County approves adding 3,000 bonus-density units to Westgate CRA amid traffic concerns

Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday approved a county-initiated text amendment to add 3,000 additional units to the Westgate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) density-bonus pool, a change that lets developers seek higher density through zoning rather than a comprehensive-plan amendment.

The vote carried 4–3 after several hours of presentation, public comment and questioning about traffic impacts, phasing and developer commitments. Commissioner Flores, who moved to restore the original 3,000‑unit request, joined Commissioners Marino, Powell and Weiss in voting yes; Commissioners Sachs, Vice Mayor Woodward and Mayor Baxter voted no.

Why it mattered: Supporters said the bonus units are an incentive to attract redevelopment to an underused area near downtown West Palm Beach and major transit and employment nodes. Jackson Rispera, speaking for the Frisbee Group and Terra, told commissioners, "This initiative will help attract quality investment, support housing, and economic growth, and advance reinvestment within the CRA." Emily Sherfield, program director at WPB Go, urged approval as a way to add market‑driven workforce housing close to jobs, saying the proposal could reduce commute time and cost for workers.

Opponents warned the change removes a layer of plan review and could accelerate approvals in places where roads already exceed acceptable levels of service. Vice Mayor Woodward repeatedly flagged a traffic‑division review that lists several corridor links and nine intersections projected to fail by 2040, saying, "This is why I'm struggling with this. I can't support this." Commissioners pressing for mitigation asked whether projects would be phased or tied to measurable traffic improvements.

Staff and CRA representatives said the Westgate mobility plan includes short-, mid- and long-term projects and a first five‑year program of sidewalks, bike lanes and shuttles; the CRA's executive director said the first 400 units in the Kennel Club site are not expected to be built and occupied until after 2029. The CRA also said it has allocated funds and would update an annual work plan and monitoring to track mitigation measures. The CRA representative said, "We have spent $15,000,000 on transportation in the last 5 years" and planned additional commitments tied to phases.

Phasing and alternatives: Commissioners debated a phased approach — Vice Mayor Woodward proposed approving 1,000 units now and phasing the remainder — arguing that smaller near‑term allocations would let staff align projects with the countywide transportation master plan. Supporters countered that developers might withdraw if incentives are not available. Staff said some high‑density proposals (requests of more than 22 units from the bonus pool) would still come before the Board for review, even under the zoning route.

What happens next: With the board's approval, the text amendment becomes available to the Westgate CRA and prospective developers; individual projects will still need to meet project‑level traffic review, concurrency or proportionate‑share requirements. Commissioners asked staff and the CRA to return with monitoring details and to coordinate mitigation work with the county transportation plan.