Minutes 03-07-23 Minutes of the Historic Resources Preservation Board Meeting
Held on March 7, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.
in City Hall Commission Chambers
100 E. Ocean Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida
Present:
Barbara Ready, Chair Mike Rumpf, Consultant
Dr. Ben Lowe (Arrived 6:39 P.M.) Jae Eun Kim, Principal Planner
Victor Norfus Craig Pinder, Planner II
Rhonda Sexton (Arrived at 6:36 P.M.)
Absent:
Tom Ramiccio
Alexander Ranbom
Michael Wilson
Bishop Bernard Wright
1. Call to Order
Chair Ready called the meeting to order at 6:34 P.M.
2. Agenda Approval
Motion
Ms. Sexton moved to approve the agenda. Dr. Lowe seconded the motion. The motion
passed unanimously.
3. Approval of Minutes — July 11, 2022 and October 10, 2022.
Motion
Ms. Sexton moved to approve the July 11, 2022, meeting minutes. Mr. Norfus seconded
the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Dr. Lowe noted that on page four of the October minutes it mentioned that the Board was
threatened. He requested that the minutes be amended to either remove the sentence or
say what the threat was. He said that he felt the threat was made towards Chair Ready.
Ms. Sexton agreed and stated that it was personal and made by Bishop Wright, who
threatened bodily harm to Chair Ready during the meeting and that she heard it clearly,
because she was sitting next to him.
Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
Motion
Dr. Lowe moved to approve the amended minutes as discussed above. Ms. Sexton
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
A. Advisory Board update from Assistant City Manager, Kathryn Matos —
Updates regarding Advisory Boards, including the new Peak Agenda
Management System, Advisory Board Annual Reports, and Volunteers for the
new Visitor Center
(Heard Out of Order)
Kathryn Matos, Assistant City Manager, stated that they are implementing new agenda
software, which includes the Advisory Boards, so all agendas will be in a uniform format.
Ms. Matos stated that the City Commission is requesting that each Advisory Board
provide an Annual Report of what they did the prior year and what they want to do in the
coming year. She clarified that it should be a three to five-minute discussion and the
content of the report has to be approved by the Board before the presentation is made.
She listed which months were available to make a presentation. Ms. Matos also
announced that the City is opening a new Visitor Center in an unused conference room
in the City Hall lobby. She stated that they plan to host information on local businesses,
tourist information and events, and have local artifacts on loan from City residents
temporarily on display. She passed around a no-obligation sign-up sheet for those
possibly interested in serving as a volunteer for a four-hour shift.
Chair Ready suggested that the City work with the Chamber of Commerce and have
coupons to restaurants and a Welcome Package for new residents.
Ms. Matos stated that she is working with the Palm Beaches and they are working with
Visit Florida, because they have a program for certifying Visitor Centers. She said that
the City will have an official Visitor Center, which will be marketed through the Palm
Beaches and Visit Florida. She commented that there are a lot of exciting components
and it will be a growing effort.
Susan Oyer,147 SE 27th Way, Boynton Beach, said that she was glad to hear this and
she spoke about a Welcome to Boynton Beach DVD, which could a sold there. She
thought that the Library Archivist should make replicas of historic postcards available for
sale and that they should work with the Historical Society and Sister Cities. She
announced that she has five Boynton Beach 100-Year Anniversary Plates with the original
programs that need a new home or if someone wants to sell them as a fundraiser. She
commented that the City should get on the list of 100 plus year-old cities.
Dr. Lowe commented that he excited about this endeavor and that there will be exhibition
space on the City's history outside of the Library.
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
Ms. Sexton suggested making the presentation to the City Commission in May because
it's History Month.
Mike Rumpf, Historic Resource Preservation Consultant, recommended making the
presentation when they compile their Annual Report to the State, which would be in
October/November. He said that the report is sent to the State because the City is a
Certified Local Government.
