Planning & Zoning Board re-elects chair, approves reduced parking for Courtyard on Spanish River

The City of Boca Raton Planning & Zoning Board re-elected Chair Savelle during its April meeting and then approved a technical deviation to reduce required parking at the Courtyard on Spanish River.

Tori Boone, zoning manager, told the board the applicant seeks a deviation from section 28-16-55 of the city code to lower the parking requirement for the commercial property at 500 Northeast Spanish River Boulevard from 326 spaces to 226, citing an alternate parking study and current ITE parking rates. "The alternate parking study demonstrates that the code required parking exceeds the actual demand for both existing and anticipated uses," Boone said, and staff recommended approval with conditions.

Sarah Thompson, speaking for the applicant, said the owner has invested about $2.5 million in site improvements over the last four years and that on-site observations and ITE-based calculations — with a 15% buffer added — showed existing supply exceeds demand. She told board members the change is intended to attract restaurants and other tenants without requiring new site improvements.

Board members asked whether any physical spaces would be removed (the applicant said no) and whether the study accounted for full occupancy (the applicant and a board member confirmed the study demonstrated adequacy at 100% occupancy). With no public comment, a motion to approve the deviation passed on a 6–0 roll call.

The board briefly discussed the city’s overall parking code; staff said a consultant has prepared studies and that broader code updates remain on the work plan but have not been prioritized. The board’s recommendation records the parking deviation and associated conditions for consideration by council where required.