Delray's oceanfront becomes budget priority for officials

Delray Beach's downtown oceanfront is one of the main economic drivers in town.

The sandy shores attract nearly 2 million sunbathers, swimmers and snowbirds a year. Those folks pay to park along State Road A1A, eat in the waterfront restaurants and stay in the hotels.

Now, the city has agreed to open its wallet to help spruce up the amentities along the beach. Interim City Manager Terry Stewart said he will create a schedule to help plan for setting aside money for this upcoming fiscal year and years to come.

"It's the biggest resource in the city," said Commissioner Jordana Jarjura. "It's time we improve it."

The beach decision came late Tuesday when members from the Beach Property Owners Association updated commissioners on beach conditions. They said that the city has mostly left the upkeep of the beach to the beach property owners.

As the upcoming fiscal year's budget is scheduled for final approval on Sept. 16, association members told commissioners they need more financial help from the city to keep the public beach a popular hangout. It is unclear how much money the city will spend on beach improvements this year.

"We were given this golden goose," said Scott Porten, chairman of Delray's Chamber of Commerce. "We need to protect it. You can't build something and forget about it. It would be like not putting gas in your car."

The association knows how important of an asset the beach is to the city. The group created an overall vision for the beach and continuously raises money to keep it pretty.

Their fundraising efforts led to a $60,000 contribution toward a new beach pavilion this year, which replaced a dangerous, worn-out one.

They also announced they received a $40,000 grant to replace two aging gazebos. The group plans to apply for another $40,000 grant to pay for pergolas.

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Delray's oceanfront becomes budget priority for officials