The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval Tuesday for a county application to change the barrel tile for the planned Northern Region Operations Center at 40th Street North to a metal roof.
Wendy Tuma of Kilday Urban Design Studios said it is part of a countywide change from barrel tile roofs to a forest green, standing seam metal roof, similar to the roof at Royal Palm Beach Village Hall.
“The reason for the request is that Palm Beach County Water Utilities has found that the barrel tile roofs are more susceptible to leakage problems due to improper installation, and they’ve been proven to be a problem in tropical storms when sometimes the tiles break loose and become projectiles,” Tuma said, explaining that the buildings must operate during hurricanes.
The architectural and site plan changes for the operations center, approved last month, and the existing pumping facility will go before the Royal Palm Beach Village Council next month. Tuma said the forest green will match the trim of the buildings.
Commission Alternate Richard Becher said he liked the metal roof and the color, and Commissioner Jackie Larson said the metal roofs are definitely better than barrel tile when installed properly.
Commissioner Darrell Lange made a motion to approve the application with the condition that the brackets match the color of the roof. That motion carried 4-0.
The commission also recommended approval of a design application by Applebee’s on the northeast corner of State Road 7 and Southern Blvd. in front of Christ Fellowship Church.
Applebee’s is asking to change the design of its apple logos and replace the wall signs and monument signs. The chain proposes to add a parapet on the northwest corner of the building, where a new, all-white sign with a red and green apple logo would be attached, according to Development Review Coordinator Kevin Erwin. Applebee’s is also replacing the striped metal awnings with burgundy metal awnings.
Erwin pointed out that there is a large oak tree in front of the parapet that will limit visibility, but that the village does not allow businesses to cut trees to make signs more visible. He added that the sign on SR 7 will have a downward angle and would require a variance.
Christina Dion, representing Applebee’s, said the remodeling reflects a nationwide change to the restaurants.
“This is not a single remodel that this particular store is doing,” Dion said. “All of Applebee’s is doing the same remodel program, so their marketing would like to keep the colors and design all the same as they move forward with their branding.”
Dion said the remodeling to a solid burgundy reflects a change to a more family-oriented look, as opposed to the stripes, which was geared to more of a bar and grill look.
Larson asked about phone numbers on the pickup signs for the drive-up, which the commission had asked to be removed in previous sign applications.
Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said that the applicant had taken the opinion to legal counsel, which had determined that the village could not regulate content. “It is more font and color that you would be reviewing,” O’Brien said.
Becher said he liked the new logo. “I really like the apples with the green,” he said. “I don’t know why you don’t use the same apple, but I think it really looks nice.”
Lange asked about setbacks and why they were not in the commission packet, and Erwin said village staff had checked them and found them to be compliant.
Commission Chair Barbara Powell asked whether some of the erosion problems around the monument signs had been addressed, and Erwin said they had not, but that the commission could request additional landscaping as it had in the past.
Lange made a motion to approve the application with the condition that landscaping be applied around both monument signs, which carried 4-0.
The commission also approved an application by Christ Fellowship Church asking to add a logo to its signs. Erwin said the church wants to use the existing three monument signs, incorporating the logo and rearranging the same verbiage. Becher made a motion to approve the application as written, which carried 4-0.
Finally, the commission also unanimously approved an application by Lantern Walk to redo the landscaping at its entranceway.
