Planning board recommends CityPlace CPD amendment and 400‑room hotel with conditions after debate over parking, pedestrian safety and noise

The West Palm Beach Planning Board on June 16 recommended the City Commission approve a major amendment to the CityPlace Commercial Planned Development (CPD) and a level‑three site plan for an 18‑story, 400‑room full‑service hotel at 900 South Rosemary Avenue. The board’s recommendation included approval of three requested waivers and was unanimous; the matter moves next to two readings before the City Commission.

The application, presented by Tyler Woolsey of Shutts & Bowen on behalf of the property owner/developer, would create a new “Convention Center District” subarea within the CityPlace CPD and add subarea development regulations to allow the hotel, associated restaurants, roughly 20,000 square feet of meeting space and rooftop amenity decks. The applicant said the site is part of a public‑private partnership with Palm Beach County; the proposal depends on an agreement to use spaces in the Palm Beach County Convention Center garage for roughly 335–350 hotel parking spaces and existing Hilton valet relocation. The applicant described projected economic benefits including developer‑provided estimates of more than $120 million in annual spending, more than 1,000 jobs (including construction and permanent positions), and increased bed and sales tax revenue; those numbers were presented as the applicant’s projections.

Staff (Principal Planner Chris Camley) recommended approval, finding the proposal complies with CityPlace district standards and applicable site‑plan criteria and noting the project is subject to 20 staff conditions in the staff report. The three waivers sought were: (1) a reduction in required active use glazing/linier on level two; (2) a reduction in required ground‑floor active use frontage on an L Street frontage; and (3) a small reduction in the 50‑ft corner clearance for the private Kiwi Street driveway to accommodate an oversized two‑lane valet queuing area the applicant says will safely hold six vehicles (150‑foot queue) and provide a bypass lane.

The hearing included an extended public comment period with both organized supporters and neighborhood opponents. Supporters included Michael Zeff, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, and representatives from Discover The Palm Beaches (Heather Andrews and Milton Segarra), who said the hotel would strengthen the convention center’s competitiveness and support tourism. Zeff told the board the Chamber’s government affairs committee and board voted unanimously to support the project: "this hotel will be a critical tourism asset for our growing convention center." Andrews and Segarra said resident sentiment research shows broad community awareness of tourism’s economic role.

Opponents—including Grandview Heights Neighborhood Association representatives, residents of nearby CityPlace South Tower and adjacent single‑family homes—urged denial or stronger conditions, focusing on pedestrian safety along Rosemary and across the tunnel connection, valet circulation on Kiwi/Alabama/L Street, late‑night noise from outdoor amenity decks and an event ballroom, light spill and privacy impacts for nearby residences, and construction‑period impacts. Grandview Heights’ letter (submitted June 14) recommended denial unless a long list of neighborhood mitigation measures are adopted. Tracy Worster, who lives closest to the site, asked for stronger sound mitigation and a permanent, enforceable late‑night cutoff; she said the two community priorities were "noise and the safety of that valet area" and pressed the board for measures she said would avoid safety hazards.

In response, the applicant reiterated traffic analysis findings and the county garage capacity (more than 2,600 spaces today), offered voluntary conditions including raised crosswalks, rapid rectangular flashing beacons, traffic calming measures on Alabama and L streets, an at‑grade connection and bollards to route wheeled traffic out of the pedestrian tunnel, a voluntary restriction to end outdoor amplified sound at 10:00 p.m., and enhanced shielding and placement of exterior lighting. The applicant said an acoustical analysis was underway and would be provided to staff and the public before City Commission review.

Board members expressed sympathy for neighbors’ concerns while noting staff had recommended approval and that some project features (off‑site parking, pedestrian improvements and voluntary conditions) are intended to address those concerns. After discussion the board voted unanimously to recommend approval of both the major amendment and the level‑three site plan with the conditions in the staff report.

Next step: the application will proceed to City Commission for two readings; staff and the developer indicated additional technical reports (including acoustical analysis) will be filed with the record before Commission hearings.