JUPITER, Fla. — A decade-long dispute over a 10-acre waterfront parcel in Jupiter has taken a new turn, with a mediated settlement agreement between the town and the developer now in doubt — and environmentalists watching closely.
The property, located off A1A, was once home to the Suni Sands mobile home park. Developer Charles Modica purchased it for about $16 million in 2016. Plans for development stalled after the discovery of Native American archaeological sites on the land.
In January, the developer and the town reached an agreement allowing development on about 4.5 acres of the 10-acre site, with the town purchasing just over an acre of the waterfront.
Now, the town attorney has told the town council that the developer is asking for restrictions on the town's adjoining future park land.
"Limit the activities that could occur in the park, limit the hours of the park," town attorney Thomas Baird said.
Members of the Jupiter Inlet Foundation say they are concerned a larger marina would replace a decaying dock along the Jupiter Inlet — and that the project could threaten protected resources nearby.
"The applicant's proposal is completely contrary to all of the steps that have been taken to protect this area," Jupiter Inlet Foundation Vice President Cheryl Schneider said.
Foundation member and former town council member Cameron May pointed to a buoy marking an important food source for manatees in the area.
"It's Johnson seagrass. It's an endangered, threatened seagrass and it's an important source of food for manatees in the area," May said.
The attorney for the developer told me his client is fully compliant with the terms of the mediated settlement agreement and that suggesting otherwise is not accurate. When asked about concerns over the marina, the attorney said the project — which could also include a hotel, apartments, and retail — would bring substantial improvements to the environment. He said he is confident the developer, as well as the town, will be pleased with how the development addresses the environment offshore.
Schneider remains skeptical.
"So we're very concerned that the town may be pressured by the applicant to rush this through," Schneider said.
The mediated settlement agreement expires at the end of the year.
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