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Planning board approves North Park site plan for former Ocean Breeze golf course
Summary
The board voted unanimously to approve North Park’s 69.5‑acre site plan, which includes multi‑use trails, a community garden, dog park, playgrounds and a maintenance building; residents asked for clarity on operations, security and deed restrictions tied to the former golf course.
The Planning & Zoning Board on Sept. 5 unanimously approved a site plan for North Park, a roughly 69.5‑acre segment of the former Ocean Breeze Golf Course that would be converted into trails, a community garden, a dog park and several playground and support facilities.
Heather Hanson of Development Services told the board the Beach & Park District is requesting site plan approval for multipurpose walking and mountain‑bike trails (more than six miles), a 0.68‑acre community garden, a two‑acre dog park, two playgrounds, pavilions, restrooms and a 3,800‑sq‑ft maintenance building. The plan includes three parking areas totaling 327 spaces and requires the district to coordinate a pedestrian‑oriented design for NW 67th Street, with improvements completed before final certificates of occupancy for park facilities.
Why it matters: The site plan converts a long‑vacant golf course parcel to publicly accessible parkland with native landscaping, invasive species removal and a master plan for eventual development of up to ~200 acres of passive and active uses. The park is intended to expand recreation access and improve ecological value along the El Rio Canal corridor.
Public concerns and responses: Several neighbors asked whether restrictive covenants that mention a perpetual golf course could limit the district’s actions. Brianne Harms, executive director of the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District, said the district contracted legal advice and that when a public agency purchases property the covenants are typically extinguished, citing Ryan v. Town of Manalapan (1982) as precedent reviewed by counsel. Residents also asked about security and after‑hours management, motorized bikes on trails, and pedestrian safety at Jeffrey/NW 2nd Avenue; the district said it is coordinating operations with the city, and the application includes conditions about project coordination and tunnel/pedestrian safety infrastructure.
Board action and next steps: After questions and public comment, the board approved the site plan 6–0. Staff and the park district will coordinate implementation, trail design, invasive‑species removal and required NW 67th Street improvements prior to occupancy of park facilities.
Sources: Staff presentation, Beach & Park District representatives, public testimony recorded at the Sept. 5 Planning & Zoning Board meeting.
