5. ARC-24-0052 (ZON-24-0033) 130 SEASPRAY AVE (COMBO) The applicant, Kirchoff and Associates on behalf of Victor and Julia Tolkan, has filed an application requesting Architectural Commission review and approval for construction of a new two-story single-family residence with final hardscape landscape and swimming pool, requiring Special Exception with Site Plan Review approval to develop a nonconforming parcel with a variance required to reduce the number of required enclosed garage parking spaces. This is a combination project that shall also be reviewed by Town Council as it pertains to zoning relief/approval.
Public Comment, Town of Palm Beach Admin
admin
8 months ago
Received via email 8.19.24:
Dear Mayor Danielle Moore, Members of Architectural Review Commission and
Members of the Town Council:
We moved to Palm Beach in December of 2019 and closed on our home at 131
Seaview Ave in January 2020. We went through an extensive 3-year restoration
project to restore a Gustav Maass home to its original Monterey style and
beauty. In doing with our restoration, Tom Kirchhoff and his team would be
the perfect fit with their multi-decade extensive knowledge, experience and
remarkable reputation in the area. We couldn’t have made a better choice and
the process with him, and his team was exemplary.
In being thoughtful and understanding of how important maintaining the Sea
Streets are to its surrounding neighbors, Tom and his Team contacted us to
review the 130 Seaspray Ave plans. We have reviewed the plans for the
proposed home and had some landscaping comments. Tom and Jill Bruderer,
the project lead, addressed immediately. We worked with Jill, as the lead with
Tom, on our project, so we know her attention to detail, care for the project and
design aesthetics are admirable. We support the proposed home which we
believe will be a nice improvement to our neighborhood. Tom Kirchhoff and his
Team only do beautiful, quality and sophisticated work.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Annie and Matt Iorio
131 Seaview Ave
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 8.19.24:
Dear Wayne:
Hope all is well with you. Attached is a PDF copy of a letter with photos I just sent to ARCOM for the hearing concerning a new house to be built right next door to our west, at 130 Seaspray. My wife and I will be at that hearing. We approve of their design, and most everything.
But their plan of trees just at our roof line would bring iguanas, exactly as in the hearings for 131 Seaview a few years ago. (see the photos below, more photos in the PDF letter to ARCOM).
Same landscape planners now as in 131 Seaview, Nievera Williams. A PDF of their plan is attached.
Will you be attending their ARCOM hearing August 28, or can you attend? In the attached letter I indicated to ARCOM that you could easily describe the precedent ruling/settlement of 131 Seaview #Z-20-00260, ARCOM B-0033-2020.
If you recall, the owners of 131 Seaview are required to keep any hedges under our soffits, trimmed to 4 feet or more below our soffits. This would also exclude tall growing trees that cannot be “top cut to keep low” (their palms planned were withdrawn before their hearing, obviously because of this).
This precedent was a unanimous Council decision in 131 Seaview, to intervene. Thanks to Town Council and you, the problem is solved. Things have been great. It has been easy for the 131 Seaview owners to keep the hedges trimmed. They have been faithful to their promise (see photo below). My wife’s email exchange has been friendly with Mrs Iorio, the owner. They have privacy. We can’t even see their patio or pool from any window. And no Iguana feces on the roof!
The attached PDF letter, with more photos to ARCOM, also has a nice mention of you, and our positive approval of the 130 Seaspray design, and some cautionary construction points.
Please let me know if you can attend this hearing. It would be very helpful to ARCOM.
Kind regards, SJG
Photo below taken a week ago showing no issues with the precedent of 131 Seaview. All is fine, and its owners are having no problem keeping their hedges cut the agreed distance. Problem solved. Next Photo: what we had to put up with before. Cleaning Iguana feces from our roof. After being gone 2 months in summer, we had 40 Sq ft of iguana feces on our roof. Very hazardous for my wife and I, and for workers trying to clean it.
Received via email 8.22.24:
To Jill Bruderer:
It was a pleasure speaking to you today. Firstly, my wife and I have looked carefully at the drawings and plans, and we think the 130 Seaspray house design looks great. Its style will look great and will blend in nicely on our street, neighborhood and Town. And the overall landscape plan otherwise looks great too. The Tolkan home will look great right next door to our home. My compliments to you Jill, Mr Kirchhoff and of course Mr and Mrs Tolkan.
Thank you for sending the revised landscape plan drawing. Looks perfect. Issues settled, problems solved.
