Royal Palm Beach’s Planning & Zoning Commission met Tuesday, April 26 and considered requests from the Royal Palm Beach Health & Rehabilitation Center to add additional senior housing options and Starbucks near Costco on Southern Blvd. to relocate to a vacant bank building.
Meeting as the Local Planning Agency, the commissioners heard the request from the Royal Palm Beach Health & Rehabilitation Center, previously known as Royal Manor Nursing Home, at 600 Business Parkway off State Road 7.
Redd & Associates, agent for the applicant, was requesting to add “senior housing facility” as a special exception use at the site, which is in the industrial general zoning district.
“Currently, the senior housing facility is located within the industrial general zoning district and is considered a legal non-conforming use,” Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien explained. “The applicant would like to expand the existing senior housing facility, however, legal non-conformity cannot be expanded or enlarged under village code. Therefore, the applicant has applied for a text amendment in order to make the existing senior housing facility a special exception in order to allow the expansion to proceed.”
O’Brien said that village staff supported the request.
Without a presentation from the applicant, questions from the commissioners or public comment, Commissioner David Leland made a motion to approve the application, seconded by Vice Chair Philip Marquis. The motion passed 4-0 with support from Commission Chair Adam Miller and Commission Alternate Lauren McClellan. Commissioners June Perrin and Ray Nazareth, as well as Commission Alternate Gerald Brown, were not present.
Meeting as the Planning & Zoning Commission, the board next considered two requests from the Starbucks at Southern Palm Crossing, which will be moving to a building just west of its current location, allowing for a larger space with a drive-through.
The first Starbucks item requested a parking variance that would impact the north and west sides of the building, and the second was for a site plan modification, as well as architectural approval, that would allow for the renovation of the vacant bank building.
The redevelopment application requested the ability to turn the current bank location into a stand-alone, 4,000-square-foot coffee shop with outdoor seating, a drive-through, landscape improvements and parking adjustments. Village staff recommended approval, O’Brien said.
Miller asked Brian Seymour, representing the applicant, IVT Southern Royal Palm Beach 1031 LLC, when the new Starbucks would be finished.
“We want to get moving as quickly as we can,” Seymour said, answering “yes,” to Miller’s follow-up question regarding whether the current Starbucks would remain open during the construction period.
Both Starbucks applications were approved unanimously.
Also at the meeting, the commissioners approved Storage Rentals of America’s request for a major site plan modification approval to update the landscaping and improve the exterior of the site, located at 330 Business Parkway.
“It’s mainly landscape improvements, removing all the old signage from the building, repainting those sign areas and fencing it,” said architect Steven E. Myott, agent for Storage Rentals of America. “We think the landscape and the fence will make a really great improvement to the area. It’ll look very nice, and the volume of traffic will go down, and it will be a quieter operation there.”
Finally, Papichulo Taco Bar Royal Palm, located on State Road 7, requested approval to install a 560-square-foot canvas canopy to cover the south side of the building’s outdoor seating area. The canopy will be sunflower yellow in color. It was approved unanimously.
Before adjourning, the board needed to choose its chair and vice chair for the upcoming year. Marquis made motions for Leland to become the chair and Perrin to become vice chair. Both motions passed unanimously.
