Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer seeks to amend 1995 settlement; residents and commissioners favor leaving agreement intact
Summary
Cam Milani asked the Highland Beach commission to allow higher ceilings and a time extension on two properties covered by a 1995 settlement. After extensive public comment about land-title history, visual impacts and legal precedent, commissioners signaled consensus to keep the current agreement and encouraged private mediation among owners.
Cam Milani told the Town Commission he is seeking two discrete amendments to a decades-old settlement: a variance so the West-side AltaVila townhouse project can match contemporary Highland Beach height standards, and a 10-year extension on an East-side residence so his elderly mother can remain in her home. "I'm asking for a 10 year extension there to allow her to stay a little bit longer in the place," Milani said at the podium.
The request prompted detailed questioning from commissioners about title history and whether the town should reopen a court-approved agreement. Commissioners asked whether formal mediation had been attempted and whether the town would get a demonstrable public benefit from modifying a settlement that was negotiated and litigated in the public interest.
Residents who spoke during the public-comment period urged the commission not to modify the settlement. "If you can't build it in 30 years, why would we think another 5 years is gonna make any difference?" said Evelyn David, referencing the agreement that the town and private parties negotiated and that ran for a 30-year period beginning in 1995. Maggie Chapelleer, who identified herself as a resident and developer, urged the commission to avoid becoming entangled in a private boundary dispute and encouraged the parties to resolve title issues between themselves.
Legal and practical concerns were central to the exchange. Neighbors cited a disputed 20-foot strip that Milani said he believed his family owned but which public records and residents indicate is owned by Boca Highlands. Commissioners noted that any change to the settlement would "run with title," meaning future owners would inherit the benefit. Several commissioners warned of spot-zoning claims and the town's exposure to additional legal fees if it altered the agreement without clear public consideration.
Rather than adopt an amendment, the commission asked staff to encourage private dispute resolution and mediation; several members explicitly said they had "no appetite" to reopen a court-approved settlement. The mayor summarized the decision as a consensus to maintain the current settlement agreement.
What happens next: No formal modification was authorized. Commissioners recommended the parties pursue mediation and reminded residents that title and property disputes are primarily private matters unless the parties request a town-initiated change.
