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HomeMy Public PortalAbout05 28 2020 MeetingMINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING HELD BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW AND PLANNING BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GULF STREAM, FLORIDA ON THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 AT 8:30 A.M., IN THE WILLIAM F. KOCH, JR. COMMISSION CHAMBERS OF THE TOWN HALL, 100 SEA ROAD, GULF STREAM, FLORIDA. NOTE: THERE WAS LIMITED PUBLIC ACCESS TO TOWN HALL. THIS TOWN COMMISSION MEETING WAS ABLE TO BE ACCESSED ONLINE, INCLUDING ALLOWING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Smith called the meeting to order at 8:30 A.M. II. ROLL CALL Present and Participating Also Present & Participating: Thomas Smith Malcolm Murphy Robert Dockerty Curtiss Roach Jorgette Smith Amanda Jones Gregory Dunham Edward Nazzaro Rita Taylor Chairman Vice Chairman Board Member Board Member Board Member Alternate Board Member Town Manager Staff Attorney Town Clerk III. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING 03-26-2020 Vice Chairman Murphy moved, and Board Member Roach seconded the motion to approve the minutes of March 26, 2020 and all voted AYE at roll call. IV. ADDITIONS, WITHDRAWALS, DEFERRALS, ARRANGEMENT OF AGENDA ITEMS There were none. V. ANNOUNCEMENTS A. Meeting Dates 1. Regular Meeting & Public Hearing a. May 28, 2020 at 8:30 A.M. b. June 25, 2020 at 8:30 A.M. c. July 23, 2020 at 8:30 A.M. d. No August Meeting VI. PUBLIC HEARING A. Declaration of Ex -Parte Communication There was none. B. Administer Oaths Due to the nature of the virtual meeting, Town Clerk Taylor swore in individuals at each application instead of all at once at the beginning of the meeting. C. Applications for Development Approval 1. 3377 N. Ocean Blvd. a. Declaration of Ex -Parte Communication There was none. Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. b. Administer Oaths Town Clerk Taylor swore in Mark Marsh and Keith Williams. C. An application submitted by Mark Marsh, Bridges, Marsh & Assoc., as Agent for East Bluff Trust, the owner of property located at 3377 N. Ocean Blvd., Gulf Stream, Florida, which is legally described in metes & bounds, portions of Lots 5 and 6 of Gulfstream Ocean Tracts. (1) LEVEL 2 ARCHITECTURAL/SITE PLAN REVIEW for improvements to hardscape structures (gates, walls, trellises, walkways, etc.) & landscape improvements. Mark Marsh, Architect for the project, stated the plans had changed since the previous approval a year ago and that Keith Williams would be presenting. Mr. Marsh pointed out there was a new entry gate, some privacy gates, a new ramp that was added by the client, some modifications to privacy and retaining walls and a relocated beach access to the ocean. Keith Williams, with Nievera Williams Design, stated they had made some adjustments and modifications to the overall plan, hardscaping and planting. Mr. Williams stated the overall design was pretty much the same as was presented a year ago, but they had some communication with neighbors to the south and increased landscaping and buffering to about 16' overall, and that was from four to five feet higher than the original. He added they had increased the wall to eight -foot -high, and for retaining purposes the wall extends further east than what was allowed due to some miscalculation. He said that wall had been removed and they were now conforming. Mr. Williams stated there were some changes on the west that had originally been mostly grass but now consisted of a limestone walkway that slowly ramps up around a planter wall. He added there is a long, linear lap pool with an overflow that drops down to the lower elevation of the west end. He added there were five gate locations. Mr. Williams stated the walkway design was essentially the same except for the fountain, which was modified to run right up into the walkway with stones that appear to be floating in the water and they extended the walkway slightly east because of the outdoor grill. Mr. Williams pointed out they had discussions with the neighbors regarding screening so they were proposing at the southeast corner of the building a large sea grape tree about 20' tall, then more sea grapes about 16' high and then sloping down to 101, then eight feet and engaging into the existing vegetation, which is anywhere from four to five feet high. Chairman Smith asked if those trees were there now, to which Mr. Williams answered in the negative. Mr. Williams then showed slides of the different gates. Board Member Dockerty asked if the neighbors had weighed in on this. At this point, Mr. Mark Pickard, a neighbor to the south, was sworn in by Town Clerk Taylor. Mr. Pickard thanked Town Clerk Taylor for her professionalism and responsiveness over the last few months and added that she was a fountain of knowledge and a real gem to have in the Town. Mr. Pickard stated he and his team had been on the phone with her 2 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. quite a bit and she and her team had helped see things through and made this a much easier process. He stated that screening between their homes remained an issue and there were areas where they would prefer higher screenings, specifically in the area where there are eight and ten footers, but he appreciated the efforts that had been done thus far. Mr. Pickard requested that the heights don't come down from the proposed heights and they preferred to see them flourish and grow. He added that they hoped the plantings would take place sooner than later, at least along the border, so they could enjoy the screening, as there is nothing there right now. Chairman Smith asked if the new heights