Riviera Beach board approves site plan for new Fire Station 86 and 1,000,000‑gallon water tank on North Ocean Drive

The Riviera Beach Planning & Zoning Board voted unanimously to approve site plan SP240028, allowing the city to build a new three‑story, two‑bay Fire Station 86 and a companion 1,000,000‑gallon water tank and pump house at 5010 and 5020 North Ocean Drive.

Senior planner Juan Suarez said staff found the project consistent with the city comprehensive plan and local code and recommended the board forward approval to the city council. The application includes site specific conditions and a phased construction plan intended to keep the water tank in service while the new tank and pump house are built.

John Kirk, fire chief, described technical and resilience drivers behind the design and cost. He said the fire station portion of the project is priced at $15,000,000 and the water tank and associated works add material cost. “When we have a 7, 8, 10, 12 foot storm surge, this station is designed to allow the water to flow through the First Floor,” Kirk said, describing flood‑resilience features such as louvers, elevated finished floor and rooftop mechanical placement.

Kirk said the station layout places apparatus and operations on the ground floor, six individual bunkrooms on the second floor, and day‑room, kitchen and administrative functions on the third floor. He also said the project follows FEMA guidance developed after Hurricane Ian for barrier‑island municipal facilities and that pilings for the site must extend roughly 45 feet to reach stable support.

Resident Scott Lewis, who submitted a public comment card, said he was concerned about cost and compared the Riviera project to recent Palm Beach County stations. “The 2 fire stations really upset me, because they were $25,000,000 a piece,” Lewis said, and urged decision makers to scrutinize design elements he described as discretionary.

City manager Jonathan Evans and Chief Kirk answered cost and site‑selection questions. Evans said the city evaluated alternative locations and property acquisitions but faced cost and community opposition; one option cited in the meeting had an estimated $10,000,000 acquisition cost for a bank site. Evans also said the city uses an owner's representative on capital projects and will present a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) to council on July 2; if approved that GMP will set the contract amount.

Project specifics discussed during the hearing included a phased sequence that keeps a water tank in service while the new tank and pump house are built and switched online, then allows decommissioning of the old tank and construction of the station. Projected completion for all phases was identified as first quarter 2028 if approvals and procurement proceed on schedule.

Board members asked about elevation, accessibility for apparatus, wetland buffers, sidewalks, internal amenities and construction timing. City engineer Terrence Bailey said designers maximized the building elevation so apparatus can exit without bottoming out and noted the site will be above the 100‑year and 500‑year flood plain for normal events but that extreme surge scenarios may still inundate the first floor.

A motion to approve site plan SP240028 as presented was made, seconded and passed unanimously with recorded votes: Margaret Shepherd — yes; Lucy Joseph — yes; Renee Burgess — yes; Frank Fernandez — yes; Chair Wiley — yes. The board’s action advances the project to council consideration of construction contracting and GMP approval.