By Mary Thurwachter
When 3550 South Ocean opened in 2019, developers boasted that the six-story structure offered opulence unlike anything South Palm Beach had seen, with concierge service, a dog park and VIP access to the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa. Every unit came with an ocean view.
Building across from Town Hall on land previously occupied by the Hawaiian Inn, an icon that was demolished in 2015, developers squeezed every inch of the property to erect 30 luxury units that sold for between $3 million and $7 million each.
To meet the 60-space parking requirements, 25 mechanical parking lifts were installed. The ocean views and concierge service are still there, but the lifts haven’t fared well. Only four of them still work.
That’s what brought representatives of the condominium, located as its names suggests at 3550 S. Ocean Blvd., to the Town Council meeting June 10. They asked for a variance to remove the mechanical lifts and to reduce the minimum required off-street parking spaces from 60 to 47. A second variance permits the condo association to reconfigure the parking layout to allow for valet-operated tandem parking.
Both variances were granted after representatives of the 3550 South Ocean Condominium Association made their pitch.
Attorney Janice Ruskin of Lewis, Longman & Walker, representing the association, said the changes were needed for several reasons.
“These variances are necessary due to unique conditions affecting the property, including the prior installation of mechanical parking lifts by the original developer,” Ruskin said.
“The mechanical parking lifts have proven to be unsafe, inefficient and incompatible with modern vehicles. The requested relief is supported by a professional parking accumulation study, national and regional planning data and a revised parking plan.”
Karen Mazurek, property manager for the condominium association, said the lifts, ruined by exposure to salt and sand, have reached the end of their life expectancies (five to seven years) and are rarely used.
Council members Sandra Beckett and Monte Berendes questioned whether the association had considered adding a second floor for parking. But Ruskin said the plan presented was what the association wanted.
Association representatives said 47 parking spaces were adequate and that there hasn’t been a need for more.
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