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CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS
PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
CONTINUED MEETING OF OCTOBER 23, 2001
October 29, 2001
MINUTES
On October 29, 2001 the Continued Meeting of October 23, 2001 of the Planning and Zoning
Commission of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order by Chair Dennis Solomon
at 6:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm
Beach Gardens, Florida, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
REPORT BY GROWTH MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
There was no report by the Growth Management Director
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Kunkle made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 17, 2001 meeting as submitted. Mr.
Ansay seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous 7 -0 vote.
• ROLL CALL
Betty Laur, Secretary for the meeting, called the roll.
Present
Dennis Solomon, Chairman
Craig Kunkle, Jr., Vice Chairman
Chairman Pro Tern Barry Present
Dick Ansay
Joel Channing
John Glidden
Steven Tarr
Absent
Alternate Ernest Volonte
Alternate David Kendall
Also present were Growth Management Director Charles Wu, Principal Planner Steve Cramer, Planner
John Lindgren, and City Attorney Len Rubin.
Recommendation to City Council
Petition SP- 01 -29: PGA National Montessori School Phase 2
A request by Alan Strassler, agent for Mary C. Sandrini, owner of the PGA Montessori School, for
approval of a site plan amendment to allow for the construction of a new 3,233 square foot building,
adjacent to the existing 4,932 square foot building. The 1.51 -acre site is located at 353 Hiatt Drive,
within the PGA National Commerce Park, approximately 114 mile west of the intersection of Northlake
Boulevard and Florida's Turnpike. (15- 42S -42E)
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Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
October 29, 2001
Planner John Lindgren presented the project and clarified that this petition was presented for approval
rather than for recommendation to City Council.
Architect Alan Strassler explained that this building was a mirror image of the original building but had
been scaled back from the originally approved building. Mr. Glidden asked questions concerning the
roof and whether a covered drop -area would be needed. Mr. Strassler explained that the current drop
off procedure worked well so the need for a covered area was not anticipated. Mr. Glidden requested
a condition of approval for a sidewalk connection from the front into the buildings. The architect
clarified that the same roof tiles and exterior colors as on the existing building would be used.
Mr. Glidden made a motion to approve Petition SP -01 -29 with the following conditions:
1. Prior to issuance of the building permit, the applicant shall either provide staff with
documentation required by Section 78 -592, metes and bounds subdivision, to be reviewed
• and approved by the City Engineer and Growth Management Director, or re -plat Lot 3 in
accordance with Section 78 -446 of the Land Development Regulations.
2. A 5' sidewalk shall be incorporated into the plan to connect the sidewalk along Hiatt Drive
to the front of the building.
Mr. Ansay seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous 7 -0 vote.
Preliminary Workshop
The Borland Center /Palm Beach Community Church
A request by Cotleur Hearing for a preliminary review of The Bruce E. Borland Center for
Community Enrichment /Palm Beach Community Church; a mixed use development including a
performing arts center, restaurants, residential, commercial and offices, located on the north side of
PGA Boulevard, east of Shady Lakes Drive. (2- 42S -42E)
Growth Management Director Wu introduced the project, and explained this was not a public hearing
but residents could be allowed to speak at the Chairman's discretion.
Ray Royce, attorney for the applicant Palm Beach Community Church, announced this would be an
informational presentation and that the project would be very high quality, and an asset to the
• community since the church had decided to build not only a meeting place for the church but a
community center to serve social, civic, and entertainment needs of the community. Mr. Royce
indicated that the developer had held charrettes and meetings with the neighbors.
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Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
October 29, 2001
Casey Cummings, Principal, Ram Development, presented his concept for the development, explained
that their work on the Martin Downs project had taught them the value of working with the residents,
expressed his excitement with this project, and presented examples of other projects, including past
projects and projects currently in development. Mr. Cummings noted that his company was pleased to
work with the Borland Center, a non - profit entity, and that they were committed to continuing to address
the residents' concerns.
Hank Gonzales, President of Borland Center and former Project Manager for Kravis Center, indicated
he was pleased with the concept of a church/community gathering place, which would provide a place
for the cultural and performing arts. It was announced that funding for the first phase of the project was
in place. Mr. Gonzales explained that The Borland Center would serve as a bridge between the church
and the community, and had been created to enrich the lives of the citizens by establishing a culturally
relevant community gathering place anchored in Judeo Christian values where the performing arts and
other events could be held. Community events that could be held at the center would include high school
graduations, cultural festivals, etc. Training and education for arts, and values and ethics training could
also be held. The project was envisioned to be able to accommodate cultural and arts events, and to
• provide facilities to present a Broadway musical.
