A city-sponsored parking study recommends metered spots in Downtown Delray Beach, much to the chagrin of some business owners and employees who work in East Atlantic Avenue’s central business district.

But city officials say the plan is hardly a done deal. One official noted recently that the City Commission has yet to view the Delray Beach Parking Management Plan, which cost $98,000 and was conducted by Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.

In a letter to city engineer Randal Krejcarek and parking management specialist Scott Aronson, two Kimley-Horn analysts note that “implementation of the recommended parking best management practices will help use parking as a tool for economic development and redevelopment.”

What might that “tool for economic development” cost those who frequent East Atlantic Avenue’s restaurants, stores and boutiques?

According to the 82-page report, parking in Downtown Delray Beach should be raised to about $1.25 an hour and enforced using a system made up of about 640 parking meters.

The estimated revenue from the parking meter system would be about $29,000 weekly, or about $1.2 million annually. Kimley-Horn estimates it would cost the city about $1.96 million to install the system.

Krejcarek said Delray Beach officials want to know more about the maintenance of a parking meter system before considering different options.

“Meters may be the answer, meters may not,” he said. “We need to support the parking infrastructure and generate money to defray the costs of the parking amenities.

“There may be other options. We’re looking into that and will submit that information to future boards studying the subject.”

Carol De Young is the manager at Lady Katie, a store located at 417 E. Atlantic Ave. that specializes in home décor. There are several on-street parking spaces just south of Katie’s storefront. New owner Gary Lustberg has allowed De Young to put signs in the store’s window objecting to metered parking spots. De Young said meters would definitely hurt business.

“People come from Miami and West Palm Beach so they can shop and not worry about monitoring and feeding money to a parking meter,” she said. “If people get a ticket, they’re not coming back.”

"No Parking Meters on Atlantic Avenue" signs have been attached to storefronts, structures near on-street parking spots, and here attached to a sidewalk light pole near the intersection of East Atlantic and Southeast Fifth avenues.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | Share:

The farm to fork business concept has taken root in Pineapple Grove with the opening of a new restaurant named Max’s Harvest focused on sustainable and organic foods.

Restaurateur Dennis Max has partnered with investors Fred Stampone and John Williams, and brought in former Max’s Grille sous chef and most recently Himmarshee Bar & Grille executive chef Chris Miracolo.

Together that team has developed a business venture that focuses on salads filled with local lettuces, entrees that use free-range chickens and neighborhood farm eggs, grass-fed beef, day-boat and single-line caught fish.

Ask owner Dennis Max about this new menu and one finds that this trend has been in his back pocket for decades.

“I brought the California cuisine to South Florida in the '80s. They’ve always been way ahead of Florida with organics and sustainable food. But recently a nice amount of local farms have popped up and produced incredible products. We’ve connected with those farms and those items will be appearing on your plate at Max’s Harvest,” Max said.

Those farms include Swank Farms Veggies & Greens, Green Cay Tomatoes, Heritage Hen Farm, Farmer Jay’s Organic Veggies, Palmetto Creek Farms Pork and Jackman Ranch Akaushi Beef.

“I’ve brought organic items into my kitchen everywhere I’ve worked. At Max’s Harvest we’re primarily sustainable. We cut out the middle man,” Miracolo said.

He also said he’ll be gearing his menu to Florida’s growing seasons. Nightly specials and an ever-changing menu will also highlight sustainable foods.

Max's Harvest Chef Chris Miracolo is working on a new menu that's primarily sustainable. Expect food from local farms on your fork at this new Pineapple Grove hotspot.

For more information on Max’s Harvest call 561-381-9970 or visit www.MaxsHarvest.com.
Max's Harvest is located at 169 NE Second Ave. in Delray Beach's Pineapple Grove Arts District.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | Share:

Jack Terban of Kings Point is all smiles after dropping off more than 20 expired and unwanted prescription pill capsules at the Delray Beach Police Department.

Jack and Molly Terban had unused and expired prescription pills piling up at their Kings Point home.

They didn't know where to bring those pills until three days ago.

"I wasn't going to flush them down the toilet and into the water supply," Jack Terban said.

So they piled all the expired prescriptions into a large brown paper bag and headed to the Delray Beach Police Department, 300 W. Atlantic Ave.

"I've been looking for a place to bring the pills... All that unwanted stuff in the medicine cabinet. I actually was talking to friends last week about how I had a nice collection of unused expired prescription pills. Until a few days ago, I didn't know where to bring them," Molly said.

Then, Molly said she picked up her Sunday edition of the Sun Sentinel and the information on where to bring the pills was right there. Other residents checking out the pill drop-off site said they'd heard the news on this morning's FOX 29 Morning News.

On Tuesday during lunch the Terbans headed over to the Delray Beach Police Department's first-floor lobby.

"Where do we drop the pills?" Jack Terban asked a Homefront Security volunteer working the lobby.

They were shown a brightly colored drop-off kiosk with information on pills that can be dropped off and what's prohibited, and with a banner across the machine that reads "Operation Pill Drop" and "Deposit Your Unwanted Prescription Drugs Here."

One-by-one Molly Terban dropped about 20 pill capsules with remaining expired medication or medication she'd been taken off of by her doctor, directly into the collection box.

Molly Terban loads the last of her unwanted prescription pill bottles at the Delray Beach Police Department's new pill drop-off kiosk.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | Share:

A driving course is available for seniors needing review and practice in driving safely across the roads of South Florida.

According to officials with the driving course, the focus of the course is maintaining a safe driver status.

According to Rima Savage, assistant to site director Risa Demato at the Weisman Delray Community Center located at 7091 W. Atlantic Ave., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, the Palm Beach Safety Council will host the Palm Beach County Mature Driving Course.

Cost is $10 for the six-hour course, which breaks mid-day for a one-hour lunch.

For more information or to enroll in the Palm Beach County Mature Driving Course hosted by the Palm Beach Safety Council, call 561-845-8233.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | Share: