Minutes 02-22-22 ii
MINUTES
" PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD
100 E. OCEAN AVENUE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022, 6:30 P.M.
PRESENT: STAFF:
Trevor Rosecrans, Chair Mike Rumpf, Planning & Zoning Administrator
Kevin Fischer (left after Minutes approval) Kathleen Hatcher, Senior Planner
Darren Allen Craig Pinder, Planner II
Thomas Ramiccio James Cherof, City Attorney
Tim Litsch Jennifer Oh, Prototype Recording Secretary
Jay Sobel, Alternate
ABSENT:
Butch Buoni, Vice Chair
Chris Simon
Lyman Phillips
GUEST:
Bonnie Miskel, Attorney
Christina Bilenki, Dunay, Miskel & Backman
Kristina Belt, Engineer with Kimley Horn & Associates
Adam Carache, Senior Property Development Manager
Stephanie Kendall, Traffic Engineer with Kimley Horn & Associates
Joshua Horning, Project Engineer with Kimley Horn & Associates
Adam Kerr, with Kimley Horn & Associates
Alexia Virue, Architect
The meeting was called to order at 6:33 p.m.
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call
Roll was called and it was determined a quorum was present.
3. Agenda Approval
Motion made by Mr. Litsch, seconded by Mr. Ramiccio, to approve. In a voice vote, the motion passed
unanimously. (6-0)
4. Approval of Minutes
4.A. Approve board minutes from the 01/25/22 Planning & Development Board meeting.
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Motion made by Mr. Litsch, seconded by Mr. Ramiccio,to approve the January 25,2022 meeting minutes.
In a voice vote, the minutes were unanimously approved. (6-0).
5. Communications and Announcements: Report from Staff
Mike Rumpf, Planning & Zoning Administrator, indicated there were no communications or
announcements.
Mr. Fischer advised that he spoke to the City Attorney regarding their relationship and shared assets with
a shareholder of the firm involved with both developments presented tonight. Pursuant to Florida Statute
112, he will need to recuse himself from those items.
6. Old Business -None.
7. New Business
7A. Approve request for a Community Design Appeal (CDPA 22-001) of Chapter 4, Article III,
Section 6.F.2.d"Integrated Garages", requiring habitable floor area to wrap all upper levels
of the parking structure where the structure has street frontage, in order to disguise the
garage's facade and maximize design compatibility for the Broadstone Boynton Beach
project proposed for 212 South Federal Highway.Applicant: Steven Scaggs,DSS Properties,
L.C.
NOTE: Items 7A and 7B were heard in tandem and voted on separately.
Bonnie Miskel, Attorney, was present on behalf of the applicant, Broadstone, and her client, Robert Hall,
Contract Purchaser, is also present. Mr. Scaggs represents a collection of the owners, but he is not here.
City Attorney Cherof asked if Attorney Miskel had any objection to consolidation of the items for the
purpose of a presentation.
Attorney Miskel did not have any objections. She provided an overview of the property and then presented
a brief Power Point presentation.
The project is called Broadstone Boynton Beach and the location is 212 South Federal Highway, which is
approximately one block south of Ocean Avenue on the east side of Federal Highway. This is a
modification to what was previously approved. The property is 2.76 acres, straddled between SE lst
Avenue and SE 2nd Avenue with a small exception. There are at least nine owners, one being a
Condominium Interest who got together and assembled and aggregated their property. They then went
under contract with a different developer and that developer went through most of the process, which
included a partial abandonment of SE lst Avenue, a Comprehensive Plan Amendment, and a Rezoning.
Those were approved; however, the applicant dropped the contract, and the owners decided to finish it
and it was approved, understanding most buyers come back with their own picture, vision, and project,
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which is the case here. The Broadstone project represents her client, Alliance, and they think their vision
is a much better plan. She highlighted the following:
• The project was called The Legacy and some of the elevations were shown.
• This is a major Master Plan Modification and a corresponding Master Site Plan Modification to
allow improvements modifying the unit mix.
• For the Residential component of the development,they are increasing the Commercial component
from about 12,000 square feet to a little over 13,000 square feet.
