UPDATE
WPTV continues to report on efforts to save a forest in Boynton Beach from becoming a housing development.
Relentless advocacy, both online and in person, appears to have made moves.
After WPTV's story on Tuesday, advocates packed the Boynton Beach city commission meeting to save the 15-acre forest along Nickel Boulevard.
Commissioners said they received hundreds of emails pushing back against the development, and some held themselves accountable saying they may have acted too hastily to sell the lot.
Not knowing the importance, the forest has on green space, the environment and endangered species that lives there, the city has suspended negotiations with the developer while they conduct an independent environmental impact study.
The city is also looking into the potential to turn the forest into a protected preserve, which would block future development.
Boynton Beach conservationists and concerned residents are rallying to save Nickel Forest, a lush expanse of greenery threatened by a potential sale to a private developer.
Read WPTV's previous story below:
Members of the Save Boynton Forest group have been actively attending meetings before Palm Beach County commissioners and Boynton Beach commissioners on Tuesday wearing green and white urging for the protection of their local environment.
Right now plans are in motion to transform the 15-acre forest into single-family homes, prompting community members and local leaders to speak out against the development.
WATCH BELOW: 'Stand up for the rights of Boynton Beach to have a green space,' Michael Corcoran says
Nickel Forest is located on Palm Beach County property but is owned by the city of Boynton Beach.
“Stand up for the rights of the animals, stand up for the rights of the woods, stand up for the rights of Boynton Beach to have a green space,” said Michael Corcoran, a resident living just 50 feet from the forest.
Laura Milligan, a Boynton Beach resident, emphasized the necessity of conserving the forest.
“The government needs to be protecting our protected wildlife... not have them destroyed," she said. "This is a forest that's healthy and thriving with protected animals.”
Currently, the city of Boynton Beach is considering a $5 million offer for the land from a private developer—a sale that worries many residents. In a prior statement, city officials noted that the site is, in their view, "basically unused" and asserted that the city would be “financially remiss” in not considering such a lucrative offer for the benefit of its taxpayers.
Protecting Paradise
Residents push back against losing this forest to development
Corcoran succinctly expressed the community’s concerns.
"Boynton Beach is supposed to be a green city and now you're cutting this down," he said. "We don't need any more concrete; we don't need any more blacktop.”
To bring attention to their cause, local activists held a forest cleanup event over the weekend, which was attended by Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss. He indicated that while the land was transferred from the county to the city in 1961, numerous records regarding the transfer are not readily available.
Recently, Weiss reached out to the city's mayor, requesting a pause in the sale process to explore any potential restrictions associated with the land.
Weiss has requested that Mayor Rebecca Shelton consider delaying the sale while reviewing the property's chain of ownership and searching for any restrictive covenants.
"The last thing you would want to have happen is for the city to move forward with some kind of transfer or sale of the property and then find out there were restrictions that would require that the deal be unwound," Weiss advised.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Neighbors fight to preserve land
The company informed WPTV that environmental impact studies would be conducted and mentioned that wildlife, such as gopher tortoises, would be relocated.
However, the Save Boynton Forest group contends that such actions could still harm local ecosystems.
Many attendees of the recent cleanup have fought to save the forest five years ago and are now advocating for the property to be re-deeded to the county. This measure aims to transform Nickel Forest into a nature preserve, thus shielding it from future development.
"Once construction happens, you can't get it back," Milligan warned.
Weiss mentioned that the city could opt to return the land to the County through a series of hearings. For the area to become a preserve, it must go before city or county leaders for a vote.
In response to inquiries, city of Boynton Beach officials confirmed that the offer to purchase the property remains on the table. They also noted that no environmental impact studies have been conducted or scheduled to date.
For those looking to support the efforts to save Nickel Forest, the Save Boynton Forest group has launched an online petition inviting community members to make their voices heard.
