The Royal Palm Beach Village Council held its annual reorganizational meeting on Thursday, March 17. At the meeting, Mayor Fred Pinto, Councilwoman Selena Samios and Councilman Jeff Hmara were sworn-in for new two-year terms. Samios was later chosen to serve as vice mayor over the next year.
Turning to the regular agenda, the council approved an application by Nil Petroleum at 11318 Okeechobee Blvd. to amend its landscaping plan to bring the site up to current requirements.
Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said the applicant is seeking approval for a major modification for its site at the Royal Plaza North shopping center to reflect current conditions by adding landscaping in certain areas.
“The intent is to update the current landscape plan, replace some trees in poor condition with new species and new landscape materials, including new shade trees, palm trees and shrubs,” O’Brien said. “Overall, the new plan is in conformance with requirements for the neighborhood commercial zoning district.”
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the request on Feb. 22, he said, adding that staff also recommended approval.
Hmara made a motion to approve the request, which carried 5-0.
In other business, the council approved a request by Tuttle Royale Apartments for a landscape waiver to allow for an encroachment of about a foot into the landscape buffer due to proposed garage structures within a 401-unit multi-family residential development on about 29 acres located on the south side of Southern Blvd. about a quarter mile west of State Road 7.
O’Brien said the application is associated with another application on the agenda to modify the site plan to approve the multi-family residential development.
“The applicant is proposing to install parking garage structures where standard parking spaces were located as part of the site plan revision,” he said, adding that staff recommended approval.
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the request on Feb. 22. Samios made a motion to approve the waiver, which carried 5-0.
The council also approved a subsequent amendment to a previously approved development agreement for the unbuilt 401-unit multi-family residential development.
O’Brien said the developer is seeking modifications to the unit floor areas, increasing the average square footage compared to the size of the original agreement, but still less than the square footage required by the village code for that zoning district.
Developer Brian Tuttle noted that they have added elevators to about half of the buildings, as well as about 80 dog yards and approximately 50 carports. “It’s just a way to upgrade the quality of the apartments,” he said.
Hmara made a motion to approve the request, which carried 5-0.
The council also approved a site plan modification for Tuttle Royale Apartments showing the elevations, dog yards and carports.
Samios made a motion to approve the site plan modification, which also carried 5-0.
Finally, the council approved an application by Evans Land Consulting seeking final plat approval for the 156-acre Tuttle Royale project.
The property is located in a zoning district that allows multi-family, single-family, commercial and public park uses, O’Brien said, adding that staff recommended approval.
Tuttle said he has dedicated 11 acres to the village for a park, which he hoped would be developed by the village, adding that about $20 million had been spent on roads and lights in the development.
“We are very happy,” he said. “It has been a long road.”
