Council approves Hilltop Gardens proposal for 432 apartments with 12.5% workforce set‑aside

The Palm Beach Gardens City Council voted unanimously to approve the Hilltop Gardens development, a proposed 432‑unit, five‑story multifamily community on roughly 17.64 acres north of Northlake Boulevard.

Nicole Plunkett, the petitioner’s agent, told the council the project would include mixed unit types in six buildings, a two‑story clubhouse of nearly 12,000 square feet, 36 enclosed garage spaces and 689 total parking spaces. The applicant said the plan sets aside 54 workforce housing units — 12.5% of the project — split roughly as follows: half at up to 80% of area median income (AMI), a quarter at 100% AMI and a quarter at 120% AMI. Plunkett said those units will be subject to a 30‑year restriction under the city code.

Plunkett and the project team also presented transportation and design details. Their traffic analysis compared the proposed residential build with the existing commercial future‑land‑use entitlement and showed the residential plan generating 42% fewer daily trips and 48% fewer PM‑peak trips than the maximum commercial alternative. The team said the project includes an enhanced eight‑foot meandering sidewalk along Congress Avenue, improved crosswalks, internal pedestrian connections, 24 electric‑vehicle charging spaces (about 8.3% of parking) and more than 40% open space.

City Senior Planner Anne Besson said staff reviewed level‑of‑service letters from provider agencies and concluded the proposal met the city’s mobility and public‑service standards. She noted the 2009 land‑use amendment that established a commercial cap on the site; staff said the approved change reduces the total commercial build‑out to under 52,000 square feet while allowing the residential parcel to convert to residential‑high.

Council members asked detailed questions about lighting spill, the functionality of the dry retention area, pick‑up locations for schoolchildren and exit/access patterns at gated entrances. Traffic coordination with Palm Beach County and the Seacoast Utility Authority, and coordination with Palm Tran on bus stops, were discussed; staff said the applicant had committed to construct the east‑side access and work with Palm Tran and the county on timing of transit stops and right‑of‑way improvements.

Brian Seymour of the applicant’s team said the dry retention area is intended for stormwater control and is not designed for general public access. The applicant also said it will pursue national green‑building standards during construction and that landscaping buffers will exceed minimum code requirements in many locations.

Council members praised the workforce housing component and the trip‑reduction case. After questions and discussion the council approved the future‑land‑use amendment, the PUD rezoning and site approvals on first reading/motions and subsequent votes as required; each motion carried 5–0.

What happens next: The council approved ordinances 10 and 11 and the associated site approvals at the meeting. The applicant and staff will proceed with final plan coordination and permitting steps; construction timing provided by the applicant anticipates project timelines that could begin permitting and site work after county right‑of‑way activities complete, with construction phased over the following years.