The proposal for the 682-acre Briger site comes from three allies: Palm Beach County, which is giving Scripps 70 acres; Scripps, which has final say over what those 70 acres should look like; and the Lester family, which owns the rest of the land and has agreed to dedicate 100 acres to biotechnology office and research space. The Lesters plan 2,700 homes, a 300-room hotel and a large retail center on the rest of the site.

The plans, drafted by Urban Design Kilday Studios in West Palm Beach, have drawn criticism. Jupiter dislikes the 450,000-square-foot retail center on Donald Ross Road, potential competition for nearby Abacoa Town Center, and tall buildings along the road near Interstate 95. Regional planning council staff members, meanwhile, paid little attention to Jupiter's objections when they drafted an alternative site layout that would compress the development onto about half the property. They propose an urban setting, while Urban Design's Ken Tuma insists that Scripps wants a suburban "college campus" layout. It all sounds faintly like the original debate over whether to put Scripps on the rural Mecca Farms or in the more developed Jupiter setting.

The 27-member council, made up of elected and appointed officials from Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, is likely to endorse the staff proposal. The ultimate decision, however, will be made by the Palm Beach Gardens City Council in November.

For now, it's important that the plan just keep moving. The hope is that discoveries at Scripps will lure private companies, which will bring high-paying jobs and spin-off firms, transforming the area economy. That dream depends on land near Scripps being available. Promises were made to Scripps and the Lesters, promises that enabled Palm Beach County to keep Scripps when that chaotic site scramble threatened the project. Those promises must be kept.