Residents and supporters spar over proposed Plant Drive ice rink as public comment fills council meeting

Dozens of residents and supporters spoke during the public-comment portion of the Palm Beach Gardens City Council meeting on Dec. 5 over a proposed two-rink ice facility on Plant Drive, with neighbors asking the council to reconsider the site and proponents urging the city to approve the project.

Opponents said the Plant Drive site sits within a residential neighborhood and that the project would remove the only public park in that part of Palm Beach Gardens. “The outdoor space available for the children and families in our community is being taken away,” resident Helen Brown said. She and others raised traffic and infrastructure concerns tied to tournament and event parking and said neighborhood streets are already damaged by heavy vehicles used for nearby construction.

Neighbor Eric Brown…