Delray Beach board approves 5,597‑sq‑ft warehouse at 1215 Milford Street with one‑space parking reduction

The Delray Beach quasi‑judicial board on an unanimous vote of members present approved a level‑2 site plan (file 2023‑206) to construct a 5,597‑square‑foot, two‑story warehouse and office building at 1215 Milford Street and granted a one‑space parking reduction.

The project, located in the Wallace Drive redevelopment area in the MIC zoning district near I‑95, requires seven parking spaces under city code; the applicant proposed six. City staff and the applicant cited a parking‑generation study based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) manual that calculated four spaces for the proposed mix of light industrial and small office/warehouse use and supported the requested reduction.

Board members said the design and buffering addressed their principal concerns. The board found that the proposal met the positive‑finding requirements in the Land Development Regulations and was consistent with the comprehensive plan, and it approved the site plan, architectural elevations and landscape plan with the parking reduction.

Kristin Nowicki, representing WGI and the applicant team, presented the application and said the site is a roughly half‑acre corner parcel at Milford Street and Gwensell Avenue in a developing industrial area. She said the plan proposes two tenant bays, mezzanine office space, and 6 on‑site parking stalls; the highest point of the building would be 33 feet. Nowicki noted that a 12.5‑foot right‑of‑way dedication along Milford Street reduced the usable area of the lot by about 1,500 square feet and influenced the building placement and driveway locations.

Jaime Mayo of H&M Architecture described the façade treatment and materials, saying the design adds fenestration, recesses and color planes to break up the overhead‑door elevations. Alexi Howell, senior planner for the city, summarized the staff review: the site is vacant (a single‑family home was demolished in 2022), the parcel is in the MIC zoning district, and prior approvals include a setback variance (east interior side reduced from 10 feet to 5 feet) approved by the Board of Adjustment in 2023 and a waiver allowing overhead doors to face the right‑of‑way approved by the City Commission in 2024.

Howell explained the parking analysis in detail to the board: the code requires seven spaces (3 per 1,000 sq. ft. for general industrial and 1 per 1,000 for storage/warehouse, per staff summary), the applicant provided an engineering parking study that used ITE parking generation rates and calculated that four spaces would be sufficient for the proposed uses, and the requested one‑space reduction is allowed by LDR criteria when supported by professional documentation and justified findings.

Board members asked about visibility and impacts to the adjacent single‑family property to the east. Board member Linda Perdau said the side elevation facing the residence “seems cold” because of solid walls but acknowledged the overall design. The applicant and staff said there are no openings on the east elevation facing the house and that the plan includes a four‑foot fence, a five‑foot hedge, multiple shade trees and palms to provide screening; Nowicki responded “I would say, yes” when asked whether visibility from the residence would be minimal. Staff noted the proposed buffer and a solid wall would minimize nuisances and noise from the industrial use.

Board member Billenois said, “I like the design,” and indicated he had no objection to the single‑space parking reduction. Other members echoed approval of the architecture and the buffer strategy. One board member asked whether the loading spaces in front of overhead doors could count toward parking; staff clarified that required loading spaces are not counted as parking in the LDR and are not part of the reduction justification.

A motion to approve the level‑2 site plan, architectural elevations, landscape plan and the one‑space parking reduction (file 2023‑206) was made, seconded and carried. The roll call recorded votes of yes from Wenski Villanueva, Robert Lewis, Linda Perdau and Annette Gray; Jose Alvarez and Christina Morrison were absent. The board’s action was announced as unanimous among members present.

The applicant indicated the engineer and landscape architect of record were present for follow‑up questions. The board meeting closed with routine announcements; no additional project updates were presented.