• Open space is increasing from the minimum requirement under the approved plan to approximately
a little over 40%, which this development felt was important for future residents.
• The Site Plan is being reconfigured to insulate the parking garage, but the Code requires it be
wrapped. While it was not wrapped fully before, it still is not fully wrapped.
• They are seeking relief from Chapter 4, Article 3, Section 61721) to provide alternative design
elements and facade treatment to shield the approximately 78'6" section of the garage that has not
been fully wrapped and integrate it into the entire project.
• The new plan has more green space than before, and there is a lot of green running east of the
portion of the frontage on Federal Highway at the dead-end to what is SE 1st Avenue; this is the
biggest change. In that green space are amenities for the community, which did not exist
previously.
• The parking structure is exposed on the north side towards a dead-end and the 78 feet is on the
north side of the building and is the only portion that has not been wrapped and is the relief they
are requesting.
• There are still 274 units, and the building is still eight stories tall. The unit mix is a little different
and more suited for what professionals and other residents are looking for in the market.
• Regarding architectural elevations, looking at the north and south sides of the buildings, some of
the materials and colors are shown, which are earth tones. The east and west were shown and a
rendering from the northwest, which shows SE 2nd Avenue and the building from the south side
looking north. The primary entrance is on SE 2nd Avenue. An area where the garage is exposed
was shown. Currently, the garage is facing north and is tucked in and not visible from any major
frontage; it is visible from the dead-end portion of SE 1st Avenue. It is not seen when pulling onto
SE 1st Avenue going west; the view corridor would show occupied space, Commercial space, and
the upper levels being Residential units. The view corridor, when looking west, would also show
the amenities planned for that area,which is a significant portion of the open space increase,which
is 40% instead of 2%.
Staff has recommended approval on all counts, and they do not have any issues with conditions stated in
the Staff Report.
Chair Rosecrans opened discussion to the public.
Susan Weir, 140 SE 27th Way, spoke in opposition to this project. This is a much better project than the
last one, but it is too tall and not compatible. There is a need, but she thinks they need condominiums, not
apartments. She mentioned sewage and replacement pipes and stated there is too much housing and not
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enough sewage capacity in the City. She asked requested the Board be cognizant that this is a single-
family neighborhood.
Ernest Mignoli, 710 NE 7d'Street,Harbor Hall Inlet 1,next to Inlet 2, Boynton Beach, spoke in opposition
of the project and commented that all the buildings built along the shore are destroying the already bad
sewer system, and knocking out public service such as electric and gas. He mentioned King Tide flooding,
damage to buildings, and exposing residents to sewage, pollution of the waterways, insects, rats, mold,
black mold, mildew, etc. In his opinion, the City is becoming a health risk.
Juan Questa, 630 SE 2nd Avenue, spoke in favor of the project. He thinks the project will be great for the
community. His only concern was traffic,but traffic calming, such as speed bumps, might help with future
traffic.
Thomas Turkin, 132 SW 2nd Avenue, was contacted by a resident asking if they could watch this meeting
online and if they could speak via Zoom.
Chair Rosecrans advised the meetings are not available online.
Mr. Turkin commented that the project looks nice. His concern is traffic and height. There is an existing
restriction in Boynton Beach, which was not followed with River Walk. Many people are concerned with
the development and what it will look like when it is done. As a City, they want to grow effective and
efficiently. He looked at the analysis submitted to Palm Beach County and questioned if they are
considering other developments when they are analyzing and producing traffic data. He mentioned
different projects in the area and stated that something needs to be done about the infrastructure before
doing rapid development.
City Attorney Cherof indicated the City Commission meetings are still hybrid meetings, both in person
and broadcast, and participants watching the broadcast can sign in and participate.
Bishop Wright, Candidate for Mayor, and CEO of Bernard Wright Ministries, did not know whether the
high rise would be good for the residents. He thinks the Board should vote on whatever the majority of
the people want.
Jim Knight, 740 Havana Drive, Boca Raton,Florida, is a property owner in Boynton Beach and the Broker
for this transaction that has been working with these nine property owners for about the past seven years.
