Historic Preservation Board approves temporary childcare at Flamingo Park with scheduled progress checks

Historic Preservation Board members voted 4-1 on June 13 to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for a temporary modular child-care facility to be sited within Flamingo Park, subject to design modifications and a schedule for progress reports.

Board members approved the project after staff and the applicant revised the plans to break the building massing into three modules, extend an entry canopy and avoid a stair reorientation that could harm an existing ficus tree. The board added a reporting requirement: the applicant must provide a progress report at issuance of a certificate of occupancy and every 18 months thereafter.

The temporary facility is proposed north of the existing playground in the area designated for the park’s butterfly garden. Colette Satchel of the city’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) program said staff selected the site to minimize long-term impacts on park trees and to preserve flexibility to restore landscape after removal of the modular building. "The city has allocated, I think, $1,800,000 for the construction of this project," Satchel said during the meeting.

Architect Matt Polak of Chisholm Architects described revised plans that separate the structure into multiple modular units to reduce perceived massing and improve light in classrooms. Polak said the design uses elevated pilings and column footings—rather than a continuous concrete slab—to raise the modules to required flood elevations while limiting disruption to tree root systems.

Staff told the board the structure would account for about 0.22% of the park’s total area, and that the modular design is intended to be removable so the site can be restored when the temporary use ends. The city also noted ongoing plans for a permanent location: the GEO Bond program has budgeted funds for rebuilding the Flamingo Park Youth/"Powell" facility and the intent is for a future permanent child-care space to be integrated there.

Speakers at the public hearing were sharply divided. Supporters — including the Rainbow Intergenerational Learning Center’s director Annie Benedetti, several parents and city employees who use the center — described high local demand and reliance on the center’s low-cost, neighborhood-based services. Benedetti said the center has a long wait list and that many families walk or bike to the site.

Opponents and nearby residents, including David McKinney and neighbors from Atlantic Way, urged the board to protect the park’s green space and requested stronger guarantees that the siting is temporary. Several board members said they shared that concern and pressed for an enforceable schedule; staff warned that the board’s authority to impose a hard sunset is limited once a structure receives a building permit and certificate of occupancy under the Florida Building Code.

To respond, the board approved the Certificate of Appropriateness with these material conditions: (1) the entry canopy shall be extended to the north beyond the building wall (but need not wrap around the north side); (2) the condition recommending stair reorientation was removed to avoid harm to the ficus tree; and (3) the applicant must provide progress reports beginning at issuance of the certificate of occupancy and every 18 months thereafter, with an initial check-in requirement if the project is not complete by a date the board will track.

City staff said the temporary facility will be constructed on pilings with column footings, will include required plumbing and electrical work to meet current code, and must comply with the Florida Building Code foundation and tie-down requirements for modular construction.

The board’s roll call on the motion was: Mr. Ehrlich — yes; Mr. Breslin — yes; Ms. Lovell — yes; Mr. Reid — no; Ms. Laura Weinstein Berman (Acting Chairperson) — yes. The motion was made by Board member Lindsey (first name only in transcript) and seconded by Mr. Breslin.

The board’s action allows the city to move forward with procurement and permitting for the temporary modular building; staff said the city expects the temporary facility to be ready for occupancy in late winter/early spring 2024 if the schedule holds. The GEO Bond program director told the board the permanent youth center project is funded separately, and that planners intend to incorporate a permanent child-care space in that future facility, after which the temporary modular building would be removed.