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Residents call ballot question unfair, warn downtown zoning changes could cast long shadows over Memorial Park; council notes postponement
Summary
At a Feb. 23 workshop, Boca Raton public commenters criticized the wording of a ballot question and urged the council to refine three postponed downtown ordinances, citing loss of sunlight at Memorial Park, lack of university outreach, and potential legal challenges under SB 102.
Public commenters at a Boca Raton City Council workshop on Feb. 23 urged clearer ballot language and asked the council to delay zoning changes affecting downtown until the community is better engaged. The council noted the postponement of three ordinances earlier on the docket.
Andrea Lavino Rourke, who gave her address and said she worked with FAU urban-planning graduate students, told the council the ballot question is "simply not" fair or truthful and pressed for more transparent wording so voters understand what they are deciding. She said FAU students were turned down for outreach space at the city community center and asked the council to "embrace the university students" and downtown businesses in planning work.
Judy Morrow thanked the council for postponing the ordinances and asked, "Who owns the sky?" to emphasize concern about taller development. She urged the public to vote no on the ballot question and urged the council to address infrastructure such as underground water pipes before allowing denser, taller construction.
Pam Paschke presented slide-based shadow modeling for a hypothetical 135-foot (12‑story) building on NW 2nd Avenue and warned that such a structure would cast prolonged shadows across Memorial Park. "We're gonna have soggy parkland till midday," she said, and requested the council commit to park betterments for Memorial Park regardless of the Boca 1 proposal's outcome.
Resident Jonathan Unge criticized local advocacy tactics and said he has an application under SB 102; he told the council that if leadership changes he would file a lawsuit under SB 102 over downtown density and property-owner development rights.
The mayor acknowledged the postponement of the three ordinances and closed public comment before moving to city-manager reports. The city has not adopted new ordinance language at this workshop; councilmembers and residents indicated more outreach and technical work will be needed before the items return to the agenda.
What happens next: the council postponed the three ordinances to a future agenda for further work and public outreach; residents asked for additional studies, clearer ballot language, and park improvements.
