At the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 28, the commissioners were concerned about an unapproved color painted on the exterior of a local retail store without a village variance.
The Going Going Gone store at Southern Palm Crossings, located at 11081 Southern Blvd., might have to repaint the building after changing the color. The main building is now cilantro green with beige trim and has white heron paint on the recessed façade, with chateau brown as a lower base color. Unfortunately, the area has a list of pre-approved colors, and the green is not a match.
“The architect stated that the design of the buildings used the proportions and massing relationships commonly associated with Mediterranean-inspired commercial structures in South Florida, however it introduces a more postmodern element by the simplification of details,” said Senior Planner Josue Leger, who went on to explain that the colors are meant to reinforce the design scheme. “Staff does not believe that the proposed green cilantro is a muted or earth tone color. Furthermore, village code states that all primary façades of a building be designed with consistent architectural design with the colors harmonious.”
This means that bright or brilliant colors are only intended for accents.
“The whole building was this pastel green and didn’t go with the rest of the mall. So, the property management asked us to pick a color, so the background would blend in. There are three different shops that have the projected façades. Marshalls is blue, HomeGoods is red,” applicant Jason Westmoreland said. “I realize we are out of compliance. This is an offshoot of Dick’s Sporting Goods, and this is the Dick’s Sporting Goods color. It was an oversight, and I apologize for that.”
Commissioner Adam Miller expressed his appreciation for the honesty, but the building has already been painted and is currently in violation. His concerns are that approving the cilantro green could lead to other applicants making similar changes and then asking forgiveness.
“One of the reasons we have the [pre-approved] color palette is to discourage businesses to use the façade to brand their building,” Leger said.
He did point out that there is a more muted shade of green on the approved list.
The commissioners recommended approval under the condition that the building be re-painted with a color that is listed on the approved color palette. There is not a specific timeline set for the applicant to fix the violation without being fined.
In other business:
• New wall signs are coming to 1430 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., where Fireplace & Grill, a business focused on selling grills and fireplaces, is planning to better display their presence. DesignsToGo, on behalf of L&M PB Holdings LLC, presented the new design. Both village staff and the commissioners were in support of the change. “I’m glad they are putting a sign up,” Commissioner Philip Marquis said. “I’ve been in there and wondered why they didn’t have a sign. A lot of people don’t know you’re there.”
• The Strathmore Gate West HOA requested approval to update the exterior paint for all the buildings in the community, located on Indian Head Circle. The main body of the buildings will be Benjamin Moore’s Cumulus Cloud with Graphite trim. With village staff recommending approval, the commissioners supported the request.
• A new paint scheme is in the works for the Village Shoppes at 10101 Southern Blvd., along with other façade modifications. The building colors are Sherwin Williams Heron Plume for the body of the buildings, and Sherwin Williams Jogging Path as an accent color. The color Desert Sandstorm will also be used on the end cap of new architectural features. Leger explained that the renovations are expected to take place in three phases. Staff recommended approval as submitted, which was approved unanimously.
The next meeting of the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission is scheduled for Monday, April 17 at 7 p.m.
