Um, it says, "Mr. Hart, please call the role." But you're not Mr. Hart, so you can call the role anyway. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Member David, >> present. >> Member Bobby, >> present. >> Member Powell,
>> present. >> Member Axarrod, >> present. Member Brown >> Vice Chairperson Rosen >> and Chairperson Mendlesson present. Thank you. I'll rise please for the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
>> Okay. Um, could I have a motion to accept the agenda as presented? >> So moved. >> Second. Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> for those giving testimony, please stand
and raise your right hands to be sworn in and provide testimony for the application you are affiliated >> by the authority vested in me as a notary of the state of Florida. Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. >> Okay. Unfinished business. None. New business development order application number PZ-26-1 Seagate of Highland Beach Condominiums
application by Jason Rarden Pa Associates Inc. for a major modification request to allow for the construction of a new 472 square f foot pump structure for the property located at 3224
South Ocean Boulevard. Do any board members have any exparte communications to disclose? Okay. Um hearing none at this time, I now open the public hearing. Town Planner Allen, please present the application. Hey, good
morning. I believe RTIT is not here, right? Okay. So, I won't be able to show the PowerPoint. Uh but again, everything that I typically show in the PowerPoint is in your packets anyway. Um so um as indicated today uh the planning board you all will be making a recommendation
uh to the town commission on a major modification request to allow for the construction of a 472 square ft uh fire pump uh structure which is located at the C uh gate condominium at 3224 South Ocean Boulevard. Um, according to the
applicant, the structure will house two new fire pumps which will service the four residential buildings of the community as well as the fire hose connections at the seaw wall and dock area. When you look at those aerials which start on page nine, you see the four buildings on there just to give you a little bit of perspective. Um,
according to the property survey, there's currently a bulk storage area in the vicinity where the fire pump station is being proposed, but uh the applicant has indicated they're going to get rid of that bulk storage area. there's a photo um in your packet. They're not going to relocate it. They're just not going to have a bulk storage anymore.
Actually, staff asked that question if they're going to possibly put it somewhere else, but apparently they are not. Uh the applicant has also indicated that um there will be no alterations or changes to the existing landscaping or existing parking spaces. Now, on the top of page five of your packets, I provided
you some history. Uh according to the Palm Beach uh county property appraiser, the Seagate condominium was built in 1970. And on October 23rd of 2025, the town's board of adjustment and appeals approved a variance allowing a reduction in the front yard setback from 40 feet
to 8 feet 7 in and to reduce the sideyard setback, the south setback specifically from 12 feet to 7 feet in order to accommodate the construction of a firep structure that so they had to do that first before they came to the planning board. they didn't get the variance. Obviously, they wouldn't be
able to come before you or that they have to redesign it, which was an issue. Apparently, this was uh the only place where it could be located. Um, in the middle of page five, I've provided you the description of what a major modification is according to the town code. Um, I've also provided you some
definitions of what an accessory use is, as well as an accessory structure. Um, according to the applicant, the current fire pump rooms located in each of the four residential buildings are insufficient to meet the current National Fire Protection Agency code requirements. These requirements include an increased flow rate, which requires
larger fire pumps and clearances for repair and maintenance. Um, in your packet on page 12, you actually have a a letter from the uh assistant fire chief Matt Wellaf uh providing their support. It was part of the variance process but obviously that just carries on to the
major modification request and Mr. um Wallop is here today if you have any questions for him. Uh so per the code uh major modifications are to be reviewed in the same manner as the original structure or use. Uh major mod I should
say uh multif family residential uh developments uh always go before the town commission. They are the final authority. There's a planning board recommendation. So we're going by that original type use or how it was originally approved. Uh so therefore again you you all will make that uh
recommendation to the uh commission. Uh so the commission is actually meeting tomorrow. That was their scheduled um time to review this item. So I will advise them tomorrow at the meeting. You know what you all decide. Um if the request is approved by the town commission then prior to initiation of
construction, the applicant will be of course required to get a building permit. Um and commencement of construction if the major modification is approved uh shall be initiated within two years following the date of approval by the town commission. Staff reviewed the applicant's proposed requests
including planned states sent received by the building department on February 25th, 2026 and finds that the project is consistent with the zoning code in the town comprehensive plan. Um the 11 by17 plans are in your in your backup. I think they you know pretty much can
speak for themselves. I did have the applicant provide a little landscape page um which kind of shows the existing landscaping there just to give you some perspective on the heights of the landscaping. It's a sheet A-502.
