Special magistrate finds piles at 1470 A Road violate Loxahatchee Groves floodplain rules; compliance ordered by May 18

A special magistrate has found that the piles of organic material stored at 1470 A Road in the Town of Loxahatchee Groves violated the town's floodplain development rules and ordered the respondents to obtain the required permits or remove the material by 2026-05-18.

Special Magistrate Andy Barnard said the town had presented photographs (dated 12/19/2025 and 02/17/2026) and videos showing substantial accumulations of wood shavings, straw and manure on the Garcia property. The magistrate concluded those piles constituted "temporary or permanent storage of materials" and therefore fit the town code's definition of development in a special flood hazard area (FEMA Zone AE). He ordered compliance with the listed code sections by 05/18/2026 or an appearance at a fine-assessment hearing on 05/20/2026. Administrative costs of $409.66 were assessed; fines up to $250 per day may be imposed at the later hearing if the violation continues.

Why it matters: Town officers testified that piles and windrows at the site exceeded sizes described in the respondents' own soil-regeneration report and that some materials lie within federally mapped…