The agreement: two Calophyllum replacing the two Rusty Fig. That is a fine choice. Calophyllum can be "top cut" to keep them lower. It is agreed that these two Calophyllum will be permanently maintained at no higher than 11 feet.
Also agreed, the Green Buttonwood will be permanently maintained at no higher than 10 feet, if anywhere near our garage. Also agreed, that no Palms or tall growing trees will be planted near our garage. I note that the Coconut Palms were removed from the landscape plans.
The reason for all the above is to keep iguanas and their feces from our roof, a past issue and hazard. The above will be a real solution, and I thank Mr and Mrs Tolkan for quickly resolving this.
I am copying Wayne Bergman and other Town staff with this letter so the Town, ARCOM and Town Council are updated, and these terms are properly documented in the Town. In my copy to Wayne and staff, I am also attaching a copy of the new landscape plan drawing.
Also our high opinion of the 130 Seaspray design should be noted by the Town and ARCOM, as my wife Martha and I have been residing just next door, at 128 Seaspray since 1997. Our opinion of a home right next door is very important to us, and Martha totally agrees.
Kind regards, Steven Jeffrey Greenwald
___________________________
Steven Jeffrey Greenwald, Esq.
Received via email 8.27.24:
Dear Jill: Before tomorrow's hearing, it would be great if you (or planner) could add the following brief words to the amended presentation landscape drawing. Under where it says "36 GREEN BUTTONWOOD 10' HT" add the brief words:
"TO BE MAINTAINED AT 10 FEET HEIGHT" or
"TO BE MAINTAINED AT 10 FEET HEIGHT WHERE NEAR NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE"
Either of the above phrases.
Note this would not affect the other "13 BUTTONWOOD" that are planned further north, only the area at our garage, which are to be planted basically under our soffits. This would be similar as you just added for the 2 Caulophyllum in the amended plan (at 11' ft).
This way it would go much easier at hearing, nobody would even need to go into this issue. It would be best for things going smoothly at ARCOM. Best for staff and myself to be able to just say at hearing that all matters totally resolved, settled, the plans are great, etc. And not even need to bring this up at all.
In 131 Seaview, at Town Council, Town Attorney Randolph and staff had to make the plant growth limits a condition of approval, part of the plan, etc. That took some extended discussion.
I know Mr Tolkan is in total agreement with maintaining Buttonwood at no higher than 10' ft into the future, where near our garage (to avoid iguana feces on the roof). I did send the confirmation letter to you on this agreement, copied to Town Staff. But, best to keep things simple and include it in the amended drawing/plan.
Let me know. Thanks so much, Steve
___________________________
Steven Jeffrey Greenwald, Esq.
Received via email 8.19.24:
Dear Mayor Danielle Moore, Members of Architectural Review Commission and
Members of the Town Council:
We moved to Palm Beach in December of 2019 and closed on our home at 131
Seaview Ave in January 2020. We went through an extensive 3-year restoration
project to restore a Gustav Maass home to its original Monterey style and
beauty. In doing with our restoration, Tom Kirchhoff and his team would be
the perfect fit with their multi-decade extensive knowledge, experience and
remarkable reputation in the area. We couldn’t have made a better choice and
the process with him, and his team was exemplary.
In being thoughtful and understanding of how important maintaining the Sea
Streets are to its surrounding neighbors, Tom and his Team contacted us to
review the 130 Seaspray Ave plans. We have reviewed the plans for the
proposed home and had some landscaping comments. Tom and Jill Bruderer,
the project lead, addressed immediately. We worked with Jill, as the lead with
Tom, on our project, so we know her attention to detail, care for the project and
design aesthetics are admirable. We support the proposed home which we
believe will be a nice improvement to our neighborhood. Tom Kirchhoff and his
Team only do beautiful, quality and sophisticated work.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Annie and Matt Iorio
131 Seaview Ave
Palm Beach, FL 33480
Received via email 8.19.24:
Dear Wayne:
Hope all is well with you. Attached is a PDF copy of a letter with photos I just sent to ARCOM for the hearing concerning a new house to be built right next door to our west, at 130 Seaspray. My wife and I will be at that hearing. We approve of their design, and most everything.
But their plan of trees just at our roof line would bring iguanas, exactly as in the hearings for 131 Seaview a few years ago. (see the photos below, more photos in the PDF letter to ARCOM).
Same landscape planners now as in 131 Seaview, Nievera Williams. A PDF of their plan is attached.
Will you be attending their ARCOM hearing August 28, or can you attend? In the attached letter I indicated to ARCOM that you could easily describe the precedent ruling/settlement of 131 Seaview #Z-20-00260, ARCOM B-0033-2020.