4. Communications and Announcements
Mr. Rumpf stated that the Andrews house at 306 S 1St Avenue is the oldest single-family
home in the City, on the west side of the railroad tracks. He explained that the parcel is
part of a master-planned redevelopment known as the Villages at East Ocean, having a
north and south portion. He said that the site plan for the northern portion was submitted
under a new contract purchaser for the property, so the south portion was not included,
as it is a phased development. He mentioned that house is shown on the approved
plan, but staff does not know if it will be preserved and he pointed out the home is not a
designated home.
Chair Ready queried if the Board could encourage the owner to preserve the property.
Mr. Rumpf responded that staff can do so when that portion of the property comes up for
review. He also noted that the Board can designate the property or have it go to the City
Commission for designation, and that the property owner could appear and state their
opinions.
Chair Ready thought that the property owner would have concerns, but that the Board
could allay them by explaining that the home being on the Register is not overly restrictive.
She said that she would like to see an in-depth report on the Andrews house, as it would
be part of the application process anyway.
Mr. Rumpf stated that the property was on the recommended list for local designation
arising from the Historic Site Survey, which will be reviewed later. He explained the
application process and advised that there would be communication with the property
owner.
Motion
Ms. Sexton moved to commence with a Board-initiated designation application for the
306 S 1 St Avenue property using City funds. Dr. Lowe seconded the motion. The motion
passed unanimously.
Mr. Rumpf recalled that there was a question about the Women's Club and advised that
all the major maintenance items there were completed, and it is accessible to the public
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
to lease. He stated that the City completed a design plan for crossing the street on
Federal Highway from the west side where there is parking available by the Senior Center.
He said that there will be an additional traffic light, a push button, and markings on the
street ,and that it should be completed in a year. He pointed out that the balconies remain
closed off due to the railings not being tall enough to meet Code. He stated that he has
not seen concepts to address this, but felt that it could easily be done and still pass the
Certificate of Appropriateness test, while maintaining the integrity of the building. He
mentioned that the City has not pursued it, but it was a future option.
Mr. Lowe inquired who to contact if someone wanted to rent the building.
Mr. Rumpf said that he will find out and let the Board know. Mr. Rumpf announced that
there were communications regarding the Poinciana School Rosenwald School Plaque
being installed near the school property. He explained that there had been some
communication breakdowns, but that he had continued to speak with all parties involved,
including the Public Works Department, regarding what they need to plan this out. He
noted the sign can be presented to the HOB Association.
Mr. Rumpf advised that there were two conditions the Jewish American Society for
Historic Preservation had when they agreed to send the sign, including the design and
fabrication. He explained the conditions and options for the sign. He requested feedback
and stated that a representative from the Society contacted the City because this has
been a year and a half long project. He suggested that installation of the sign be used as
a public media event, with the Board with pictures of the event posted on the website.
A. Advisory Board update from Assistant City Manager, Kathryn Matos —
Updates regarding Advisory Boards, including the new Peak Agenda
Management System, Advisory Board Annual Reports, and Volunteers for the
new Visitor Center.
This item was discussed earlier in the meeting.
5. Old Business:
A. Identification of Priority Historic Sites — Staff will provide an update and
request feedback on the drafting of a Priority Historic Site List which may also
prompt a discussion on further options for incentivizing historic preservation
and the designation of local sites.
Mr. Rumpf explained that the City had a Historic Site Survey that was approved in 1996
and that it was the City's first formal, comprehensive inventory of properties eligible for
designation and about 36 properties were recommended. He explained the survey
process. He stated that he reviewed the list to determine the status of the homes and it
raised other related topics. He commented that some restorations may alter the exterior
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
and one home had an accessory unit. He noted that Historic Districts came up in the past
and if they established a Historic District through the property owners voting process, they
can have more unique regulations that apply to the District as a whole.
Chair Ready said that she has wondered if designation of the home located at 321 SW
1 st Avenue should be Board initiated.