Donaldson Hearing presented the project location, size, and zoning, described The Borland Center, and
the purpose and intent of the mixed use. Mr. Hearing presented the master plan. The site plan was based
on a main street concept. Mr. Hearing described highlights of the PGA Overlay guidelines that this
project must meet. Parking fields had been strategically located throughout the site to provide safe,
accessible parking and a parking garage was centrally located. Mr.. Hearing described changes which
had been made since the original site plan was presented two years ago. Mr. Hearing noted that concerns
of adjacent residents had been addressed.
Ed LeBlanc, Architect, explained that the architecture had been influenced by a neo- traditional main
street concept. The architect reviewed the site plan and described the retail buildings D, E, and F
fronting on PGA Boulevard and on Main Street; mixed use buildings G, H, P, O, N, and residential
buildings Rl and R2. The main theater elevations were reviewed. The architect requested feedback
from the Commission.
Kayhart Pinder, Traffic Consultant, described traffic concepts and reported that traffic concurrency had
been received from Palm Beach County and from the City of Palm Beach Gardens. Mr. Pinder indicated
that the next step would be to look at management of traffic circulation on the site and adjacent to the
site. Traffic impacts on weekdays, weekends, and on Sunday would be studied. Traffic management
goals described included safety, minimization of impact on the community, and simplified and efficient
access for patrons of the project.
Paul Araback, representative of Gardens of Woodbury to the PGA Corridor Coalition, spoke on behalf
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Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
October 29, 2001
of the Coalition, which included fourteen communities and organizations representing 9.904 residences.
174 people were present tonight. It was explained that the mission of the Coalition was to insure that
the quality of life of the residents along PGA Boulevard would be preserved and protected in the process
of general development of the area, and their goal was to work with the Borland Center and
governmental entities. Concerns were expressed regarding the overall intensity and impact on adjacent
residents, noise, night life, and environmental and traffic impacts. It was requested that in the future the
Coalition be given the opportunity to participate, to enter items into the record and to make oral
presentations to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mr. Araback stated that development and
growth should not be at the expense of the lifestyle of existing residents, and asked the City to help make
this project responsive to needs of the residents. At Mr. Araback's request, a letter dated October 12,
2001 from Mr. DeFrancesco to Mr. Wu which included a position paper from the PGA Corridor
Residents Coalition was made a part of and appended to the minutes of this meeting.
Mr. Kunkle expressed his opinion that there needed to be more to distinguish this project from the
adjacent shopping center. At Mr. Charming's request, Mr. Hearing explained how the project was mixed
use through a combination of segregated and integrated uses, and that the auditorium was permitted as
a conditional use. Mr. Channing expressed his opinion that the architecture needed to be better
integrated and of much better quality. Mr. Glidden requested that the applicant hold traffic discussions
with the residents before the next presentation to this Commission. Mr. Glidden indicated he liked the
very low lot coverage but recommended that the FAR calculations be reported as blended FAR. Mr.
Glidden discussed the proposed 5 -story residential buildings and advised that this Commission had
previously set a 4 -story limit; however, he had no problems with these buildings being five stories
because of their location. Mr. Glidden indicated the theater had promise but needed a lot of work. Mr.
Glidden's traffic concerns included how to get a large amount of people out onto I -95 during peak
periods and expressed his opinion that a traffic light was essential at Shady Lakes Drive. Mr. Glidden
indicated strong concern that the opportunity to create a real pedestrian connection with PGA Boulevard
was not sufficient and suggested clustering more retail buildings fronting on PGA Boulevard. Mr.
Glidden requested 3 -D architectural studies and reviewed buildings which he felt needed articulation.
Mr. Glidden expressed traffic circulation concerns and requested better presentation to the Commission.
Mr. Glidden suggested traffic might be allowed to exit through Garden Lakes Drive. Mr. Present
commented traffic was his main issue —that the road to the east between the project and Garden Square
Shoppes was just an alley, and that Shady Lakes Drive would fill up quickly. Mr. Present requested the
applicant present a better understanding of traffic, traffic lights and their effect, and stacking lanes. Mr.