The code is not required if you're doing accessory structure to have it screened. It's not a requirement of the code, but um again the applicant provided those heights. You could see they're fairly high landscaping there. Um so we have uh Mr. Jason Bordon here. He's the authorized agent. I'm sure he'll be
happy to address any questions and I as well if you have any questions I'll be glad to address them. >> Okay. Does anybody have questions for staff? Oh, sorry. Go ahead. >> So, if the code is requiring an
increased flow of water, what about the flow of water to the pump? >> That I will defer. Matt, can you address that because I I don't get into the nuance of the flowing of the water. deferred to Matt on that. >> Morning everybody. Thank you for being
here. Uh I appreciate it. I know this is a special meeting and you guys all had to make you know adjust your plans to be here. So this is a project that we've been trying to get going for the last couple years. Uh the in response to your direct question, there's going to be taps that are coming off of the mains on
A1A. Um so going to be about 20 25 ft. Those will be underground. You're going to see the backflow preventers that are there. They're required by town ordinance to protect the water system uh just before the pump house. Um all that is uh should be on the the plans that you guys received or the diagrams and
stuff that you received. Um those are going to be 8 in. Uh the the entire uh delivery system of water for fire purposes is being completely redone. All the underground piping is being replaced. It's um full of what we call
mick. it's, you know, uh, microorganisms that have that have, uh, invaded the system, um, through the water just being stagnant in there. And then the the pipes kind of sit in the tidal tidal water. Um, you know, that's a kind of a
lowlying area. And, uh, so as tide comes up and down all the time, the pipes are sitting in salt water. So, it's just something that is and and they're going to be replaced with a different type of material. It's called blue brute. It's going to be a C CPVC piping that's
specifically uh purposed for, you know, fire fire lines and fire manes. Um everything to the buildings is going to be replaced to the risers that feed the sprinkler systems. Uh right now we don't have any fire pumps there. That's why I'm I'm concerned. I've been trying to
push this project. The fire pumps that we're that have to be put in will not fit in the original rooms. Um this is kind of stuff that um when I came to Highland Beach three years ago, I started finding these problems in numerous properties and we're just addressing these. They're also going to
add a fire hydrant on site as part of the project that's going to be between building C and D because the code requires uh the fire department connections where we would connect our truck pump from a hydrant to be within 100 ft of the of a hydrant. We're only
we're going to have two of the buildings that will fall into that category. The other two are going to be uh still over 200 ft away. But it's much better than the 7800T that we are currently having as a condition right now. So the only reason the buildings are even occupied
from my perspective from a safety is because they have out outside walkways. If these were interior walkway buildings, I wouldn't let anybody be in there right now without a fire pump. So this is something that I've been working on. It was kind of my idea. We we put our heads together to come up with some
plans on how to get the fire pumps in a location that would meet the needs and the requirements of the state code and uh and then the backup requirement for this um these are going to be diesel fire pumps. So they're going to be well gas fed but uh from natural gas so
they'll be already backed up by uh by that fuel for for power. >> So I I apologize but I don't don't think that really answered my question. >> Okay. The fire pumps that you're installing are to increase the flow of the water coming to the pumps, but the
water coming to the pumps only has a mathematical equation of a certain quantity that can flow through the lumen of the pipes. So, you're changing the pipes and making the pipes bigger >> that are leading to the property. >> They're going to be 8 in pipe coming from the from the uh the city's mains.
>> So, is there an 8 in pipe now? >> No. >> What size is the pipe now? 6 in. So, you're increasing it to 8 in. So you can increase the flow. >> Yeah. And then the and then the we're going to have 8 in pipe that runs to the buildings and that reduces down to 6 in to feed the risers. But all the hydraulic calculations have been done.
