Click the video player above for a look at your WPBF 25 News to Go HeadlinesA vote is set for this Tuesday in Boca Raton which would change the city’s zoning ordinance, allowing assisted living facilities to potentially be built in residential neighborhoods. Several residents in the Boca Square neighborhood are keeping a close eye on that vote, which is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the 6500 Building on Congress Avenue.WPBF 25 News has reached out to developers and a city council member in favor of approving the change, but has received no response at this time. Right now plans are halted to build an assisted living facility near the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and 12th Avenue.The developers have filed a lawsuit against the city after city staff told the developers that four council votes and a change to the city’s comprehensive plan was needed for the zoning change to go into effect. The lawsuit states that only three council votes for approval of a text amendment is all that’s needed.City Council Member Andy Thomson plans to vote against the zoning change this Tuesday.“I’m not in favor of that,” Thomson said. “I trust staff. These are professional planners. These are people who have been working this process for a very long time. They said that a comprehensive plan is necessary. I trust them so I’m not going to be supporting it.”I want people to be able to grow older and be able to retire and age here in Boca. I don’t want them to say, ‘We have to move because Boca Raton doesn’t allow for assisted living facilities.’ That is not the case at all. I just want to make sure that it’s consistent with the neighborhood surrounding it.”Many residents have been opposing the possible change for the last year, saying an assisted living facility would create traffic congestion and other issues.”I’m not opposed to assisted living facilities and nobody in the neighborhood is opposed to assisted living facilities but an assisted living facility, in this particular spot, is just the wrong idea,” said Brian Stenberg of Boca Square. “That’s an operation that would run 24 hours a day and seven days a week for the residents here who would live in that particular space. “The type of traffic you would have there is ambulances, fire trucks, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, visitors and so on and so on and shift changes.“I’m very concerned about things like this intruding in our single-family neighborhoods here in Boca just because it’s incompatible with what we already have here.”We didn’t want to have this looming presence at the corner and the entrance to the neighborhood.”Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Click the video player above for a look at your WPBF 25 News to Go Headlines
A vote is set for this Tuesday in Boca Raton which would change the city’s zoning ordinance, allowing assisted living facilities to potentially be built in residential neighborhoods.
Several residents in the Boca Square neighborhood are keeping a close eye on that vote, which is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the 6500 Building on Congress Avenue.
WPBF 25 News has reached out to developers and a city council member in favor of approving the change, but has received no response at this time.
Right now plans are halted to build an assisted living facility near the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and 12th Avenue.
The developers have filed a lawsuit against the city after city staff told the developers that four council votes and a change to the city’s comprehensive plan was needed for the zoning change to go into effect. The lawsuit states that only three council votes for approval of a text amendment is all that’s needed.
City Council Member Andy Thomson plans to vote against the zoning change this Tuesday.
“I’m not in favor of that,” Thomson said. “I trust staff. These are professional planners. These are people who have been working this process for a very long time. They said that a comprehensive plan is necessary. I trust them so I’m not going to be supporting it.
“I want people to be able to grow older and be able to retire and age here in Boca. I don’t want them to say, ‘We have to move because Boca Raton doesn’t allow for assisted living facilities.’ That is not the case at all. I just want to make sure that it’s consistent with the neighborhood surrounding it.”
Many residents have been opposing the possible change for the last year, saying an assisted living facility would create traffic congestion and other issues.
“I’m not opposed to assisted living facilities and nobody in the neighborhood is opposed to assisted living facilities but an assisted living facility, in this particular spot, is just the wrong idea,” said Brian Stenberg of Boca Square. “That’s an operation that would run 24 hours a day and seven days a week for the residents here who would live in that particular space.
“The type of traffic you would have there is ambulances, fire trucks, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, visitors and so on and so on and shift changes.
“I’m very concerned about things like this intruding in our single-family neighborhoods here in Boca just because it’s incompatible with what we already have here.
“We didn’t want to have this looming presence at the corner and the entrance to the neighborhood.”
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