Tarr indicated the applicant must balance property rights against what the City wanted, and he had a
problem with conditional uses and waivers. Mr. Tarr expressed his opinion the residential buildings'
architecture needed to be sharpened, and although he liked the project a lot, he would not want to live
next to a stadium, he had thought this would be more of a large church, and did not want to see another
Kravis center at this location. Mr. Tarr indicated he was not in favor of a center this big at this location.
Mr. Tarr also commented he could not approve five story residential buildings, and it was his opinion
that buildings west of Military Trail should stay at two stories. Mr. Tarr questioned the major variances.
Mr. Hearing responded the theater was a permitted use, and that the majority of waivers would be for
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Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
October 29, 2001
landscaping, parking, etc., and he did not expect a large number of waivers to be requested. Mr. Tarr
indicated he would like to see more open space and green within the project. Mr. Tarr summarized this
was a great project but he felt it should be scaled down for this site. Mr. Glidden requested the audience
limit their clapping. Chair Solomon indicated he was interested in the plan for future ownership of the
land and whether there would be a boundary plat or replatting of each parcel. Mr. Solomon asked if the
entire project was non - profit, to which Mr. Hearing responded that the Borland Center was a 501C3
corporation, but the rest of the project would provide $50 million to the City's tax rolls. Chair Solomon
expressed his opinion it was a good idea to meet with the residents, that he liked the site plan better than
the architecture, that he was concerned about two openings onto Shady Lakes Drive and some traffic
exiting could go north of Garden Square Shoppes, that traffic would be a very important issue, that he
agreed with Mr. Glidden's comments, that he was concerned with building height over four stories, and
that more spaces for people to gather were needed. Mr. Solomon requested staff provide heights of other
buildings for the next presentation. Mr. Pinder indicated he would study the access points. Chair
Solomon requested study regarding a traffic light. Mr. Ansay requested the applicant show a view of
the visibility of the theater from PGA Boulevard and move it closer to PGA Boulevard. Mr. Ansay
commented traffic would be a challenge in a project this large; expressed his opinion that buildings
should not be over four stories, that he was in favor of parking in the southeast corner, and breaking up
parking so it would not be so prominent along PGA Boulevard. Mr. Ansay requested the petitioner work
with everyone to minimize the impact. Mr. Glidden requested the petitioner meet with residents to
present a traffic management plan before returning to the Commission. The Board indicated they would
prefer a special meeting for the next presentation of this project.
OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business to come before the Commission.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Glidden suggested an earlier starting time for the meetings of the Commission. It was decided to
begin future meetings at 6:00 p.m.
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Planning & Zoning Commission Minutes
October 29, 2001
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. The next regular meeting will
be held November 13, 2001.
APPROVED:
/ J
G
Dennis Solomoff,,C4air
Dick Ansay
Alternate Ernest Volonte
Alternate David Kendall
Betty Lair, Secretary for the Meeting
D
Wobfer 12, 2001
Palm Beach Gardens
Growth Management
10500 N. Military Trail
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
attn: Charles Wu, AICP, Growth Management Director, Staff Liaison
Subject- Consideration by Planning & Zoning Commission of Borland Center proposal--,,. PGA Corridor
Residents Coalition interest, therein
Dear Mr. Wu:
The PGA Corridor Residents Coalition has been advised of an upcoming meeting of the Planning &
Zoning Commission on October 23, in regards to the Borland Center,
The PGA Corridor Residents Coalition has drafted a position paper (copy attached). that we
respectfully request be added to the Borland Center work package that will be given to Planning &
Zoning Commission members.
On behalf of the PGA Corridor Residents Coalition.. 1 would like to thank you for your co-operation in
this very important matter.
