Joel EngelhardtPulte gets initial approval for 40 townhome units, far less than what could have been built under existing zoning, council members say.
Cranes mark the sky at Donald Ross Road and U.S. 1 as Chicago developer JDL carves out the 94-unit Caretta mixed-use project that many Juno Beach residents view as an unfortunate mistake.
Don’t repeat that mistake across the street, at a vacant lot known for its Christmas tree sales, Juno Beach Town Council members were told repeatedly Wednesday night.
But the council’s approval of Pulte Home Co.’s plans for 40 townhome units on the Christmas tree lot would not fall into that trap, a majority of the council said. It’s actually a far better outcome, they argued with Pulte representatives, than what could come if the town told the Atlanta-based builder no.
In a series of 4-1 votes, the Town Council agreed to sell 0.38 acres of road right-of-way to Pulte for at least $300,000. The council also voted on first reading to convert the zoning to residential from commercial on the 4.7-acre property that wraps around the Thirsty Turtle Seagrill and Juno Beach Cafe.
The existing zoning would have allowed 84 units rising up to 60 feet while requiring that 25 percent of the property be set aside for commercial space. The change restricts the property to residential, cuts the maximum height to 40 feet (three stories) and limits the number of units to 40.
The result is far less traffic, planners said, a reduction from the potential for 3,100 daily trips to 270.
Residents of the New Palm Beach Heights neighborhood immediately south of the Christmas tree lot applauded the changes.
But others argued the town is overreacting because no developer would pursue the mix of commercial and residential allowed under the existing code. That means the property would remain vacant and produce no traffic.
Mayor Peggy Wheeler rejected the suggestion.
“If they looked at the facts, they would know that the Pulte project is not negative for our town. It’s actually positive for our town,” she said, warning that the property owner, John Bills, has other potential buyers who may pursue more intense development under the property’s existing zoning.
She pushed back against allegations that council members in the small town south of Jupiter had sold out.
“It doesn’t help anyone for this stuff to be out there,” she said. “It’s irresponsible and it gets the citizens riled up and we don’t have to do that.”
DD Halpern, the lone council member voting against, argued for a delay to better plan the busy corner.
“We have an obligation to protect our town. It’s not too late for us to come together,” she said. “We can’t let the developers instill fear in us and make the decisions for us.”
She mocked the developers’ presentation of The Dunes at Juno Beach as “rainbows popping out of the property.”
For Council Member Jacob Rosengarten it came down to the reductions promised by Pulte.
“It’s an interesting project not because of its smaller scale,” he said, “but because it’s orders of magnitude a smaller scale.”
He echoed an argument made by Pulte’s attorney, Philippe Jeck.
“Don’t expect anyone else to come in here and downzone,” Jeck said in opening remarks. “(Another developer) will be more aggressive and come in with certainly a much more impactful project than the one that is being proposed here today.”
Approval for Caretta across the street came in 2022 under different rules, allowing the development of 94 units and about 25,000 square feet of commercial space on 5.4 acres.
Final reading on the zoning and the first consideration of the Juno Dunes site plan is scheduled for next month.
Town manager resigns
Also of note Wednesday, Town Manager David Dyess announced his resignation for personal reasons, citing the death of his brother. Dyess left the Stuart city manager job to take the Juno job in April 2023.
Wheeler made it a point to squelch rumors that frustration over corruption in town government drove his decision. “There is no corruption here,” she said.
Dyess concurred, saying if there were, he would want to stay and root it out.
