Eco-buyout option for Boca projects

The Boca Raton City Council passed a law allowing developers with more than five acres to build on environmentally sensitive land upon payment of extra fees. Previously, only builders with less than five acres were given the green light after a permitting process. Now, the size of the property doesn’t matter, meaning bigger developments could opt out of preservation if certain criteria are met. In the past two years, the city has tried to figure out how to handle small parcels of environmentally sensitive lands, such as scrub areas that must be maintained through burning.