0
Respectfully,
PGA Corridor Residents Coalition
02
Vito DeFrancesco, President
CA
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CITY OF PALM RCACN -7
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PLAN[VIIVG & ZONING DEPT,
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PGA CORRIDOR RESIDENTS COALITION
Mission: To ensure that the quality of life of the residents in communities along the PGA
Boulevard Corridor is preserved and protected from any adverse impact in the process of
general development of the area
October 12, 2001
City of Palm Beach Gardens
Planning and Zoning Commission
14500 N. Military Trail
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
attn: Charles Wu, AICP, Growth Management Director, Staff Liaison
Subject: Consideration by Planning & Zoning Commission of Borland Center proposals, PGA
Corridor Residents Coalition interest therein
Dear Mr= Wu:
The purpose of this letter is to inform the Planning: and Zoning Commission members and Staff
Liaisons of the interest of the PGA Corridor Residents Coalition in the matter of consideration
by the Planning and Zoning Commission related to any development proposals made by the
Borland Center.
The PGA Corridor Residents Coalition, established in March, 2401, is comprised of the
+numerous communities along the PGA Corridor, presently including the following
0 communities /organizations: PGA National POA, Ballenlsles, Bent Tree HOA, Shady Lakes HOA,
Carden Lakes HOA, Garden Isles HOA, Oaks East HOA, Tamborlane Condo Association, Inc.,
Woodland Lakes Condo and HOA, Sun Terrace at the Oaks, Gardens of Woodbury, Westwood
Gardens and Lakes HOA, Community Awareness network (PGA National), villa D`Este (PGA
National). Representing 9904 Palm Beach Gardens residences, the stated mission of the
Coalition is to ensure that the quality of life of the residents in communities along the PGA
Boulevard corridor is preserved and protected from any adverse impact in the process of
general development of the area.
In this regard, our present primary goal is to work with the Palm Beach Community
Chtirch /Borland Center, State, Regional, County, and Local entities, to arrive at a development
of the Borland Center properly, which is acceptable to all parties concerned.
Coalition members have _participated in several_ Borland Center ,sponsored_ pla- mind charettes,
conducted meetings and discussions with City and County officials to review the concept of the
projects it has been represented to date by the Lzorlarrd Center and its possible implications
for the City and beyond. During the process of traffic concurrency review, the Coalition
carefully analyzed the traffic impact documentation prepared by the Borland Center and
submitted its own analysis document for the consideration of those examining. the matter.
In the concepts far -development represented to date by the Borland Center, the Coalition has
Obeen concerned by the concepts` overall intensity,_ and impact on the character of what are
currently predominantly residential areas adjacent to the property involved, as well as
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PGA CORRIDOR RESIDENTS COAUTtON
Mission: To ensure that the quality of life of the residents in communities along the PGA
Boulevard Corridor is preserved and protected from any adverse impact in the process of
general development of the area
concerns regarding_ noise, night lighting€ general area congestion, and particularly impact on
traffic. For example, in this latter _regard, it is our interpretation that the traffic concurrency
recently granted to the Borland Center, virtually precludes any further development which
would add traffic on PGA Boulevard unless the CRALLS designation is implemented, which
would have its -own serious rarnifications.
We strongly consider that the residents represented by our organization have a significant
stake in the project to be proposed and in what is ultimately built on the, property concerned,
as in fact we believe do all the residents of our City. We therefore respectfully request that as
the process of the Manning. and Zoning Commission goes forward as regards this proled, that
all available and appropriate opportunity be granted to the PGA Corridor Residents Coalition to
enter into the record and submit for consideration re po. _s of expert opinion~ position papers,
and other communications, both oral and written related to any proposals made by the
Berland Center to the Commission.
In closing, we would like to cite an excerpt from a recent Weekday article written by Harry
Merman, Mr. Merman writpc- "~Development and growth is great ... but not at the expense of
the existing residents...and cerrainiv not at the cost of the existing lifestyle of its residents,,'
The Coalition trusts that the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, all
distinguished for their expertise, experience, and service to this community, concur with the
general sentiment expressed in the weekday article, and are governed in their deliberations of
any newly proposed development project by this logical imperative.
We loop forward to working with all entities to accomplish the goal stated previously in this
letter, that of basically ensuring that the proposed protect becomes a neighbor we can all live
with - together we hope to {Hake this development resnnnsive to the needs of all residents and
the City of Palm Beach Gardens.
Restfully,
t
�PGA Corridor Residents Coalition
Vito DeFran`esco: President
cc� Dennis Salomon, Chairman
Craig Kunkle, Vice Chair
Harry Present, Chair Pro Tem
Dick Ansay, Member
,noel Channing, Member
John Glidden, Member
David Kendall, Alternate
Steven Tarr, Member
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