Mr. Norfus inquired if the members could visit the sites, as some of the images show the
properties were modernized.
Chair Ready responded that it would be up to the property owner.
Ms. Sexton said that she was unsure if there was enough historic characteristic left to be
eligible for designation.
Mr. Rumpf recalled that there were major modifications, but he could provide a preliminary
review. He explained that many of the properties, particularly 701 S. Seacrest Boulevard,
have the potential for a Code Amendment that allows for an Adaptive Reuse for residential
and commercial properties in some areas of the community, and those are on Seacrest
could be offered that option as well. He said that this is a potential incentive, although
the properties on Seacrest are not commercial. He noted that there has been staff
discussion about having an overlay to allow some of those uses to incentivize
preservation, if an amendment is connected to the Historic Preservation Program.
Ms. Sexton commented on one of the things she has seen, because they are preserving
the history of the structure, the Zoning regulations, and some of the Building Codes.
Further discussion about this ensued.
Mr. Rumpf agreed to provide a preliminary analysis of this at the next meeting.
Mr. Norfus suggested that information on historic properties should be included in the
Visitor Center
Dr. Lowe said that the Board should talk about this in the future. He noted that there are
a lot of changes occurring in the Downtown and he thought they could perhaps carve out
a Historic District.
(Mr. Norfus briefly stepped off the dais at, and returned to it at 8:90 P.M.)
Mr. Rumpf reviewed the homes on the list. He advised that of the 36 original sites, five
homes were added to the Local Register, 11 sites were demolished, including one
planned demolition, leaving 20 potential sites that were recommended for designation
over 26 years ago. He said that staff will bring back possible suggestions of sites for
consideration.
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
Mr. Norfus inquired if the homes were mapped, so that they could identify potential
Historic Districts. He said that a lot of the homes were gone, but the sites still exist.
Mr. Rumpf stated a map with the original sites is on the website.
B. Website Migration — Staff will provide an update on the City's progress in
merging the existing components of the original historic preservation site with
the City's upgraded website, and its expansion to represent a more user-
friendly and attractive site.
Mr. Rumpf reported that the project lead is in ITS, and staff has been working with him.
He explained that the Historic Preservation website is a marginal site, which only includes
special projects funded by grant funds. He advised that the information is now being
migrated, formatted, and expanded to have all the basic principles of information, and
that they basically have a draft that they will populate and have a Q and A section. He
announced that staff will bring back an expanded and more populated website and staff
would seek input.
C. New Business:
Local Designation of 413 NE 12th Avenue — Request for designation
of 413 NE 12th Avenue, and the addition of this c.1941, Wood-frame
Vernacular, one-story single-family house to the City's Local Registry
of Historic Sites. Applicant: Dr. Martha Light Meeks, property owner.
Mr. Rumpf explained that this application was initiated by the property owner and they
had a compliance review. He noted that what was unique about this property was its
history. He stated that the home was from a 1935 Depression, New Deal, war-time era in
the Happy Homes subdivision in the HOB area. He noted that the property was in family
ownership since it was built and that some windows were changed, and that the front
porch was slightly modified. He advised that the alterations are compatible with the
building design and the structure is eligible based on age. He mentioned that the home
was built in an era when the City passed ordinances defining where Whites and Blacks
could live.
Dr. Martha Meeks-Light, the property owner, stated that she lived in the home since birth
with her parents. She gave a history of the activities that would take place at the property.
She explained that they had a good relationship with Harvey Oyer and at that time, her
father could not purchase land because there were no loan companies for Blacks. She
said that Mr. Oyer loaned them $400 to buy land. She said that she will ask for all the
help she can get to restore it, and that it will be used as a museum. with her family's and
the City's legacy. She noted this home would be a museum representing life before
integration. She commented that she did not go to City Hall, or downtown, and that Blacks
could pick up mail from the Post Office on certain days. She stated that the schools were
separate and she went to Poinciana, which was why she was so happy the Rosenwald
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
Plaque acknowledged the school.