discussed earlier were acceptable to which Mr. Pickard stated that higher would have been better, but they were fine with the 16' as long as their privacy was protected. He added they had confidence that Bess and her team were going to live up to her stated objective of making it as lush, thick and bountiful as it was previously. Vice Chairman Murphy made a motion to recommend approval of a Level II Architectural/Site Plan based on a finding that the improvements to hardscape structures (gates, walls, trellises, walkways, etc.) and landscape improvements meet the minimum intent of the Design Manual and applicable review standards with the following conditions: 1. Any minor modifications in the approved landscaping shall be submitted to the Town Manager for review and approval and any major modification shall be brought back to the ARPB for review and approval, prior to commencement of landscaping. Board Member Roach seconded the motion and all voted AYE at roll call. 2. 2943 Polo Drive a. Declaration of Ex -Parte Communication There was none. b. Administer Oaths Town Clerk Taylor swore in Richard Jones and Dave Bodker. C. An application submitted by Seaside Builders as agent for 2943 Polo LLC, the owner of property located at 2943 Polo Drive, Gulf Stream, Florida, which is legally described as Lot 13, Plat of Gulfstream Properties. (1) DEMOLITION PERMIT to demolish existing buildings. (2) LAND CLEARING PERMIT to clear area for new construction. (3) LEVEL 3 ARCHITECTURAL/SITE PLAN REVIEW to construct a one-story, single family, Gulf Stream Bermuda style, 4,314 sq. ft. dwelling with 2 one car garages, 300 sq. ft. guest cottage and swimming pool. Mr. Richard Jones, of Richard Jones Architecture, began the presentation by showing some photos of the current property and stated that a one-story Bermuda style home, 5,240 square feet total gross with a two -car garage is what is being proposed. Access is provided through a 3 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. circular driveway and features a swimming pool at the rear of the property, with a detached guest cottage and an entry courtyard, he added. Mr. Jones stated they have increased setbacks on both the front and rear of the property, are under the maximum height and over the landscape barrier required by 50. The guest cottage is self-sufficient with its own bathroom and is connected via an open-air arbor and has an outdoor summer kitchen, he added. Vice Chairman Murphy asked what color the roof tile was going to be, and Mr. Jones answered it would be a gray tile roof. Board Member Roach asked what the height of the roof was on the guest cottage to which Mr. Jones answered it was about 16.51, with the eave height at 10.61. Board Member Jones asked what the shutter colors were going to be to which Mr. Jones answered they were Benjamin Moore Historic Color 115, Georgian Green. Chairman Smith asked if the tile color was one previously approved by the Town, to which it was answered in the affirmative. Board Member Dockerty loved that it was a one-story home and thought it looked fantastic. Chairman Smith asked if they could get a color sample to Town Clerk Taylor before it goes onto the house. Town Manager Dunham stated that green was an acceptable color, but the Town typically liked to go with a darker shade. Mr. Jones agreed to bring a sample in and stated if they needed to go darker, they could go down to the next color on the historic palette. Mr. Dave Bodker, landscape architect, explained the landscaping, in great detail, that would be put on the property and the vegetation that would be kept and some relocated. He added that the property is going to be raised about two feet with a retaining wall, so the five- foot hedge will essentially be a seven -foot -high hedge. Town Manager Dunham brought the tree disposition list to the board's attention and asked Mr. Bodker to go through the tree removals. Mr. Bodker stated that most of the trees being removed were along the north side in the rear of the property and most were palm trees, a small guava tree on the north side. He added that the ones being removed from the sides were because they were too close to the construction of the new house. Board Member Smith asked about the raising of the property two feet and asked him to expound. Mr. Dockerty stated there would be a low, segmented block, retaining wall on either side of the property that has a finished side facing the adjacent properties. Chairman Smith asked if any of the neighbors had issues. Mr. Bodker noted that Mr. Lyons had gone through the plans and was concerned about how much light would be lost, so they proposed a clusia hedge instead of fishtail palms rather than put such a high barrier on either side. No other comments from any neighbors. Board Member Dockerty made a motion to recommend the approval of a land clearing permit to clear the land for construction, noting that the landscape architect has provided a tree disposition list on page L-1 of the set of plans. Board Member Roach seconded the motion and all voted AYE at roll call, minus Vice Chairman Murphy who was having internet issues and was not present at the time of voting. Board Member Dockerty made a motion to recommend the approval of a demolition permit to demolish all structures on the site. Board 4 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. Member Roach seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call, minus Vice Chairman Murphy who was having internet issues and was not present at the time of voting. Board Member Dockerty made a motion to recommend the approval of a Level III Architectural/Site Plan based on a finding that the construction of a one-story 5,240 sq.ft. single-family Gulf Stream Bermuda style home with two (2), one (1) car attached garages, a swimming pool and 300 sq. ft. guest cottage meets the minimum intent of the Design Manual and applicable review standards with the following conditions: 1. Prior to the issuance of a Building Permit, the owner of the property shall prepare and sign a Gulf Stream Driveway Removal Agreement. 