If you recall, the owners of 131 Seaview are required to keep any hedges under our soffits, trimmed to 4 feet or more below our soffits. This would also exclude tall growing trees that cannot be “top cut to keep low” (their palms planned were withdrawn before their hearing, obviously because of this).
This precedent was a unanimous Council decision in 131 Seaview, to intervene. Thanks to Town Council and you, the problem is solved. Things have been great. It has been easy for the 131 Seaview owners to keep the hedges trimmed. They have been faithful to their promise (see photo below). My wife’s email exchange has been friendly with Mrs Iorio, the owner. They have privacy. We can’t even see their patio or pool from any window. And no Iguana feces on the roof!
The attached PDF letter, with more photos to ARCOM, also has a nice mention of you, and our positive approval of the 130 Seaspray design, and some cautionary construction points.
Please let me know if you can attend this hearing. It would be very helpful to ARCOM.
Kind regards, SJG
Photo below taken a week ago showing no issues with the precedent of 131 Seaview. All is fine, and its owners are having no problem keeping their hedges cut the agreed distance. Problem solved. Next Photo: what we had to put up with before. Cleaning Iguana feces from our roof. After being gone 2 months in summer, we had 40 Sq ft of iguana feces on our roof. Very hazardous for my wife and I, and for workers trying to clean it.
Received via email 8.22.24:
To Jill Bruderer:
It was a pleasure speaking to you today. Firstly, my wife and I have looked carefully at the drawings and plans, and we think the 130 Seaspray house design looks great. Its style will look great and will blend in nicely on our street, neighborhood and Town. And the overall landscape plan otherwise looks great too. The Tolkan home will look great right next door to our home. My compliments to you Jill, Mr Kirchhoff and of course Mr and Mrs Tolkan.
Thank you for sending the revised landscape plan drawing. Looks perfect. Issues settled, problems solved.
The agreement: two Calophyllum replacing the two Rusty Fig. That is a fine choice. Calophyllum can be "top cut" to keep them lower. It is agreed that these two Calophyllum will be permanently maintained at no higher than 11 feet.
Also agreed, the Green Buttonwood will be permanently maintained at no higher than 10 feet, if anywhere near our garage. Also agreed, that no Palms or tall growing trees will be planted near our garage. I note that the Coconut Palms were removed from the landscape plans.
The reason for all the above is to keep iguanas and their feces from our roof, a past issue and hazard. The above will be a real solution, and I thank Mr and Mrs Tolkan for quickly resolving this.
I am copying Wayne Bergman and other Town staff with this letter so the Town, ARCOM and Town Council are updated, and these terms are properly documented in the Town. In my copy to Wayne and staff, I am also attaching a copy of the new landscape plan drawing.
Also our high opinion of the 130 Seaspray design should be noted by the Town and ARCOM, as my wife Martha and I have been residing just next door, at 128 Seaspray since 1997. Our opinion of a home right next door is very important to us, and Martha totally agrees.
Kind regards, Steven Jeffrey Greenwald
___________________________
Steven Jeffrey Greenwald, Esq.
Received via email 8.27.24:
Dear Jill: Before tomorrow's hearing, it would be great if you (or planner) could add the following brief words to the amended presentation landscape drawing. Under where it says "36 GREEN BUTTONWOOD 10' HT" add the brief words:
"TO BE MAINTAINED AT 10 FEET HEIGHT" or
"TO BE MAINTAINED AT 10 FEET HEIGHT WHERE NEAR NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE"
Either of the above phrases.
Note this would not affect the other "13 BUTTONWOOD" that are planned further north, only the area at our garage, which are to be planted basically under our soffits. This would be similar as you just added for the 2 Caulophyllum in the amended plan (at 11' ft).
This way it would go much easier at hearing, nobody would even need to go into this issue. It would be best for things going smoothly at ARCOM. Best for staff and myself to be able to just say at hearing that all matters totally resolved, settled, the plans are great, etc. And not even need to bring this up at all.
In 131 Seaview, at Town Council, Town Attorney Randolph and staff had to make the plant growth limits a condition of approval, part of the plan, etc. That took some extended discussion.
I know Mr Tolkan is in total agreement with maintaining Buttonwood at no higher than 10' ft into the future, where near our garage (to avoid iguana feces on the roof). I did send the confirmation letter to you on this agreement, copied to Town Staff. But, best to keep things simple and include it in the amended drawing/plan.
Let me know. Thanks so much, Steve
___________________________
Steven Jeffrey Greenwald, Esq.