He commented that the overall Master Plan set up several years ago anticipated height and density at this
location and that is what has been brought forward on behalf of the property owners, Mike and Gloria
Bowden, Dr. Sara Garcia, Francisco and Olga Waldo, who passed away, Betty Bingham, Maria Rajeri,
and the Scaggs family. All these people have committed a lot to this community and are excited about this
project. He mentioned a project in NE Boca Raton called the Levitz Plaza, which was a dilapidated, tired
shopping center that did not too well. Broadstone, the Alliance Group, came in and built a residential
community that changed the north end of town. He hopes the Board can move this project forward with a
positive vote.
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Hearing no further comments, Chair Rosecrans closed the public discussion.
Attorney Miskel addressed previous comments as follows:
• They are in the highest category in the City as far as density and height. The developer could have
gong up to 150 feet, but they chose to go significantly lower.
• The Board's job is to look at their project and determine whether they comply, not to decide
whether the use is right.
• The only thing they are asking for is relief on the portion previously mentioned regarding the
wrap. If they are allowed to do that, it gives them the ability to go from 2% open space to 40%
open space.
• Regarding the single-family neighborhood, they are in the high category in the core area of the
City. Density can go up to 100 units per acre by applying Bonus Density.
• As far as traffic, every person, developer, or applicant, who applies for some sort of a Site Plan,
Master Plan, Comprehensive Plan, or Rezoning, have to get a Traffic Statement reviewed and
approved by Palm Beach County at a minimum. Once that is submitted and they generate the TPS
letter approving the project, it goes into their system, and it counts against anyone who applies
after them.
• Bishop Wright talked about doing what the people want, but there is a Code, a Comprehensive
Plan, Rules and Regulations, and it is the Board's job to review the Rules and Regulations and
competent evidence and decide whether they meet the requirements.
• Boynton Beach has an excellent staff and they carefully and thoroughly review every application
that comes in. The Staff Report is thorough and did not identify any areas of deficiency.
• Again, the only relief they are requesting is related to the wrap, which gives them a better project
and better mix of units that are better to serve future and existing residents and it increases the
open space from 2% to 40%.
Mr. Sobel commented that he has never, in all his years serving on a Zoning Board, heard anyone tell him
what his job is. He feels the Board has a responsibility to everyone. They heard from people tonight who
were concerned about the impact of the project and the infrastructure. He thinks residents are entitled to
hear the City's response regarding what the infrastructure and impact will be. He understands Traffic
Studies are done and he is comfortable with that, but he did not see a lot of Civil Engineering on the plan,
and before answering the request, he would like to ask if there are any valid concerns that the population
here tonight was an issue.
Mr. Rumpf, Planning and Zoning Administrator, deferred to the Utilities Department Storm Water
Management Group to comment. They are at a preliminary stage, and they have not been given any
redlight signals or warnings so far.
Mr. Litsch stated this has been approved by the City Commission as far as height and general structure
and they are here to paint, decorate, and cover the garages. This project is above what they saw the first
time when the Board voted against it. This project is back to this Board as part of a major facelift, but to
him,the fact they have taken out the tunnel speaks volumes. He thinks improvements have been made and
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everything looks good. All the points have been addressed as far as traffic, sewer, etc. He likes the display
and thinks it is great that there is more open space. Given the limitations, he thinks this is a good plan.
Mr. Ramiccio agreed the project has improved from what was originally presented to the Commission and
to the Board. He asked if the 274 units are going to be market rate units, affordable workforce; what type
of housing.
Attorney Miskel stated the majority are market rate, there is no workforce here, but there is a Density
Bonus Program called Sustainable Units. Units that are 750 square feet or less are essentially part of a
Bonus Density Program and those units are expected to be more affordable, they are not being restricted.
Deed restricted is affordable but based on the smaller size they will be open and available to even less
than market. There are not restrictions or covenants.
Mr. Ramiccio mentioned the wrap around and questioned why they were unable to create habitable space
to wrap the parking garage instead of the metal wrap. He asked that Attorney Miskel explain the 2%versus
the 40% open space and questioned if they would get more than 2% green space if they did not have that
comparable.
