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Council affirms Singing Pines historic designation applies to structure, not the land, and preserves status after clarifying ordinance
Summary
By unanimous vote the council confirmed that the 1988 historic designation for the Merrick/’Singing Pines’ house applies to the building itself — not automatically to the underlying parcel — and added clarifying language while reaffirming the structure's protected status.
The Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 9 adopted ordinance 57-47 to clarify that the 1988 historic designation for the property known as Singing Pines (the Merrick–Williams House) applies specifically to the building rather than to the underlying land. The council added a clarifying sentence that reaffirmed the structure’s historic status "irrespective of its physical location," and said the city supports relocating the building if necessary to enhance public access and programming.
Historic background and staff findings Planning staff recounted the structure’s history: built in 1914 by William Merrick, sold in 1917 to the Reis family and later associated with Lillian Williams, the house was moved to its current site at 40498 Crawford Boulevard in 1976 and restored by the Junior League with city assistance. The historic preservation board recommended designation in 1988, which the council adopted as ordinance 37-28. Staff said the original ordinance included a legal description of the parcel only as an administrative locator and that the legislative record did not show an intent to designate the underlying land.
Council action and rationale The council unanimously approved clarifying language to preserve the building’s protected status and to expressly state that the ability to relocate the structure is intended to enhance public activities and use of the building. Peter Begovich, senior planner and historic preservation liaison, presented the city's research tracing the property's ownership and the house’s significance to the city’s early history. The council noted the clarification preserves protections while allowing flexibility for future public-use planning.
What this does and does not do Ordinance 57-47 does not remove the structure’s historic designation. It clarifies the scope of the 1988 designation as applying to the building. The council later noted the proposed physical move of the house to Meadows Park is on hold pending decisions in the downtown redevelopment process; council action on the designation is independent of the relocation discussion.
