Board backs 8‑story mixed‑use plan at Boca Raton Tri‑Rail station, approves setback variance
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Summary
The Planning and Zoning Board recommended city‑council approval of an 8‑story mixed‑use project at the Boca Raton Tri‑Rail station that would add 340 units (10% affordable, 5% workforce), about 30,100 sq. ft. of commercial space and reduced parking via a shared‑parking approach.
The Planning and Zoning Board on Jan. 2 recommended that the city council approve an 8‑story commercial‑industrial‑multifamily development (CIMD) at the Boca Raton Tri‑Rail station property at 680 West Yamato Road. The proposed development would include 340 residential units, of which the applicant proposes 10% affordable and 5% workforce housing (staff quantified this as 34 affordable and 17 workforce units), approximately 30,100 square feet of commercial space and an integrated parking structure. The applicant requested a reduction in required parking from 793 spaces to 684 spaces, along with four technical driveway deviations and a variance to reduce the Yamato Road front setback from 25 feet to 15 feet.
Development Services staff (Jim Bell) presented the project and recommended approval of the reduced setback and site‑plan amendment, noting the design emphasizes pedestrian amenities (8‑foot sidewalks, street trees), bicycle facilities and a transit‑oriented shared‑parking approach. Staff cited a shared‑parking analysis and commitments from the applicant, including transportation demand management measures and a transit subsidy of 50% for Tri‑Rail fares for residents and employees, as support for the reduced commercial parking requirement. The applicant also said the bus loop and station operations would remain unchanged and that 159 Tri‑Rail surface spaces would be reserved, with additional reserved spaces in the integrated garage.
Board members questioned how Tri‑Rail parking would be protected and how parking would be enforced; the applicant said SFRTA (South Florida Regional Transportation Authority) reviewed the plans and that reserved spaces for the station would be provided. The applicant requested deletion of a staff condition requiring a dynamic parking sign for the garage, citing excessive cost and maintenance, and clarified that only a single utility line along Yamato would be undergrounded.
After the public hearing, with the applicant present and no substantial public opposition, the board voted 5–0 to recommend approval of the CIMD site plan and separately voted 5–0 to approve the reduced‑setback variance. Staff will forward the board’s recommendation and the resolution to the city council for final action.
