Board recommends approval to allow midnight outdoor dining for Sunday Village on South Swinton

The Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board voted July 1 to recommend approval of a conditional use that would allow outdoor dining at night — until midnight — for five restaurants within the Sunday Village historic structures along South Swinton Avenue.

Agent Mike Covelli presented the request, saying the patios and decks were part of the originally approved site plan and that the change would extend hours, not alter the physical site. "Extending the night hours will activate Swinton Avenue farther south from Atlantic. It will bring eyes on the street. It will create some natural surveillance," Covelli said.

Staff summarized the file (HP-492-2026) and told the board the zoning (Old School Square Historic Arts District) and land-development regulations permit outdoor dining at night through a conditional use, noting nearby approvals already allow midnight operations. Principal planner Michelle Hoyland told members that similar approvals, including across the street at Docks, permit operation until midnight and that the conditional use typically runs with the restaurant use; if a new tenant proposes later hours, a separate late-night approval would be required.

During public comment, resident George Long said he supported nighttime activity and recounted a prior period when late-night openings had helped neighborhood vitality. No party offered formal rebuttal.

Board members asked whether the approval would permit amplified entertainment and how the conditional use would apply if a tenant changed. Staff said noise and entertainment controls remain in force and speakers would have to be disclosed as part of approval. After discussion, a motion to recommend approval to the Planning & Zoning Board passed on a roll-call vote recorded as 7–0 in favor.

The recommendation will proceed to the Planning & Zoning Board for its review; a final decision rests with the City Commission if the item advances.