Attorney Miskel showed the green area on the screen and noted the area immediately to the right is the 78
feet;part of that is where the driveway is coming in off SE I st Avenue. In order to wrap it around, according
to Code, they would have to wrap it only to the point where the street ends, but it would not function
properly to not wrap it all the way to the building, which runs north and south, and green space would be
lost. From a design perspective it did not make sense and it would have impacted parking in the parking
garage more than anything. Parking spaces would have been lost if wrapped on that side and it was too
tight to be able to lose the parking.
Mr. Ramiccio questioned if anything else could be done aesthetically to wrap the garage. He was thinking
of people who live there and what they have to live with and look at.
Attorney Miskel indicated where the majority of the 78 feet is,there will not be any visibility to any street,
so people coming into the project would see it and be turning before getting there. She stated no one who
lives there will be looking at that part of the building, the people on the northern part of the building will
be looking east into the Recreation area. The most southern unit might catch a glimpse of the structure;
their architect did a good job making the building look like it was occupied through screening materials.
They used full balconies and what would appear to be railing on balconies, so it would appear to be
occupied although it is not.
Alexia Virue, Architect, explained they went back and forth with a few reiterations and negotiated on how
to make the best use of the habitable appearance of the garage aesthetically. They have a few different
maneuvers;walls pushing and pulling adding depth and dimension to the facade treatment with color hues
and steps. They have openings sized accordingly with window openings that are at the same level of scale
and visibility. They have screening at every opening to screen and provide interest at the outside and
exterior. There is decorative screening at the flanges that front the garage and there are also other
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horizontal elements banding it to the overall aesthetic to the project. They have taken this as far as it can
go to appear habitable and fit in with the overall scheme presented.
Chair Rosecrans commented that the green space and open space is a significant improvement from last
time. He mentioned traffic and questioned the number of peak hour trips in the morning and afternoon.
Adam Kerr,with Kimley Horn&Associates, stated there would be 102 proposed morning peak hour trips
and 142 proposed afternoon peak hour trips. This is what the project will generate entirely, most of which
is on Federal Highway.
Chair Rosecrans questioned the current Level of Service for Federal Highway.
Mr. Kerr indicated they analyze intersections, so Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway as well as Boynton
Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway are at worst case a Level of Service D.
Chair Rosecrans asked if there is any analysis if the level would drop to an F with the additional trips.
Mr. Kerr stated that is with the additional trips. He did not know if they looked at current trips because
they usually look at the worst-case scenario, which is a D and is acceptable.
Chair Rosecrans questioned what is being done about SE Pt Avenue and behind. There is no turnaround
and he asked if it is a dead-end street. He mentioned there will be delivery trucks back there and how they
are supposed to navigate that road.
Mr. Kerr believed vehicles can turn into the garage or there is the ability to turn around if the vehicle is
larger.
Joshua Horning,Project Engineer with Kimley Horn&Associates,referenced Sheet C7.00 and the Exhibit
that shows the auto turn. The analysis they ran to show turning movements on SE Pt Avenue have added
provisions to the building, widening the entrance to the garage and the loading zone to allow a T-turn for
fire trucks, loading trucks, and those type of vehicles.
Chair Rosecrans mentioned the construction of the building and asked if the foundation is sheet pile.
Mr. Kerr replied it is cast piling.
Chair Rosecrans asked how long this project will be under construction and if there is an MOT and
provisions for traffic during construction that will not impact the City's residents.
Mr. Kerr replied the project will take approximately 22 months. There will be provisions, which must be
submitted at the time of permitting. An MOT plan would be provided when they submit for a Building
permit for any kind of improvements to the roadways.
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Chair Rosecrans mentioned the infrastructure and asked if they were sure the infrastructure can handle
this. He noticed the Utilities Department asked them to do some upgrades to the gravity sewer.
Mr. Kerr stated that is correct,they agreed to those conditions.
Chair Rosecrans asked if any other upgrades have been floated and if they would provide benefits to the
residents and businesses.
