West Palm Beach planning board backs rezoning for Apogee tower at 4906 North Flagler Drive

The West Palm Beach Planning Board on Jan. 22 recommended approval of rezoning and waivers for the Apogee residential development at 4906 North Flagler Drive (planning board case 1965), voting unanimously to forward the application to the City Commission for final consideration.

Rick Green, Development Services Director for the City of West Palm Beach, told the board that city staff and neighborhood residents had prompted a broader study of the North Flagler corridor and that an overlay district is being drafted to guide future redevelopment. "We are working on a draft code amendment for an overlay district, which you will see," Green said, adding the overlay will be brought back to the planning board and then the city commission for two hearings.

The applicant team, represented by Brian Seymour, attorney with the Gunster law firm, and John Roche, land planner with Gunster, said they revised the proposal after prior feedback. Seymour said the most recent design changes reduced the tower footprint and parking: "Following the direction, what you've seen tonight is a reduction. It is now not 46, but 36 units. It is now a 21 story tower of 235 feet 2 inches, and 99 parking spaces with, only 82 now…