a. ZON-24-0065 (COA-24-0025) 70 MIDDLE RD (COMBO) – VARIANCES The applicant, Jennifer Naegele, has filed an application requesting Town Council review and approval for a total of six (6) variances for the Landmarked property, three (3) variances previously considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to 1) increase the lot coverage for the laundry room addition, 2) increase the cubic content ratio ("CCR") for the laundry room and covered terrace additions, 3) reduce the side (north) yard setback for the laundry room and the covered terrace additions, and three (3) new variances, 1) increase the building height and the overall building height for the covered terrace addition and the rooftop steps, 2) reduce the street (south) side yard setback for pool and fountain equipment and increase the distance between the new fountain water’s edge and the fountain equipment, and 3) increase the height of site walls associated with a mechanical equipment enclosure in the street (south) side yard setback for the Landmarked property. The overall scope of work includes the addition of a covered terrace, a laundry room addition, relocation and installation of new mechanical equipment, new rooftop steps, new site walls, landscape, and hardscape modifications. The Landmarks Preservation Commission will perform the design review. [The Landmarks Preservation Commission Recommendation: Implementation of the proposed variances #1, #2, #3, #5, and #6 will not cause negative architectural impacts to the subject property. Variance #4 related to the rooftop stairs was not supported. Carried 7-0.] [The Landmark Preservation Commission approved the project with conditions. Carried 7-0.]
My name is Clifton Taylor, and I’m the manager of Palm Beach Towers, 44 Cocoanut Row, a community with 275 commercial and residential units, home to approximately 550 owners. We also employ more than 50 55 full-time staff members who commute daily, and our commercial spaces welcome many clients each day.
I stand before you today to express significant concerns about the proposed traffic pattern for The Breakers’ construction projects, which would route thousands of construction trucks along Cocoanut Row. While we applaud the success of the Royal Poinciana Plaza and look forward to the opening of the Playhouse and its restaurant, these developments will further strain our local infrastructure. Performance attendees will all be leaving at once. The queuing capacity on Cocoanut Row heading North is already beyond capacity. Adding heavy truck traffic to this critical roadway risks creating severe congestion and safety issues including the intersection at Cocoanut Walk.
Our residents are rightfully worried this proposed traffic pattern could trap them on our property, unable to safely exit during peak hours. Our employees, who rely on timely commutes, and our commercial clients, who expect accessibility, will also be impacted. Routing construction traffic through this bottleneck will only exacerbate these challenges.
We respectfully request the Town Council to reconsider this traffic plan before granting final approval to The Breakers’ projects. We believe there are alternative routes or mitigation measures—such as adjusting delivery or truck hours, exploring other potential traffic routes, that could better balance the needs of all stakeholders. Palm Beach Towers is eager to collaborate with the Council, The Breakers, and town staff to find a solution that preserves our quality of life and supports responsible development.
My name is Clifton Taylor, and I’m the manager of Palm Beach Towers, 44 Cocoanut Row, a community with 275 commercial and residential units, home to approximately 550 owners. We also employ more than 50 55 full-time staff members who commute daily, and our commercial spaces welcome many clients each day.
I stand before you today to express significant concerns about the proposed traffic pattern for The Breakers’ construction projects, which would route thousands of construction trucks along Cocoanut Row. While we applaud the success of the Royal Poinciana Plaza and look forward to the opening of the Playhouse and its restaurant, these developments will further strain our local infrastructure. Performance attendees will all be leaving at once. The queuing capacity on Cocoanut Row heading North is already beyond capacity. Adding heavy truck traffic to this critical roadway risks creating severe congestion and safety issues including the intersection at Cocoanut Walk.
Our residents are rightfully worried this proposed traffic pattern could trap them on our property, unable to safely exit during peak hours. Our employees, who rely on timely commutes, and our commercial clients, who expect accessibility, will also be impacted. Routing construction traffic through this bottleneck will only exacerbate these challenges.
We respectfully request the Town Council to reconsider this traffic plan before granting final approval to The Breakers’ projects. We believe there are alternative routes or mitigation measures—such as adjusting delivery or truck hours, exploring other potential traffic routes, that could better balance the needs of all stakeholders. Palm Beach Towers is eager to collaborate with the Council, The Breakers, and town staff to find a solution that preserves our quality of life and supports responsible development.