and we have a settlement agreement,” Mayor Moore said, summarizing the panel’s legal assessment. Moore and other commissioners urged residents to participate in the county’s April 2 public meeting to press for mitigations such as reduced impervious surface, more shade and safety accommodations.

Speakers also raised several technical and factual concerns the town said it will continue to press with the county: proposed parking counts (residents referenced figures including 100 spaces, and some callers urged a return to prior concepts showing 40–42 spaces), traffic stacking and left-turn queuing on A1A, potential demand for a traffic signal at the park access, beach and turtle nesting protections (commenters estimated 20–35 turtle nests in the adjacent shoreline area), and public-safety policing and trash/loitering control.

Town staff noted the county’s conceptual features as shown to the commission: a central median and circulation pattern intended to increase vehicle stacking without backing up on A1A, shaded parking and “grasscrete” areas to reduce visible asphalt, a boardwalk through retained water-retention areas, a single central beach access with both a ramp and stairs, lookout seating areas and small “playful” elements such as climbing ropes. Staff said the county intends to retain on-site stormwater retention and employ native, salt-tolerant landscaping.

No formal town action was taken on Milani Park at the meeting. Commissioners said there was no agenda item authorizing litigation or a new formal appeal, and several urged pursuing public input and cooperative design negotiations where possible. The commission recommended residents attend the county outreach meeting April 2 and said the town will keep a 3‑D model of the conceptual design on display at town hall clerk's office for public viewing.

The meeting underscored a split between residents who favor renewed negotiations with the Milani family and county, and those who believe the legal and procurement steps already taken by Palm Beach County make stopping the project unlikely. Commissioners repeatedly asked that any future negotiations or meetings involving the Milani family be held publicly and with notice so the town’s residents can comment.

Plans going forward: Palm Beach County is scheduled to present the architect’s design options and gather public input at the April 2 outreach session at the South County Civic Center; the town will share the model at its clerk’s office and circulate information on how residents can comment to county staff.