2. Any minor modifications in the approved landscaping shall be submitted to the Town Manager for review and approval and any major modification shall be brought back to the ARPB for review and approval, prior to commencement of landscaping. 3. The chip color for the shutters needs to be approved by the Town Staff or brought back to the ARPB Board, if necessary. Board Member Roach seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call, minus Vice Chairman Murphy who was having internet issues and was not present at the time of voting. Assistant Town Clerk Basel stated that Vice Chairman Murphy had called in to say that wi-fi was down at his house and asked that we have Alternate Board Member Jones sit in for the remainder of the meeting in his stead. 3. 2775 Ave. Au Soleil a. Declaration of Ex -Parte Communication There was none. b. Administer Oaths Town Clerk Taylor swore in Mr. Chester Snavely, Jr. c. Application submitted by Chester C. Snavely, Jr. & Therese P. Snavely, owners and agent of property located at 2775 Ave. Au Soleil, Gulf Stream, Florida, legally described as Parcel 1, Lot 93 and Parcel 2, 1101x70' described in metes & bounds, both located in Place Au Soleil Subdivision. (1) LAND CLEARING PERMIT to demolish all buildings and pavement on the property and remove non- native and diseased trees. (2) LEVEL 3 ARCHITECTURAL/SITE PLAN REVIEW to demolish all buildings and pavement on the property, remove some non-native trees and plants, grade, irrigate, sod and seed property. Mr. Chester Snavely Jr. explained that the property had become very run down and the house had been in disrepair for at least ten years or more. He added that the lot was under agreement to the next-door neighbor to combine the lots and put a substantially larger house than 5 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. what he has now. Mr. Snavely went on to explain when that contract didn't materialize, executors of the Lavoi Estate asked the Town to remove the demolition requirement so they could more easily market the property and when he found that out he was concerned because the house needed to come down and he didn't want to see someone come in and just put a band-aid on the house and flip it. Mr. Snavely said he was concerned for the neighborhood, so he bought the house and his intent was to remove the house, the foundations, the floor slab and sod the area. He added he was going to temporarily install a sprinkler system to sprinkle the lot and that the only tree worth saving was a large mango tree at the rear of the property and all others were diseased and overgrown. Mr. Snavely will be leaving the clusia hedge and the overgrown ficus plantings, which he will trim down and get back to a healthy condition. Chairman Smith stated that with the removal of all the trees, it will just be a big open space with no trees other than the borders and asked if Mr. Snavely was going to irrigate the property. Mr. Snavely stated he was not going to irrigate. He said he was going to sod where the house was being removed and sprinkle the remaining and they would keep it mowed and maintained. Chairman Smith asked if his long-term idea was to market the property in the future to which Mr. Snavely said he wasn't in any hurry and that was not his intent at this time. Assistant Town Clerk stated that Vice Chairman Murphy wanted it put on the record how very appreciative of everything Mr. Snavely has done for the neighborhood and Town. Chairman Smith, as well as the rest of the board, concurred and added that everyone living in Place au Soleil was going to be very happy with what Mr. Snavely is doing. Chairman Smith asked if there had been any comments from the neighbors to which Town Clerk Taylor stated there had been no contact from any of the notices that were sent out. Board Member Roach made a motion to recommend approval of a land clearing permit to clear property of non-native and diseased trees to prepare for new sod and irrigation. The motion was seconded by Board Member Dockerty with all voting AYE at roll call. Board Member Roach made a motion to recommend approval of a Level III Architectural/Site Plan to demolish all buildings and pavement on the property and to grade, irrigate, sod and seed the property. Board Member Dockerty seconded the motion and all voted AYE at roll call. 4. 1555 N. Ocean Blvd. a. Declaration of Ex -Parte Communication There was none. b. Administer Oaths Town Clerk Taylor swore in Cynthia Spray, Lee Lavigne and Natalie Bak. c. Application submitted by Cynthia C. Spray, CCS Architectural Enterprises, Inc. as Agent for the owners, Rene & Ubrada Lavigne, legally described in 0 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. metes and bounds in Government Lot 1, lying east of State Road AlA, Palm Beach County, Florida. (1) DEMOLITION PERMIT to demolish pool house & 2 concrete balcony railings. (2) LEVEL 2 ARCHITECTURAL/SITE PLAN REVIEW to construct an amended loggia and circular stairway on the east end of the loggia, replace the balcony railings with metal pickets and finish the interior changes that were demolished. Ms. Cynthia Spray, of CCS Architectural Enterprises, Inc., stated they had some natural architectural progression and some changes throughout the duration of the project thus the reason they were back before the ARPB. Ms. Spray explained