The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Monday voted to recommend that the City Commission begin formal review of the 2025 update to the West Atlantic master plan — retitled the SET Transformation Plan — and to explore whether a Main Street program should be applied to West Atlantic.

Renee (CRA staff), presenting the update, said the amendment restores the SET Transformation name, updates demographic and economic data, refreshes maps and photos, and reorganizes action strategies gathered from four public meetings held in 2025. “We held four public meetings … we had almost over a 100 people at every single meeting,” Renee said, noting the community-led process and consultant work by BusinessFlare and Inspire Placemaking.

The recommendation advanced in substantial form, with the CRA agreeing to send the updated plan to the Planning & Zoning Board and City staff for technical review of code and ordinance references before City Commission consideration. Renee said the detailed implementation plan — including timelines and named parties — was moved out of the adoptable plan into a standalone working document so those operational details can be updated without amending the main plan.

Mayor (name on the record) raised governance concerns about a proposed community commercial land trust, saying, “forming of a community land trust … is gonna be a non starter,” because it could put control of West Atlantic in a non‑elected board. Renee responded during the meeting to clarify that the commercial land trust concept is intended as a community‑led entity and that CRA property would not be transferred into such a trust absent a separate, formal process: “Our land still remains ours,” she said, and the draft makes clear the trust would be a community initiative, not an immediate transfer of CRA property.

Commissioner Carney said he liked large portions of the update but remained concerned about elements that could create legal or governance issues and announced he would vote against recommending the draft in its current form. Commissioner Long, who noted it was his last CRA meeting, and other board members praised staff and community engagement and supported moving the update forward in substantial form. Commissioner Long said restoring the SET Transformation name was “absolutely critical.”

The motion to recommend adoption of the 2025 West Atlantic master plan update (SET Transformation Plan) and to explore the Main Street concept on West Atlantic passed by voice vote with four recorded yes votes and one no (Commissioner Carney). Following the vote, staff confirmed the plan will go to Planning & Zoning and then to the City Commission, tentatively in January or February for further review and possible adoption.

Public commenter Chuck Ridley commended staff and commissioners for the community engagement that shaped the draft plan, urging the CRA to provide resources for implementation. The CRA also removed two Arts Warehouse renovation items (agenda items 6a and 6b) from the meeting agenda for rescheduling.

The CRA closed the meeting with departing member remarks and a schedule of upcoming meetings; the board adjourned at the end of the session.