Mr. Kerr indicated quite a few water main upgrades are included. He noted the upgrades would provide
benefits to the residents and businesses.
Motion was made by Mr. Litsch, and seconded by Mr. Ramiccio,to approve Item 7A. In a roll call vote,
the motion passed with Chair Rosecrans in opposition. (4-1)
Ayes: Litsch, Allen, Ramiccio, Sobel
Nays: Rosecrans
7B. Approve request for Major Site Plan Modification(MSPM 22-001)to amend the previously
approved site plan with the proposed changes contained herein for the Broadstone Boynton
Beach project to allow construction of a mixed-use development consisting of an eight (8)-
story building with 274 dwelling units, 13,110 square feet of commercial space, associated
recreational amenities, and parking on a 2.76-acre site within the Downtown District.
Applicant: Steven Scaggs, DSS Properties L.C.
Motion was made by Mr. Litsch, and seconded by Mr. Ramiccio, to approve Item 7B. In a roll call vote,
the motion passed with Chair Rosecrans in opposition. (4-1)
Ayes: Litsch, Allen, Ramiccio, Sobel
Nays: Rosecrans
7C. Approve requests for Major Site Plan Modification (MSPM 21-001) and Conditional Use
(CODS 21-001) approval for Raising Cane's Restaurant including a new 2,771-square-foot
building with dual drive-thru facilities and 68 seats (50 indoor, 18 outdoor) on the BJ's
Wholesale Club outparcel located at 1550 West Boynton Beach Boulevard within the
Planned Commercial Development (PCD) zoning district. Applicant: Kristina Belt, Kimley
Horn & Associates.
Christina Bilenki, with, Dunay, Miskel & Backman, and Kristina Belt, Engineer with Kimley Horn &
Associates, were present on behalf of the applicant.
Ms. Bilenki advised Raising Cane's is a newer concept to South Florida.
Adam Carache, Senior Property Development Manager, indicated they are new to South Florida,but they
have a few other locations about to break ground, one in Royal Palm Beach and one in Pompano. Todd
Graves, the owner of the company, has single handedly grown it to 600 locations. They have six core
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pillars for community involvement, which are education, feeding the hungry, welfare, active lifestyles,
business development and entrepreneurship, and anything else the Board might think of Their restaurant
is unique in that every employee is a Marketing Manager, whose job is to sponsor Little Leagues, make
donations to the Humane Society, etc. at no cost to the City. They are consistently ranked one of the best
places to work. During the pandemic they did not lay anyone off and hired 5,000 additional employees.
They are continuing to learn and adapt from that, which are reflected in some of the Site Plans.
Ms. Bilenki explained the property is located on the south side of Boynton Beach Boulevard,just west
of Congress Avenue. It is less than 0.9 acres in size, it has a Future Land Use Designation of Local Retail
Commercial, and a Zoning of Planned Commercial Development; it is part of the BFs Planned
Commercial Development. A zoomed in image of the current property was shown. Winchester Drive
serves the full Commercial Plaza and acts as the main access to the Planned Commercial Development
and there is an internal drive aisle on the south side. The property was a former Wells Fargo building
that is currently vacant, but it has circulation around the building and a drive-thru for banking purposes.
Graphics of the property were shown, and a little landscaping and a few Oak trees will remain. There is
currently a small area of landscaping, and she believes the Code only requires five feet in this area,which
they are significantly enhancing. There are two requests; one is a Site Plan Modification to allow a 2,771-
square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru and a Conditional Use request for the drive-thru element. The
proposed Site Plan was shown. Winchester Drive is on the east side of the property, which acts as a main
drive aisle to the Commercial Center and there is a shared access road along the south end of the property.
The property has a similar configuration to what exists today, there is parking on both the east and west
sides of the main drive aisle and then there are drive-thru lanes. This specific Site Plan has two dedicated
drive-thru lanes plus a full bypass lane, and it has 70 feet of vehicular stopping from the order point.
