Remember the 2024 sale of a 2.4-acre parcel once used for the entrance sign at the Westchester Country Club in Boynton Beach for $900,000? Now Delray Beach-based developer Palm Cove LLC has obtained approval to put seven single-family, two-story homes on the small parcel.
The tract had been owned since 1979 by the Pipers Glen planned-unit development, where Westchester Country Club is located. County commissioners approved a rezoning request on Tuesday, July 14, allowing the seven-home project to move forward by a vote of 5-2.
Labeled the Palm Cove Subdivision, it is located at the southwest corner of Military Trail and Pipers Glen Boulevard. Access would be provided from Pipers Glen Boulevard through an internal private street serving the seven homes. The proposed lots would be about 65 feet wide and approximately 107 feet deep.
Tuscany Bay HOA President Paul Berliner objected to the zoning change request, noting that the developer bought the parcel knowing there was a restriction requiring the site be maintained as open space. “The builder took a gamble, and now wants to change the rules,” Berliner said.
But county planners noted the underlying zoning allows the developer to build as many as 12 homes, stating that land available for development is increasingly scarce in central Palm Beach County.
The site was approved in 1979 as open space and a sales information area for the Pipers Glen PUD. In 2024, the Pipers Glen Property Owners Association voted to sell the land to the current owner to avoid the expense of maintaining it. The seven homes would not be part of Pipers Glen.
County planners determined the project is compatible with surrounding development, which includes residential neighborhoods and the nearby Tuscany Bay community.
But Berliner and other Tuscany Bay residents argued the two-story homes are not compatible with Tuscany Bay, the adjacent community. He was concerned over the height of the two-story homes, stressing that the new homeowners would be looking down on Tuscany Bay single-story homes. Berliner also objected to the decision to the one-minute time limit imposed on speakers.
County Mayor Sara Baxter and Commissioner Maria Sachs voted against the project with Sachs unsuccesfully calling for a postponement to allow the builder to address the concerns of Tuscany Bay.
The builder’s agent, land-use planner Bonnie Miskel, agreed to continue discussions with Tuscany Bay but said the problem is the homeowners don’t want anything built on the small parcel. Miskel agreed to lower the height of the homes from 35 to 30 feet.
Pipers Glen has been the targeted by builders for additional development
The Palm Beach Post reported in June that 49 townhomes are expected to be built on 12 acres at Westchester Country Club that once was set aside for a nine-hole golf course.
The existing 27-hole regulation course and its clubhouse will not be affected and will remain open. New Jersey-based New City Westchester Development LLC bought the entire course from Westchester Golf and Country Club in 2023 for $4.9 million.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Westchester Country Club sign lot in Boynton to become subdivision
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