they would be demolishing the 351 sq. ft. cabana and the second -floor balcony railings. They want to add a 161x40' colonnade loggia in its place with a summer kitchen, living and dining area. In her presentation, Ms. Spray showed how they were removing the capstone columns and balustrades on one of the windows in the rear with the intent of matching them to the new loggia. Ms. Spray reiterated that the view was the most important part of the project and they were looking to modify the three windows in the rear center of the house at the ground floor and second floor to be two large picture windows at each level. She explained that the columns on the loggia had been refined and the spiral staircase had been moved to the outside of the loggia. In the front of the house, she pointed out they were removing the balustrades and putting railing on to match the loggia railing in the rear of the house. She added they were also replacing the front door, which is a wood -paneled double door and they were replacing it with glass panes to match the rhythm of the design. Board Member Smith asked if the windows in the rear were bigger than the original windows to which Ms. Spray answered in the affirmative. Chairman Smith concurred that there seemed to be a lot of glass. Mrs. Lavigne stated the actual living room windows would remain the same size but instead of having three windows, they were going to have two. Ms. Spray added they were keeping the same width, but they were stretching them up and down to enlarge and capture the view. Board Member Roach asked if the ratio of glass fell within the criteria of glass display to which Ms. Spray answered in the affirmative. Board Member Roach asked what the percentage was, and Ms. Spray did not have the calculation on hand. Board Member Smith was concerned with all the different window styles, some arched, some picture, etc. Mrs. Lavigne stated they were keeping the exact same style that is currently there and although it looked square in the drawing, she said they actually had a small angle. She added they were trying to harmonize all the windows to have a similar look instead of some being straight and some being angled. Board Member Smith said the style was divided glass on everything and then big glass on the new ones in the middle. Mrs. 7 Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. Lavigne stated they were going for a cleaner look right in the middle because it looked very congested as is. Board Member Jones stated she preferred the look of the three windows to the two big panes and it stood out like a sore thumb. Ms. Spray stated they could put in muntin's and do a two over three that would match the rest of the fabric of the fagade and then the variation in the window wouldn't be so pronounced. Board Member Jones asked if the detailing around the windows would remain intact to which Mrs. Lavigne stated that it presently had cast stone on it so they would have to remove that to put the windows in and then replace the cast stone. She added that if you are sitting inside the house it is very difficult to see the ocean from the narrow windows. Board Member Smith agreed with Board Member Jones and stated she thought the panes needed to be there to make it all flow. There was much discussion back and forth between the board, Mrs. Lavigne and Ms. Spray about the new proposed windows matching the character of the house. Chairman Smith proposed they come back to the ARPB regarding the windows and although the Board agreed that it would expand the view, the windows didn't look at all like they were designed into the original architectural design of the home, so he asked them to bring something back that was more conforming to the house. More discussion was had regarding the permits with Ms. Spray, Town Manager Dunham and Natalie Bak. Town Manager Dunham recommended they could move forward with the loggia permit with the exception they would not work on the windows until a revision was submitted, and the Board approved the final design. Assistant Town Attorney Nazzaro stated that procedurally the motion would need to be approved with the loggia and the approval for the windows would be postponed to the next ARPB meeting. Chairman Smith asked if the demolition also included changes to the south balcony to which Mr. Nazzaro stated that it was up to the Board based on the status of the Code. Board Member Dockerty made a motion to approve a demolition permit less the four windows on the east facing property to demolish an existing 351 sq. ft cabana and two (2) second floor balcony railings. The motion was seconded by Board Member Smith with all voting AYE at roll call. Board Member Dockerty made a motion to approve a Level II Architectural/Site Plan based on a finding that the proposed construction of a 171611x40' loggia with a circular, metal stairway on the rear of the dwelling and two (2) second -floor balcony railings meet the minimum intent of the Design Manual and applicable review standards with the following conditions: 1. Any minor modifications in the approved landscaping shall be submitted to the Town Manager for review and approval and any major modifications shall be brought back to the ARPB for review and approval, prior to commencement of landscaping. 2. This motion does not include the four windows on the east side of the property. N Minutes of ARPB Regular Meeting & Public Hearing Held 5-28-2020 @ 8:30 A.M. Board Member Smith seconded the motion with all voting AYE at roll call. VII. ITEMS BY STAFF There were none. VIII. ITEMS BY BOARD MEMBERS There were none. IX. PUBLIC There were none. X. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Smith adjourned the meeting at 10:48 A.M.