The Royal Palm Beach Village Council met for the first time in its new council chambers at the new Royal Palm Beach Village Hall on Thursday, Nov. 16. While the shiny new space was impressive, it was business as usual for the council, which approved several projects that have been in the works for some time.
Duffy’s Sports Grill in the Crestwood Square shopping center has been working with village staff on a plan to expand its outdoor seating area. The expansion from the current 300 square feet to more than 1,300 square feet will be covered and include televisions, but not an outdoor bar.
Councilwoman Selena Samios expressed concerns about excessive noise in the area, and MLPD Consulting representatives Rebecca Miller and Tyler Schultz were prepared to address that issue.
Schultz, the project administrator, provided data on a sound study conducted, along with information on measures taken to ensure that the restaurant is “being a good neighbor.”
“Management will monitor sound levels at all times via the Minut noise monitoring system. The televisions are strategically placed beneath awnings to obscure view, and there are no plans for additional speakers,” he said. “Muted TVs is a policy of Duffy’s.”
Samios asked if Duffy’s would be open to a condition of the hedges on the east side of the property being set at eight feet instead of six, and Miller said that would not be a problem.
The requests for expansion and covering the outdoor seating area were both approved 5-0, with the inclusion of a special condition regarding the hedge height.
In other business:
- The Primrose School of Royal Palm Beach, located in the former Ideal School location at 300 and 400 Royal Commerce Road, received final approval for a series of renovations ranging from fresh paint and awnings to the development of a secure atrium for child pickup.
The council was not only impressed with the updates but also pleased to see the fully accessible playgrounds. The school itself opened in April 2023, and with the council approval, Primrose is ready to open its infant and toddler areas as well.
- The council heard a request to extend the timeline to install a public art piece at 1180 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in the Crossroads shopping center. Village Public Art Professional Mario Lopez Pisani and applicant representative Janna Lhota of Holland and Knight LLP explained the request.
The original request was approved with a timeline of six months. “I believe the resolution was signed May 18. It was supposed to be done around the middle of November, and they are requesting a six-month extension. Staff is recommending approval,” Pisani said.
Lhota said that the artist confirmed that the artwork will be complete by the end of November, but shipment will take up to two months. “We are anticipating installation and completion likely very early February. However, I don’t want to have to come back asking for more time,” she said.
The request for more time was approved unanimously.
- Village Attorney Keith Davis provided an update on his research regarding the land used for public boat and RV storage, so the council could be informed on how to manage the property in the future, given a recent request to store a different type of storage trailer on the property.
The land was donated to the village in 2013 by the Diocese of Palm Beach with specific requirements on a quitclaim deed.
“It says the village can have the land as long as the village uses it for a public purpose. If at any time they stop using it for a public purpose, then it reverts back to the diocese. The diocese is extremely sensitive to this issue,” Davis said. “In our code, and in state law, a boat trailer is defined in a different way than a storage trailer or an enclosed trailer.”
Davis explained how the village provided an additional letter to the diocese in 2016 ensuring the commitment to keep commercial vehicles and units off the land. He emphasized that the contents of closed storage trailers could not be monitored, so the best course of action remains to prohibit them altogether to avoid concerns. The council supported the village attorney’s recommendations.
- Neisha Mitchell was appointed to a regular seat on the Education Advisory Board, and Kamar Williams was moved from an alternate seat to a regular seat on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Andrew Alba and Jonathan Dickinson were appointed to the alternate seats on the Planning & Zoning Commission.
- Village code requires regular council meetings be held on the first and/or third Thursday of each month, so the council decided to hold their next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m., rather than Thursday, Dec. 21.
