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Planning board approves 69.5‑acre North Park and greenlights Boca Paddle facility
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Board approved a 69.5‑acre North Park with trails, garden, dog park and pedestrian tunnel, and separately recommended approval of a 77,218‑sq‑ft Boca Paddle pickleball/paddle facility within the park following debate over traffic, noise and deed restrictions.
The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved site plan approval for North Park — a roughly 69.5‑acre conversion of part of the former Ocean Breeze Golf Course — and recommended approval of an on‑site, privately operated paddle and pickleball facility known as Boca Paddle.
Heather Hanson of Development Services described the park program: multi‑use trails (more than six miles), a 0.68‑acre community garden, a two‑acre dog park, playgrounds, pavilions, a 3,800‑square‑foot maintenance building and 327 parking spaces, with pedestrian access via NW 67th Street and a proposed 14‑foot pedestrian tunnel under Jeffrey Street to safely connect northern and southern park sections. The board voted 6–0 to approve the North Park site plan.
The Boca Paddle proposal — a conditional use and site plan for a 77,218‑square‑foot, two‑story indoor/outdoor paddle and pickleball facility with 14 indoor courts, 2 indoor paddle courts and 9 outdoor courts — drew mixed public comment. Opponents raised concerns about traffic on NW 2nd Avenue, noise from outdoor courts and potential environmental impacts; the applicant and district said market research and a parks‑district survey showed local demand for courts and that the facility would be concession‑operated by the district, with membership and day‑use options.
Board members emphasized conditions tying vehicle and pedestrian access to park improvements and recommended approval of Boca Paddle’s conditional use and site plan by 5–1 votes. Staff noted the facility is approximately 380 feet from the nearest residential building and that screening, green walls and setbacks are proposed to reduce visual and noise impacts.
District staff said the paddle and pickleball facility is intended as a regional amenity and could boost local recreation offerings; opponents asked the district for more clarity on operations and long‑term management. The board asked staff and the applicant to ensure access and operations are coordinated with the North Park improvements before council consideration.
