Palm Beach County commissioners have approved a plan to build 49 townhomes near Boynton Beach on 12 acres at Westchester Country Club once 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, said Bonnie Miskel, the agent for the builder, New Jersey-based New City Westchester Development LLC. New City bought the entire course from Westchester Golf and Country Club in 2023 for $4.9 million.
The move is the latest example of a builder targeting part of a golf course for development. The Westchester Village community supported the builder’s request to build the townhomes. The Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations also endorsed the plan.
Yet even limited conversions have proven contentious in South Florida communities, where homebuyers often cite open space and the belief that nothing would ever be built on the golf course, off Jog Road south of Woolbright Road.
Two area residents wrote to the commission objecting to the conversion of the recreational space to townhomes.
“We strongly oppose any increase in residential density that compromises the original Open Space contract established when the Westchester PUD was approved,” Alan Konkal said.
Abraham Romo said he was concerned about the effect the townhomes would have on traffic at the busy intersection of Jog and Pipers Glen Boulevard.
“Adding a new community at this intersection will significantly increase traffic volume, making it more difficult and time-consuming for current residents to get to and from work and manage daily errands,” Romo wrote.
Recreational land OK’d for townhomes at Westchester Country Club
There are nearly 1,800 homes that surround the course. They are part of the Pipers Glen planned unit development. The new development will become part of the PUD with a separate homeowners association.
A central legal issue in projects like the Westchester proposal is whether land designated for recreational use can legally be converted to residential development. That is why county approval was needed to approve a change in the master plan for the Westchester community.
The county has taken the position that covenant disputes are private legal matters between property owners and homeowners, not zoning issues.
Commissioner expects townhome project to raise Westchester property values
County Commissioner Maria Sachs said the development should increase property values at Westchester, noting the min-course is vacant. She praised the developer and the community for working together to come up with plan that will work for everyone.
“This is what we like to see: applicants working with the community,” Sachs said.
Commissioner Maria Marino, a retired professional golfer, said she was pleased the existing course will remain open, noting that the courses being built now in Palm Beach County are for the affluent. “This is a golf course for everyone to play,” she added. “This kind of a project keeps the course in play.”
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: Boynton area to get townhomes where 9-hole golf course once planned
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
