Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation Roofing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Historic board approves metal roof for 19 South Swinton Avenue with option to use metal shingle
Summary
The Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board approved a certificate of appropriateness and level-1 site-plan for 19 South Swinton Avenue to replace aging asphalt shingles with a metal roof; the board recommended a metal shingle as the preferred material but allowed standing-seam as acceptable.
The Historic Preservation Board on Sept. 17 approved a certificate of appropriateness and level-1 site-plan for 19 South Swinton Avenue to replace an aging asphalt shingle roof with a metal roofing system. The board voted to allow a standing-seam metal roof but indicated a metal shingle (three-dimensional/architectural shingle in metal) would better preserve the building's historic character.
Why it matters: The house sits inside the Old School Square Historic District, and the board applied the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and local visual compatibility rules to determine whether the proposed material change would be appropriate. The applicant said the existing roof is at the end of its useful life and sought a long-lived replacement.
Lee Cohen, speaking for the owners, told the board the property is "about a half a block South Of Atlantic on Swinton Ave" and described the proposal as "a request for a level 1 site plan application for material and color change for the roof." He said, "the current roof is asphalt shingle roof, and we would like to install a new mill finish standing seam metal roof. It is only for the material that's being changed. There is no modifications to the existing shape or the pitch of the roof." Michelle Hewitt, planner, explained the property's history and noted metal roofing had been used case-by-case in the district but that asphalt shingle would be the most historically compatible material in some cases.
Board members discussed whether to require a metal shingle (which staff said could be handled administratively) or to approve standing-seam metal. Commissioner Benjamin Baffer warned the board that "it is changing the historic character of the building" but said he supported the metal roof. Cost considerations were raised by the applicant and discussed by board members and staff; staff advised the board that cost is not a criterion in applying code standards and that the board should decide based on compatibility.
Outcome and next steps: The board approved the certificate of appropriateness (COA HP000096-2025) and the level-1 site-plan for 19 South Swinton Avenue, finding the request consistent with the comprehensive plan and land-development regulations. The board also instructed staff that a metal shingle would be an acceptable administrative alternative; however, approving a standing-seam roof would not automatically authorize metal shingle unless the motion specified it. The vote was recorded in roll call as all members present voting yes.
The property owner may proceed to permit following the board action. Staff noted that if the applicant elects to pursue metal shingle rather than standing seam, that material could be reviewed under administrative authority rather than returning to the board.
The board's decision preserves flexibility for the applicant while documenting that the board considered visual compatibility and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards in reaching its approval.
