News

By Brian Biggane

South Palm Beach Vice Mayor Monte Berendes is the kind of legislator who typically sticks to his convictions: Once he takes a stance, he holds onto it. So, the fact Berendes has flip-flopped on a key issue regarding the new Town Hall in recent weeks is indicative of the uncertainty running through the Town Council as it attempts to finalize plans going forward.

When council members and town staff conducted meetings with CPZ Architects in late 2024 and early this year, Berendes initially came out in favor of a two-story building. Further along, as the plans started coming together, he switched to the three-story option.

“When I looked at the designs there was no question in my mind,” Berendes said after an April 4 workshop with architect Joe Barry. “I looked at (the three-story concept) and said, ‘Now that’s a nice building.’”

At the regular council meeting five days later that featured another discussion on the pros and cons of the two options, Berendes had changed his mind again.

“Listening to us here, we’re all leaning toward the two-story concept,” Berendes said near the end of the 35-minute back-and-forth. “And residents are telling me they all kind of want that.”

While fewer than 20 residents turned out April 4 for the one opportunity the public was given to meet with Barry and get a detailed look at the CPZ proposals, a majority took the microphone and voiced disapproval.

Their concerns ranged from potential flooding around the proposed 37 parking spaces, to the idea that a three-story structure would impinge on the privacy of neighboring condos, to questioning the need for common spaces to stage events like yoga classes, to whether the proposed space for the building’s first-floor PBSO office suited Sgt. Mark Garrison and his staff. (It does.)

When the council met five days later, it was Berendes who suggested a shower would be a good idea in case of an emergency such as a hurricane, and Town Manager Jamie Titcomb moved that the Building Department office be moved from the second to the first floor, where it is housed in the current building.

Some residents even questioned whether there really is a need for a new building, or whether the current structure could be updated for less money. That prompted longtime Mayor Bonnie Fischer to explain engineers have deemed a retrofit would cost more than the $6 million to $7 million the new building will cost, and the decision to replace the existing structure goes back many years and through many town councils.

A breakdown of the three-story building proposed by CPZ:

First floor: 37 parking spaces, PBSO office, lobby, patio;

Second floor: Town staff offices, a storage room, council office, conference rooms;

Third floor: Multipurpose rooms for community classes and events, council chambers, a 1,500-square-foot room, kitchen, balcony.

The two-story structure would have a smaller footprint but elongated levels, meaning the two structures would have almost the same square footage. The advantage of putting the public activities on the third floor is giving better views and vistas for those activities.

Though it would be a narrow view, residents would be high enough to see the ocean from the top story of the three-story building.

There were conflicting opinions regarding the idea of having a coffee shop. Council member Ray McMillan saw it as a gathering spot for residents and pushed it as “a good idea,” while Berendes expressed concern its popularity might quickly disappear and cost the town money in the long run.

Fischer, who has been a proponent of the three-story building all along, said the idea of a thriving community center has the potential to bring residents together much more than is currently the case.

“One thing I’ve noticed since I’ve been mayor is how rewarding it is to have the residents involved in activities, and the feedback is always great,” she said. “We get to know people in the community instead of sticking with our own buildings. I really feel the third floor is very important to us.”

Barry and CPZ will return for another go-round at the regular council meeting on May 13, when a vote on the proposals is possible, though not likely.

Berendes said what the council needs to remember is what the scope of the project has been since the start.

“You don’t build a building for today,” he said. “This is a building that will hopefully be around for a long time: 50 years, 30 years. So, we’re building for the future. Please keep that in mind when you say, ‘Oh, we don’t need this, we don’t need that.’ Maybe in 10 or 15 years you will wish you had it.”