Your March 6, 2025 meeting has two agenda items: (1) The list of permitted and special exception uses in the Commercial-Town Serving (C-TS) districts and (2) The standards for Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval of a requested amendment to the Breakers PUD. Council is asking your Commission for a recommendation.
I’m writing to express concern about the potentially significant traffic and quality of life impacts that will be triggered by the expansion of the Breakers "Family Entertainment Center (FEC)” application and unapproved “Ocean Club”. Despite our updated Comprehensive Plan’s affirmation that Palm Beach is a built-out residential community, increased traffic onto the island, gridlock, parking issues, redevelopment applications and road closures plague us. Town Manager Kirk Blouin stated in the Palm Beach Daily News (3/2/35): “This town is crippled right now.”
As you know, the Breakers operates as “PUD-A “ in a Commercial-Town Serving District and must comply with the associated zoning. Private clubs are not permitted by right in this zone but require a special exception permit. To comply, they must meet standards regulating parking, loading, circulation, design, etc. (Division 4). They must be in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan: by not functioning as region-serving attractions, not creating overuse and congestion on the roadways and by primarily serving the needs of residents.
Why is this important? When the application was submitted, it was discovered that the Breakers has been operating one or more clubs without special exception use approval. How many members do they have? How many are town residents? Is there a cap on membership? How many additional cars come onto the island because of club membership? No one knows.
The Breakers is monetizing a use of their property by operating Clubs without approval and now seeks to make it possible to further monetize the use(s.) This will affect everyone, especially town residents and others who need to along travel North County Rd and Royal Poinciana Way.
We’ve extracted some bullet points from Town Planning, Zoning and Building Director Wayne Bergman’s staff memo to your Commission and have added bold lettering for emphasis and clarity regarding some of the impacts associated with the application:
Closing of Pine Walk and elimination of the signal at County Road
Widening of County Road on east side to provide left and right turn lanes
Widening of the Breakers’ entrance road to four lanes and removal of parking.
Entertainment Complex to include a new restaurant dining “food hall”
A pedestrian bridge connecting the third floor to the upper floor of the Beach Club
Ball backboard, sports courts, mini golf proposed for outdoor area
Family Entertainment Complex will result in a 31,962 square foot increase
The Breakers has been operating a private club which approval has not been sought nor granted by the Town Council
A detailed traffic impact analysis, site traffic circulation analysis and parking evaluation for the Breakers PUD is still pending as of February 26, 2025.
The proposed Garage will consist of 849 parking spaces, which is an increase of 299 parking spaces
Our Town’s Comprehensive Plan is written to protect our residential quality of life by prohibiting region-serving development, limiting increased intensity of commercial development and seeking to reduce traffic congestion and parking demands in Palm Beach. Unless residents speak up and say, “we’ve had enough, West Palm Beach’s massive redevelopment projects, dangerous over-use of town roads for day-trippers patronizing private clubs, restaurants, fundraising events and an ever-increasing number of amenities will continue to overwhelm our residential town.
It is hoped that you will :
To transmit to the Town Council that the Commission cannot support the zoning change that The Breakers is seeking because it violates the Comprehensive Plan.
The Breakers’ private club(s) for which they have no permit must be brought into compliance immediately.
Overdevelopment in Commercial-Town Serving Districts must stop ( it’s our highest traffic congestion area). We cannot increase capacity and must decrease demand and overuse of our limited roadways.
Private Group Use regulations and percentages of resident usage needs to be raised above 50% and enforced.
Thank you
Your March 6, 2025 meeting has two agenda items: (1) The list of permitted and special exception uses in the Commercial-Town Serving (C-TS) districts and (2) The standards for Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval of a requested amendment to the Breakers PUD. Council is asking your Commission for a recommendation.
I’m writing to express concern about the potentially significant traffic and quality of life impacts that will be triggered by the expansion of the Breakers "Family Entertainment Center (FEC)” application and unapproved “Ocean Club”. Despite our updated Comprehensive Plan’s affirmation that Palm Beach is a built-out residential community, increased traffic onto the island, gridlock, parking issues, redevelopment applications and road closures plague us. Town Manager Kirk Blouin stated in the Palm Beach Daily News (3/2/35): “This town is crippled right now.”
As you know, the Breakers operates as “PUD-A “ in a Commercial-Town Serving District and must comply with the associated zoning. Private clubs are not permitted by right in this zone but require a special exception permit. To comply, they must meet standards regulating parking, loading, circulation, design, etc. (Division 4). They must be in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan: by not functioning as region-serving attractions, not creating overuse and congestion on the roadways and by primarily serving the needs of residents.
Why is this important? When the application was submitted, it was discovered that the Breakers has been operating one or more clubs without special exception use approval. How many members do they have? How many are town residents? Is there a cap on membership? How many additional cars come onto the island because of club membership? No one knows.
The Breakers is monetizing a use of their property by operating Clubs without approval and now seeks to make it possible to further monetize the use(s.) This will affect everyone, especially town residents and others who need to along travel North County Rd and Royal Poinciana Way.
We’ve extracted some bullet points from Town Planning, Zoning and Building Director Wayne Bergman’s staff memo to your Commission and have added bold lettering for emphasis and clarity regarding some of the impacts associated with the application:
Closing of Pine Walk and elimination of the signal at County Road
Widening of County Road on east side to provide left and right turn lanes
Widening of the Breakers’ entrance road to four lanes and removal of parking.
Entertainment Complex to include a new restaurant dining “food hall”
A pedestrian bridge connecting the third floor to the upper floor of the Beach Club
Ball backboard, sports courts, mini golf proposed for outdoor area
Family Entertainment Complex will result in a 31,962 square foot increase
The Breakers has been operating a private club which approval has not been sought nor granted by the Town Council
A detailed traffic impact analysis, site traffic circulation analysis and parking evaluation for the Breakers PUD is still pending as of February 26, 2025.
The proposed Garage will consist of 849 parking spaces, which is an increase of 299 parking spaces
Our Town’s Comprehensive Plan is written to protect our residential quality of life by prohibiting region-serving development, limiting increased intensity of commercial development and seeking to reduce traffic congestion and parking demands in Palm Beach. Unless residents speak up and say, “we’ve had enough, West Palm Beach’s massive redevelopment projects, dangerous over-use of town roads for day-trippers patronizing private clubs, restaurants, fundraising events and an ever-increasing number of amenities will continue to overwhelm our residential town.
It is hoped that you will :
To transmit to the Town Council that the Commission cannot support the zoning change that The Breakers is seeking because it violates the Comprehensive Plan.
The Breakers’ private club(s) for which they have no permit must be brought into compliance immediately.
Overdevelopment in Commercial-Town Serving Districts must stop ( it’s our highest traffic congestion area). We cannot increase capacity and must decrease demand and overuse of our limited roadways.
Private Group Use regulations and percentages of resident usage needs to be raised above 50% and enforced.
Thank you