Mr. Carache stated because they only serve one item, they can get customers through the drive-thru a lot
quicker than other restaurants. During the pandemic they started with dual drive-thru lanes with the
bypass,which allows them to deploy crew members to the lanes to take orders and payments with tablets,
so in peak rush hours, more people would go through the line quicker. At that point,the menu boards are
turned off, the pay window and pick up window becomes obsolete, and the cars are moving through
being staffed by crew members; that is at a clip leaving about every 30 seconds; the average customer
spends two and a half minutes in the queue from the time they place their order to when they are leaving.
They have maximized the queuing and are confident this will be sufficient, so there will not be any issues
that might be seen at other restaurants with older drive-thru systems.
Ms. Bilenki indicated as part of their applications, they have submitted Traffic Studies detailing the
expected level of traffic for this site, Parking Studies to show there is sufficient parking, and a Queuing
Analysis to show stacking is going to be sufficient to accommodate the customers. The proposed
landscape plan was shown. Ten existing trees and eight palm trees will be preserved on site, including
three large Oak trees along Boynton Beach Boulevard. A D.bh is required for replacement of 20 caliper
inches, which they are exceeding with 34 inches, for trees being removed. Regarding landscaping in the
off-street parking area, 675 square feet is required, and they are proposing more than double at 1,482
square feet. Overall, they are providing landscaping in excess of the Code requirements, and they have a
nice variety of trees, shrubs, and accent plants to enhance the appearance of this property. Regarding
elevations, this is a very contemporary style. Raising Cane's has strived to differentiate themselves from
others through varied materials. They use towers to define main points of contact, and the brand colors
are designed to fit within a spectrum of urban and suburban settings with complimentary layers of
materials and textures to help define and break up the building mass. Renderings were shown of the
building. In terms of the Conditional Use criteria, she stated they have been addressed through a
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justification statement in the back-up and staff has addressed them in their Analysis and confirmed they
have met all the Conditional Use criteria. In terms of ingress and egress,they are utilizing existing shared
drive aisles; a Traffic Study has been submitted showing how that is going to work and that there will
not be any significant impacts on the adjacent street networks. With off-street parking and loading, they
meet the Code requirements and have submitted Parking Studies as well. Staff has done a thorough
review of their application and plans and concluded they have met those criteria. Staff has recommended
approval of the request for the Conditional Use and Major Site Plan Application.
Chair Rosecrans opened discussion to the public.
Susan Weir, 140 SE 27th Way, spoke in favor of this project. She expressed concern that this restaurant
is next to a Chick-Fil-A, and everyone knows the traffic disaster that surrounds Chick-Fil-A. She thinks
they are asking for trouble having a busy restaurant next to Chick-Fil-A. Perhaps there needs to be some
conditions to rework the traffic and ingress/egress with the plaza. She noted that District 3 on Federal
Highway, south of Woolbright, desperately wants fast food and wished they would consider that area.
Ernest Mignoli, 710 NE 7d' Street, 4407, Harbor Hall Inlet Club, thought it was interesting that all the
high rises are being built with retail on the first level and many are vacant. He noted retail is vacant
because there is no parking. He commented that all fast-food places in Boynton Beach are out on the
road, and it is being said this restaurant will not back up onto Boynton Beach Boulevard. This road is a
traffic disaster, and he thinks this restaurant should be located in one of the places on Federal Highway.
Mike Schremp, 433 SW 2nd Avenue, spoke in favor of that type of environment and thinks it is way better
than another marijuana shop. His concern was that this is a flood zone. and a nightmare for all the older
people with drainage. He mentioned hurricanes and stated he did not see anything on this site that will
retain water. Many people do not know there are pipes on the north side of the property that run in the
Intracoastal. He thinks more green space is needed and something that percolates and is better for the
environment.
Chair Rosecrans closed the public discussion.
Mr. Sobel mentioned ingress and egress from the restaurant and asked if that is through the road that
ingresses and egresses to Walmart. He questioned what the big shopping center is south of their project.
Ms. Bilenki stated Walmart is across the street on the north side of Boynton Beach Boulevard. They have
shared access with BJ's. It was noted the big parking lot to the south is the BJ's parking lot.
