The ban on feeding iguanas, pigeons, rats and mice, with a $100 fine, lasted seven weeks. The council also approved an eight-story club and 97 apartments.

Boca Raton has repealed its ban on feeding iguanas, pigeons, rats and mice, seven weeks after the City Council adopted it.

The council approved the repeal, Ordinance 5809, at its Oct. 13 meeting, according to the city’s Boca Brief recap. Council members raised concerns about whether the ban could be enforced and whether it dealt with a citywide problem, the recap said.

How the ban came and went

The council adopted the ban, Ordinance 5792, by a 3-2 vote on Aug. 25, according to a Sept. 15 memo from City Manager Mark Sohaney. It added a section to the city code titled “Feeding of Certain Nuisance Animals Prohibited.” A separate resolution set a minimum fine of $100.

Council member Stacy Sipple voted for the ban in August. She then asked the council to reconsider. She told the city that, based on what she learned after the vote, she would vote differently if it came up again, the memo said.

One piece is still to come. The $100 fine sits in the city’s schedule of civil penalties. Removing that violation from the schedule is on the consent agenda for the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 27, meeting.

Also decided Oct. 13

The council and the Community Redevelopment Agency board, which the council members also sit on, approved two eight-story buildings, according to the recap and the city staff presentations.

The Sanborn, 100 NE First Ave. The CRA approved an eight-story private club of about 54,681 square feet downtown, a short walk from Sanborn Square. The staff presentation said the plan includes:

  • a two-level, fully automated underground valet garage
  • 183 parking spaces, 85 on site and 98 off site
  • a rooftop deck and bar
  • a wider sidewalk, new street trees and a reworked on-street parking layout on Northeast First Avenue and East Boca Raton Road

It replaces a two-story building from 1948. The Community Appearance Board and the Planning and Zoning Board both recommended approval 5-0.

Park Tower at Broken Sound, 1075 and 1095 NW Broken Sound Parkway. The council approved an eight-story apartment building with 97 units, 10 of them affordable, in place of a one-story light industrial building. The staff presentation said it also includes a two-level parking garage, a separate 2,100-square-foot store or restaurant building and an 8-foot shared-use path. Both advisory boards recommended approval 5-0.

Seat C stays empty. Council member Yvette Drucker’s resignation takes effect Nov. 10. The council agreed not to appoint anyone to fill her seat for now, the recap said. The seat will be vacant until the winner of the March 9, 2027, election takes office, unless the council revisits the question. The term ends March 30, 2027, according to a city manager memo.

The council also moved toward a March vote on a $125 million police headquarters bond. We cover that in a separate story.

What it means for you

  • Feeding wildlife: the city ban on feeding iguanas, pigeons, rats and mice is repealed. Removing its $100 minimum fine from the penalty schedule is up for a vote Tuesday.
  • Downtown: expect construction at Northeast First Avenue and East Boca Raton Road once The Sanborn gets its building permits. The city has not published a start date. Our road closures page lists current downtown work.
  • Council meeting: the next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6500 N. Congress Ave. Our City Hall contacts page lists how to reach the council.