We've gone through that entire process. >> But that's for this property. What about all the other properties >> in regard to what's available for everybody? >> No, this is for the Seagate. But what about other properties? Do they have the pipes to flow? And do they all have pump
as well? >> To answer your question, the ambassador. Okay. Uh we just they just had to do an upgrade on their system and add 8 inch bulk man to to feed all the risers. Uh thing things like this have been happening here for 30 years. They had
three fire pumps in there at originally at the Ambassador. When the when the first pump failed, they just took the pump out and connected the pipes together. Nobody did any hydraulic calculations or did any of that kind of stuff. There was really nobody overseeing this. Then the next fire pump failed of the three. They just removed
that fire pump and they put them in. So when their third one finally failed, which just recently happened in the last year or two, they've now replaced it in order to meet the hydraulic requirements for that particular building. And I consider it one building. It's got three towers, but it's common parking garage, common parking deck. And if you were to
build that from brand new under current code, you could consider that to be one building with one pump. Not a problem. They had to beef up the pump. They had to change everything over to 8 in bulk bane through the building to feed the risers. So this is happening up and down
the beach is I had 15 fire pumps that were out of service when I got here working. >> So I'm just trying to understand and and sorry to take us a little off topic but there's there's a certain size of pipe that's running down A1A I'm assuming. >> Yeah, there's two. There's a 10-in main
and a 14inch main. >> Okay. And those pipes feed into subpipes which feed into hydrants which feed into pumps. I have to know that in my home in in Beltoy, I have my own pump in my house to be able to pump water into my
house cuz the pressure is so poor. Yeah. >> So, is that what you're finding on this property at Seagate that not only does the pipes have to be replaced that there's just not enough pressure to be able to feed the hoses? >> So, hydraulically, this is a very good question because what I'm running into
is uh at trying to approve pumps as they're coming in for replacement. uh the we the water pressure here typically is 40 to 50 PSI coming out of the bulk maze and that's that's a lot of flow but when you have to you know move that up
10 stories 15 stories and uh feed uh the standpipe systems um that kind of limits what you can do. The fire pumps are tested to run at 150% of capacity that is and they have to be able to meet that in order to pass. Most of the fire pumps
in town aren't going to meet that requirement. They meet 100% and maybe 125 to 130%, but most of them aren't meeting that because of the water uh pressure that we have on the system. Now, they can increase the water pressure on the system. Um if we have a
a significant event, I just have to call them up. There's somebody there 24 hours a day. They can increase the pump and the flow. At both ends of the town, we have um valves that are closed currently because we have a closed system, but you can open those up. Bokeh's typical, and
that's where I came from, was anywhere in town, we were 70 to 80 PSI. Yes, that gives you a much better level of uh water availability. Um but what we have here is what we have here, and it is adequate for our our needs. Um this is
not tapping into anything that wasn't already being tapped. Um what we did is kind we instead of having four pumps which is what they had they had a separate pump for each building um we're using um two separate pumps two feed building um A and B and I mean one feeds
A and B and another uh feeds C and D. >> So 70 to 80 is what adjoining towns have as their pressure but we have 40 >> about be honest with you 40 to 50. Is there a reason why we just don't increase our pressure? Um I mean it puts
a lot more uh uh so increasing pressure can put stress on the system. Um and it's I don't think that we necessarily need to have it. I mean um I understand been doing this a long time the hydraulic requirements that we have. Um I know I can ask them to kick it up 10 PSI 15 PSI if we have a significant fire
event um where we need that pressure in that water. Uh but it certainly provides you know your domestic water pressure is going to be you know somewhere around 20 PSI. It's not you know and those are everybody's get I I've not heard of anybody having problem with their water
system for domestic water uh over on Belo. I'm not sure what the infrastructure there is. Um the hydrants are all fed off. >> So this so this request is for a new pump not a replacement pump or two pumps. >> So when you do a replacement pump you don't need approval. It's just a
replacement pump. Um, nope. You still have to get it building permit >> because in because when they were originally designed >> a lot of the stuff in this was in Highland Beach when they when the original designs I have no understanding of how things got approved. I think you know uh I don't want to say you know Ben
Franklin's and handshakes but you know I mean I don't know because there's stuff that's just not compliant here. just never was the NFPA1 13 which is the fire sprinkler standard you know and NFPA 14 which is the stand pipe standard NFPA20
is the fire pump standard those things have been like around for decades and hydraulics is hydraulics I mean you can go back you know hundreds of years right I mean water pressure all this stuff it's it's it is what it is you know um >> great mathematicians have figured all
that stuff out going back to Newton and whomever else right so the the point is um these things were some of these things here were done and installed and they weren't up to code. Um and so what
I have to do is try to put things in the best conditions possible and that's what I've tried to do with this submission. Um you know uh and that's kind of where where we landed. >> Thank you. >> I think a lot of people have questions. I have a question. So, I I'm I'm a
little concerned with the fact that it it does seem new. It doesn't seem like a replacement to me. And what what I read is according to the applicant, the current fire pump rooms in the four
buildings are insufficient to meet the National Fire Protection Agency code. Okay. >> And then that's according to the applicant. Okay. And then you wrote a letter of support, but it doesn't seem to me that your letter of support says
that this couldn't work. >> It can't. I can better explain if you'd like. >> So So I But okay, you could explain it now, but why doesn't your letter specifically say because I think this is going to set a precedent in this town.