She stated that she always had plans for the home and that she said she hoped the Board
would approve the application.
Mr. Norfus provided a history of the area and acknowledged the Rosenwald organization.
He said that he had a picture of his aunt, uncle and mother with him, who he said were
all teachers at Boynton Beach Colored Elementary. He stated that his mother graduated
from there, and one of the earliest teachers was his cousin, Francine Meeks, who owned
the LaFrance Hotel in Delray. He commented on the historical significance of the house
and the people in it. He said that Juanita Meeks, his grandmother, lived in the house and
that she and Lena Rahming were involved with the Head Start Program. He also spoke
about other family members, such as Doc and Dr. Meeks-Light, Montine, Katie and Paul
Butler. He explained that his main goal is to unify the City and that the City is recognizing
100 years of Segregation. He noted that Ed Meeks was a Charter Founder of the City
and that he was responsible for having the roads paved. He mentioned that when Blacks
had to move to the west side for segregation, displaced citizens moved onto the Meeks,
Wells and Andrews properties, known as Colored Town, but there were people already
there, and the area became known as the Heart of Boynton. Mr. Norfus explained that
they are attempting to create a Meeks Educational Learning Center and a Cultural Center
that will be associated with the house. He stated that they will create an oral history of the
house, and that they had created an oral history of the family.
Chair Ready commented that the history of the house was pretty extensive. She
suggested putting its history on the website.
Motion
Dr. Lowe moved to accept this application,
Mr. Rumpf explained that Mr. Norfus cannot vote due to a conflict of interest with the item,
and three voters was not sufficient for a quorum. He suggested they defer this item to
the next meeting.
Motion
Dr. Lowe moved to table the item to the next meeting. Ms. Sexton seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
The item was tabled to the meeting on April 10tH
(Mr. Norfus left the dais at 7:48 P.M. and returned at 7:49 P.M.)
6. Other:
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
None
7. Comments by members
Chair Ready invited the members to the Historical Society's March 271h program, via
Zoom, on the Gilded Age in Palm Beach. She commented that Board Member Alex
Ranbom has not attended meetings.
Dr. Lowe asked who monitors member absences, and learned that it was the City Clerk's
office.
8. Public comments relative to historic preservation
Susan Oyer asked about the Highwaymen paintings in the Woman's Club, and if the
paintings were part of the sale to the CRA/City or if they were supposed to stay with the
Woman's Club. She stated that they are in an elderly woman's home, whose children will
not want to give them up, so the Board should address this now. Ms. Oyer asked about
the status of the original street names being listed underneath the current street names.
She said that the Board had worked on this about 10 years ago, and then stopped and
she would like to see the Board bring it back.
Mr. Norfus noted that in the HOB, along 13th, Utherprey Thompson founded St. Cuthbert
Church. He said that Sara Sims founded St. John Missionary Baptist Church and pointed
out that residents were baptized in the canal near Wilson Pool. He noted that just as
Bishop Wright was able to pay homage to his grandfather by having a street named after
him, 11 to 12th and 13th Avenues were known as Lincoln and Washington and that the
streets were named after his relatives. He commented that although the buildings are
gone, the street has religious significance to the community. He commented that this was
something that the Board could address in the future.
Ms. Sexton agreed and stated that having original street names gives a greater sense of
character to the community.
Dr. Lowe suggested that they should research the matter and pick up where they left off.
Mr. Rumpf explained that the idea was not well received and the project stalled.
Ms. Oyer said that the Board should add it to their program and move up their presentation
to the City Commission so it could be included in the budget.
9. Announce date of next meeting —April 10, 2023
Ms. Sexton stated that she will be out of town on April 10tH
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Meeting Minutes
Historic Resource Preservation Board
Boynton Beach, Florida March 7, 2023
10. Adjournment
There being no further business, Chair Ready properly adjourned the meeting at 8:44
P.M.
Catherine Cherry
Minutes Specialist
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