Mr. Sobel asked if access to the restaurant is from turning in on Boynton Beach Boulevard on the same
road BJ's is access.
Ms. Bilenki replied correct.
Mr. Sobel asked if the Studies evaluated the impact on the accessibility to the restaurant. He noted that
Ms. Weir spoke about a concern, and he wanted to know how it was handled.
Ms. Bilenki believed that was thoroughly evaluated.
Stephanie Kendall, Traffic Engineer with Kimley Horn & Associates, advised the Study they reviewed
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was a standard Palm Beach County TPS Traffic Study. In terms of impacts to the surrounding County
roadways they are concerned with, they look at the net new traffic and compare what was previously
there to what is going to be proposed. In terms of the driveways, they look at the traffic for the overall
site,which includes BJ's,the gas station, and Chick-Fil-A. At that point,they looked at any consideration
for new turn lanes and found that all turn lanes warranted are currently in place.
Mr. Ramiccio mentioned the double lanes and asked if there is going to be a divider or any type of buffer
or landscape between the two lanes that are like a zero-lane line.
Kristina Belt, Engineer with Kimley Horn&Associates, stated that was correct. They wanted to maintain
the buffer on the east and to ensure they would meet the buffer landscape requirement they typically
would have a foot or two in between; however, a thick pavement striping would be between the two
drive-thru lanes. There is a three or four-foot area where orders are placed and where crew members will
be standing,but once customers are near the pay window, it was reduced so they could meet the landscape
buffer requirements.
Mr. Ramiccio questioned how many cars are estimated to be in the stacking lanes at a time.
Ms. Kendall advised they looked at the peak hour of the restaurant and at proposed stacking, which is
five spaces between the present window and order boards in each lane, so it would be ten vehicles and
an additional two spaces in each lane behind the present window before encountering a parking space.
With random arrivals during peak hour, queuing would be sufficient for those hours.
Mr. Ramiccio questioned if stacking would occur to the south into the BJ's property and not onto Boynton
Beach Boulevard or onto Winchester. There is no question there are a lot of issues with their fast-food
stacking, especially at Starbucks and others.
Ms. Kendall stated the Site Plan shows the stacking wraps around the restaurant to the north and then
goes back to the south through the parking lot before reaching the east west drive aisle, which connects
to Winchester. There are five cars in each lane between the present window and the order board, and an
additional two cars in each lane behind the order board before encountering parking spaces.
Mr. Ramiccio asked where cars are stacking prior to getting into the lane. The first day they open they
will have the same problem as all the other fast-food restaurants and that is stacking backing up to the
actual flow of traffic. In this situation, it will be the parking lot.
Ms. Kendall clarified when vehicles are entering the property they are going to enter through the south
entrance on the south side of the property. The vehicles will wind their way through the parking and enter
at the north side of the site; that drive-thru can contain 14 vehicles; five in each lane and two additional
in each lane. It is staggered but there is space for 14 vehicles.
Mr. Ramiccio asked if they have experience with this type of double lane in their other establishments
and not having any accidents.
Mr. Carache replied yes, they opened about two dozen of these establishments. They have been open for
three or four months and found that it is has significantly improved the circulation through their site.
They plan for opening day and stacking out of the site, so they will hire Security or off-duty Police
Officers, and if vehicles start to stack, they will be directed to either park or come inside or come back.
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They are proactive and actually do a phased opening plan. They know there is a honeymoon period, but
14 vehicles is sufficient after the honeymoon period. Based on the volume of this restaurant and the
expected sales, during lunch they are confident 14 vehicles are all they need to stack in the drive thru. If
there are a few extra cars, they will stack on site and not into the road.
Mr. Sobel questioned how traffic stacking would be resolved and if there could be a Conditional Use that
would require them to come back and address the issue.
