Dear Editor,
A few articles have been written recently about the new apartment community that Archstone will be building in Boca Raton, and some members of the community have expressed their concern about the project. We would like to correct a few mistaken beliefs about the project and about a referendum which has been proposed, that would, purportedly, prevent Archstone from building this project.
First, we would like you to know that the design of our project took into consideration a number of concerns expressed by the city council, city staff and community members in multiple meetings with Archstone throughout the design process. The initial design presented to the City had more apartments but was designed in compliance with the existing Downtown Master Plan and its implementing regulations, Ordinance No. 4035, which were approved by a referendum of the citizens of Boca Raton. During these various meetings, Archstone learned that the city council, city staff and community members preferred a project different than what Archstone would build under the existing code and requested that Archstone’s project be designed pursuant to the Downtown Interim Design Guidelines based on an Updated Master Plan (also known as the Pattern Book). The Pattern Book requires increased sidewalks, increased building setbacks and greater variation in the design of building facades. The Interim Design Guidelines were implemented in a portion of the Downtown Community Redevelopment District, which did not include our project. We agreed and voluntarily redesigned our building to reflect the desires of the community and the Pattern Book design guidelines. As part of this process, the City of Boca Raton amended the City’s Development code and extended the Pattern Book design guidelines to Palmetto Park Road and Archstone’s project. This was accomplished with the passing of Ordinance No. 5203.
Recently, a few petitioners have challenged Ordinance No. 5203, and are seeking to have it overturned by referendum. If they are successful, it would simply result in Archstone developing the project under the old 4035 design guidelines – an outcome that no one prefers – and the project would lose the very design elements that the city and community requested that we include. The project would still be built, but the result would be a less aesthetically pleasing apartment community and a design that fails to reflect the City’s vision of Downtown Boca. The City spent approximately $1 million developing the Pattern Book. It eliminates big, boxy, flat buildings and creates buildings with varying roof lines, articulated facades, multiple textures, off-street courtyards and via’s like Worth Ave, and fosters less intense development. Extending those guidelines (via Ordinance No. 5203) to include our development is good for our project, is good for the Downtown Community Redevelopment District and is good for Boca Raton.
We believe the City Council did the right thing by passing Ordinance No. 5203 and making it possible for us to design our project in accordance with the Pattern Book. We are confident that the apartment community that we will build will reflect the City’s vision for Downtown Boca.
Jay Curran
Vice President, Development
Archstone