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Boca Raton residents challenge downtown zoning and ballot question as council postpones ordinances
Summary
Public commenters at a Boca Raton workshop urged the city to revise a contested ballot question and take more careful planning on three postponed downtown zoning ordinances, citing community outreach failures, park sunlight impacts and the 2007 downtown master plan.
The Boca Raton City Council opened public comment Monday at a workshop after announcing the postponement of three downtown zoning ordinances, and several residents urged clearer ballot language and more careful planning.
Andrea Levine O'Rourke, of 100 Southeast 5th Avenue, told the council the ballot question language is "simply not" fair or truthful and asked the council to use "reasonable, fair" verbiage so voters can make a fully informed decision. "The truth matters, and it's just not a truthful statement, that ballot question," O'Rourke said.
Why it matters: The three ordinances relate to downtown zoning and—according to multiple speakers—are among the most consequential changes the city has considered in decades. Residents said the council did the right thing by postponing consideration, but urged the city to follow through on substantive planning steps rather than rush approvals.
Public comments highlighted two recurring concerns. Judy Morrow (1305 Northeast 5th Avenue) thanked the council for postponement, asked rhetorically "Who owns the sky?" to underscore worries about building heights and airspace, and urged a "no" vote on the ballot question to protect public land. Pam Paschke (341 Southwest 2nd Street) presented a sunlight and shadow analysis for a proposed 12-story building across from Memorial Park and warned that a 135-foot structure could cast extended morning shade across the park, leaving grass soggy until midday. "We've saved the park, I hope, but we haven't saved the sunlight for the park," Paschke said.
Several residents also raised concerns about community outreach. O'Rourke said Florida Atlantic University urban planning students were refused use of a city community center for their downtown outreach and instead had to secure a room through a private attorney to complete their public engagement.
A different perspective came from Jonathan Unge (6501 Congress Avenue), who criticized Save Boca's tactics and warned that state law gives property owners certain development rights. Unge said he has an application under SB 102 and said he would consider legal action under that statute if council leadership changes.
What the council said: The Mayor noted the council had postponed the three ordinances and described the city's long-range infrastructure planning, citing an $850 million ISA program to fund underground infrastructure improvements over 15 years without a bond issuance or tax increase.
Next steps: The council indicated the postponed ordinances will be taken up at the regular meeting the following evening. Residents urged the council to rework ballot language, improve outreach, and ensure any zoning changes align with the city's downtown master plan.