and I want to know why your letter doesn't say um theirs doesn't work now and in order to replace it they have to meet the new code because we've had issues like that where you want to replace something and now it has to be brought up to the
current code and so it doesn't meet the code and this has to be done or they have to vacate their building. >> Well, >> why doesn't your letter say that? I'm just curious. Uh it was not put to me to put that in the letter when I did it for
the previous um board. So that was about variance and just the need of having to have these systems. Um as far as the construction of the existing rooms, the they're very small. They have the domestic water pump in there. They had a fire pump in there. That fire pump and
the controller, all the equipment that goes along with the controller, if you buy a controller now, will not fit into those rooms. >> Okay, I I get that. They could make the room bigger. What? whatever. But but what I'm saying to you is >> I I don't really care how they do it. It
doesn't bother me that they're putting a building there and taking out their supply room or whatever, >> but I would like it if your letter could be more supportive as to the reason that it has to be done because their current
system failed and they can't replace it without um meeting the new code and this is the only way they can meet the new code. I think that that's important for other buildings that would face this situation and it's just my opinion. So,
>> okay, >> I know you have a question. >> Um, my my question is I I hear you about the fire pump room and I think that's great. I am a little curious about what you talked about uh building uh more
pipes or changing more pipes from A1A up to the fire pump rig. Did I misunderstand that? Uh it's just the underground uh connections that are going to be even none of that is visible. It's all underground. >> And who pays for that? >> They do.
>> Why isn't that on town? Isn't that on town ground >> when you're tapping putting new taps in? Uh the tap from the tap in is respons. >> I don't make these rules. I don't make the rules about who pays and all that stuff, but that's that's
the way it works here. That's the way it worked when I was in both through from the tap uh to the main in is on the development or you know whoever the whoever's paying for the project >> because it's just benefiting their propert. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> True. Anybody? >> Yeah. >> The only question I have is a statement was made that um this location is the only location that it can fit on the property. The only place it can go on the property. Why why is that?
>> Uh the location might be able to change sliding up or down in the parking area. This area was already when when I was asked about that. Um it seemed that the area where they already had the storage and all those things wouldn't affect
parking. I don't know what the zoning requirements would be if you start affecting parking in the area because those that area was already designated for a purpose not for parking. Um, and they're really not going to they would still have to come in and go to you guys as a board uh to do any any wherever
they put it. It's it would be we'd be here anyway. >> I think the statement was made that though in the location that is proposed required a variance. >> Yes. >> No locations on the property that would not require a variance. >> There's a lot of open space in the
property. >> Yep. might have to move some parking spots around, but I'm just trying to understand that >> you can't move the parking spaces. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. All right. Well, then if you can't I'll let somebody else answer. >> Good morning everybody. Uh my name is
Jason Bordon. I am with ONS Associates and we are the engineering team behind the uh the proposed design here. Uh with respect to your specific question, uh one of the issues with the property that they dealt with is that all the parking spaces are deed parking spaces. They're
individually owned by the residents of the community. So they they weren't available for the use of the community in general. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, that answers the question. >> Any questions by the public? I don't see the public. Any questions by anyone in
the public to any of you? Okay. Does anybody else on the board have any questions for staff? >> Not really a question. I don't see what the problem is here. It's something they need to do. It's in an out of the way
corner that isn't affecting anybody's deed parking spot. It's not going to affect anybody else in Highland Beach. I think they're fortunate to have be able to hook in to the feeder in A1A in such
a short distance. So that helps them on cost for that point. I mean, >> I have one last question. >> Yeah. I don't understand why we wouldn't just approve this because it seems that they have all their ducks in a row to me. >> Uh it's for the assistant fire chief.