Mike Rumpf replied it is a Code issue. Staff takes an aggressive approach to resolve operational issues
like this. In this case, given site size, there are many options. This owner operator is proactive in terms
of having a pleasant experience on the property and they appear to have an efficient system. He
commended Kathleen Hatcher, Senior Planner, regarding the time spent on that system alone. The
restaurant will likely be busy, especially during peak hours. There is a private parking lot, so they will
not stack out onto Boynton Beach Boulevard, which often occurs down the road at other restaurants,
which is a hazard. Perhaps peak hours will be off peak relative to the BJ's restaurant.
Mr. Ramiccio mentioned there was a Wells Fargo there, which is going to be torn down. It had a drive-
thru and he questioned the difference between a bank drive-thru and a restaurant drive-thru. He asked if
the Conditional Use transfers to the new project.
Mr. Rumpf stated if they kept the same building with Conditional Use approval, then it would have been
written with the approval. Since this is a new design, it is a major Site Plan Modification to the site, so it
is reviewed given different characteristics to the design.
Mr. Ramiccio mentioned the Texas Roadhouse Plaza and noted the entire entry lane is stacking. The way
it is on the Site Plan, if people cannot turn in to the property, they will stack back into Winchester Park.
They are not going to stack in the circular drive that services the BJ area, they are going to stack back
into Winchester Park because that is where they are coming from. He questioned how to keep vehicles
from stacking.
Mr. Carache reiterated there will be crew members, third-party Security, or off-duty Police Officers
making sure stacking does not become an issue. Primarily, that will be during opening and the first few
weeks they are in business. Eventually people will learn they will not be able to stack, as found with
other older locations.
Mr. Sobel asked how many patrons they anticipate service per hour at the maximum period.
Mr. Carache replied this restaurant is probably looking at 100 customers during lunch.
Mr. Sobel questioned the length of time it takes from the time the order is placed until customers are
serviced and leaving.
Mr. Kerr stated two and a half minutes, but that is not entirely all through the drive thru.
Mr. Sobel questioned if they could service 60 customers per hour.
Mr. Kerr advised 75% of the business is going to be drive-thru, so if there are 100 customers in one hour,
which is 75 cars. There is a customer leaving the drive-thru every 30 seconds, which is two a minute, so
Meeting Minutes
Planning and Development Board
Page 13 February 22, 2022
that is 120 cars in the drive-thru in an hour.
Chair Rosecrans commented that they routinely stack in the area between the gas station and Wells Fargo.
He asked what the City does to alleviate that other than ask them not to do that.
Mr. Rumpf stated the City is not intervening and he was not sure; they will have to ask the Police
Department if they have authorization or an agreement with BJ's to do private property maintenance and
controlling. There are cross parking agreements and cross access agreements. There is a cohabitation on
that property and to his knowledge, they have not received complaints as of this date. There is a reason
to go through this review process not only to assist a business in their design to meet standards, but to be
safe and user friendly as possible. Chick-Fil-A realizes it is an insufficient process because they recently
attempted their own retrofit to create a dual main system. This was found by staff, and it did not provide
safety bypass lanes and access through the property in the event of an emergency, so unfortunately, they
were rejected. He noted a certain consumer/motorist adjusts their habits if they are experiencing
something unpleasant. There is an adjustment in the system, and fortunately that adjustment occurs on
private property, and it is not interfering with an arterial roadway.
In response to Chair Rosecrans, regarding the change to pervious versus impervious after construction.
Ms. Belt did not have the exact numbers, but stated they are increasing the amount of landscaping
proposed. It is part of an existing Master Storm Water system, so whatever exfiltration is being removed
is being replaced and it is permitted.
Chair Rosecrans commented that they will have to modify the existing Storm Water area.
Ms. Belt replied yes.
Chair Rosecrans asked if they are required to hold a 25-year, three-day on site so there is a berm.
Ms. Belt replied yes.
Motion was made by Mr. Litsch, and seconded by Mr. Ramiccio, to approve Item 7C. In a voice vote,
the motion passed with Mr. Sobel in opposition. (4-1)
8. Other—None.
9. Comments by Members
Mr. Ramiccio reminded everyone to vote on March 8, 2022.
10. Adjournment
Upon Motion duly made and seconded, the meeting at was adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
[Minutes prepared by C. Guifarro, Prototype, Inc.]