>> Yes. >> Just a a rough guess. Um a 14-inch pipe and a 10-in pipe on A1A, an 8 in pipe that goes to the uh building. If there was a series of fires,
how many buyers could the 14 and 10 feed with turning up the PSI going into 8 in pipes? Could you handle two, three, four? >> That is a question that uh I couldn't answer because you'd really have to go through a hydraulic calculation to determine what your water flows are. Um,
you know, that's an engineering question. I'm not >> I was just curious if you had a sense of Uh I mean the biggest fire that I was on as an example was when FAU uh FAU fire where they had built uh taken one of the old hangers and built a beautiful
building out of it and the day before they were christening the building and lightning hit it and the building was made out of the old giant uh timber uh that was soaked in creasset. you know, over the, you know, when it was originally built by the Air Force
>> and, uh, we had, you know, probably the we had six ladders on that pulling water from the hydrants over on FAU, though we're only coming off of 6 in mains. It was very limited water. And, uh, you know, we just, you know, you're going to have you're going to you're going to
suck the the pressure down even with bumping it up and having the level of pressure they had on in Bokeh um, down to zero pretty quickly. So, you know, a conflict a conflration, which is what you would be talking about if we had multiple buildings going on. Um, which, you know, obviously they had one in the
one in Hawaii, they've had them out in California, you know, with the Palisade fires, all that stuff. Uh, you know, people were talking about the, you know, there's there was no way they were going to hydraulically get water out of those pipes to control those fires. So, it's just, you know, I mean, it's just an
impossible situation. So um if you if you understand that you know you can understand why that fire was so devastating and it was wind driven and things like that. We we have to worry about wind wind driven fires here. Uh we get a lot of just this past week we had
uh pretty high winds right. So um wind wind driven fires and high-rise buildings is a difficult thing to deal with. Uh fortunately what's h fortunately you know a lot of the buildings have changed over to the uh storm windows and those are you know less likely to blow out where you would
have fire blowing out and moving up the building you know as it as it skips over the the balconies and you know the because people think that glass uh glass doesn't prevent the the heat radiant heat of fire from going through it. So,
um, that's why in you you go and look at some videos of high-rise buildings as it kind of goes up, you know, even if it's cladding or something that's on fire, like the one in England, you know, as it goes up, it's getting in interior because that heat penetrates through the glass and then catches stuff on fire
inside the building and it just keeps on going. Not enough water to put some of those things out. Just isn't. So, we try to, you know, you you you design a system. Um, in most buildings to, uh, commercial building, you're probably going to have maybe a dozen heads is
what you calculate going off to control a fire long enough for the fire department to get there. In a high-rise building, it's four to six. Um, in a high-rise residential, that's just kind of how they do it. And might be able to give you a little bit more insight on the engineering side of that, but, you
know, uh, I can't answer the question. Does anyone else have any questions? Len, I just have a question for you. Um, does it make any sense to have the fire marshall write a more supportive letter or you think it's not necessary?
>> No, I mean I think because >> fine. It's in the record. Okay, great. >> As the chief saying that was variance different, you know, >> okay, no testimony is on record. >> I'm satisfied. Um, the public hearing is
now closed. Um, is there a motion to recommend approval of the application to the town commission? >> I move that we recommend approval of the application to the town commission. >> Second.
>> Could we call the role? >> Member David. >> Yes. >> Member Axrod. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> Yes. >> Member Bobby? >> Yes. >> Member Powell? >> Yes. Chair, Vice Chairperson Rosen, >> yes. >> And chairperson Mson, >> yes.
>> Motion carries. >> Okay. >> I bet expensive process. >> I bet you can't even >> Oh, no. 2.2 >> 2.2 pushing 2.2 and that's on paper.
>> Are you the oldest condo? 1970. >> There's older ones. >> 4500, right? >> Okay. I think I have to do some more things here. >> Yeah, just announcement of >> announcements. Uh, okay. Well, we have another meeting, our regular meeting
right back here Thursday morning, 9:30. So, we'll see you all. And uh the meeting is adjourned at 9:59. >> See you Thursday. >> Renew. >> Absolutely. I think
there's one that was the first >> Oh, wait a second. a pig building. >> So, it's a pink building. >> It's a co-op.