July 24, 2025 • 26 mins
West Palm Beach is on fire with new business, new growth, and breathtaking new buildings. What is it about West Palm that makes this happen? We’ll explore the process of how an inspiration can go from the drawing board to reality and learn just how complex the process really is. With Assistant City Administrator Armando Fana.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(22:56:57):
Welcome to the City Center Podcast. I'm
Jerry Morisolo. West Palm Beach is on
fire with new business, new growth, and
breathtaking new buildings.
But why is it happening in this city?
What makes us so attractive?
We'll explore the phenomenon and learn
how developments go from
the drawing board to reality.
(22:57:18):
Next on the City Center Podcast.
And joining us today is Armando Fauna,
Assistant City Administrator for the City
of West Palm Beach. Armando, welcome.
Thanks, Jerry. Great to be here.
Now, West Palm Beach seems to be a
favorite with world-class developers.
(22:57:40):
They're all flocking here.
The question that comes to
mind is, why are we so popular?
Well, what's not to love, right? I mean,
West Palm Beach has become almost the
place to be when it
comes to South Florida.
Miami's been growing for a long time.
It's sort of almost grown out. Fort
Lauderdale and Broward County, definitely
there is nowhere else to develop.
(22:58:00):
West Palm Beach is always kind of the
stepchild of the town of Palm Beach.
And so we've stepped up on our own now,
particularly post-COVID. It became just a
really popular place for people to come
get out of the
Northeast, get out of the cold.
Even during the summertime, the COVID
changed everything. Folks came here. A
lot of them stayed during the
(22:58:21):
hot months of the summertime
where they thought it was almost
unbearable, and they realized, you know
what? They got air conditioning there.
Things functioned just the way they do in
New York and maybe a little bit better.
And I think a lot of the folks that I've
spoken to who have actually immigrated
here from New York and other parts of the
Northeast and even California,
realize that the summers are not that
much worse than they are in other places
in the country, and that we have so many
(22:58:43):
more amenities than what folks thought.
I always like to say we're a small town
with a big town amenities.
We have world-class restaurants. We've
got entertainment districts. We have the
Kravitz Center, which is fantastic.
The Norton Museum of Arts. We have a lot
of amenities that towns of this size or
(22:59:04):
cities of this size
may not have typically.
And everything is so easy to get to. I
mean, no matter almost where you are in
the city, you're five to 10 minutes away
from an international airport.
You're close to getting to the other
cities where it was jumping on Bright
Line. You can go to Orlando. You can go
to Fort Lauderdale to Miami.
So there's just so many options. It's
very central to get to
(22:59:25):
anywhere in the state.
And it's just an attractive place to be.
And I think folks have figured that out.
We've always were attracted. We had many
of these items that you
just mentioned already in play.
But it seems like you pointed out that
the COVID pandemic is what really sort of
shined a light on West Palm Beach.
Yeah, it really did. I mean, that changed
(22:59:46):
everything. It was a game.
Unfortunately, it was a pandemic.
So there's nothing positive about that.
But at the end of the day, it did bring a
lot of people into this area who normally
wouldn't come,
especially during the summer once.
And they realize that it's a great place
to be all year round,
not just for the winter.
So a lot of people sort of discovered
West Palm Beach at that particular point.
One of the things that I wanted to talk
(23:00:06):
to you about is that not only is it a
very attractive place, but it's also a
good place to do business.
Tell us why West Palm Beach has sort of
taken that tack that we
were business friendly.
Yeah, absolutely. As more people moved
here and realized that this is a nice
place to live all year round, I think
businesses have also realized that.
First of all, you have the tax advantages
(23:00:27):
that all of Florida has compared to some
other states where there
is no state income tax.
Generally, Florida is a business friendly
state as compared to some other states.
And I think businesses are realizing that
and flocking here in many ways.
But the city of West Palm Beach in
particular, when I speak with individuals
who have done business here at
corporations, one thing they always say
(23:00:48):
is we are friendly in terms of being able
to sit down with staff in the city or
with the mayor and talk through ideas and
what their vision is for what they want
to bring to the city.
And that we are open to listening and we
are opening trying to make those visions
come a reality within the parameters that
we have in the code.
(23:01:09):
But other places I have heard where it is
just difficult even to get a meeting, we
try to be very open.
Matter of fact, we try to encourage those
individuals who want to open up a
business, who want to create a
development opportunity to come to us
early so that we can talk through some of
the challenges and some of the benefits
that we may offer as a city.
(23:01:30):
And identify things early on so we are
not hit with surprises or they are not
hit with surprises
midway through the process.
So we are very open and encouraging in a
sense of just having an open door policy
for individuals in business to discuss
what they want to do.
So if a developer comes to you with an
idea, what is involved?
(23:01:50):
What are the steps in the process of
going from the drawing on the napkin to
something that is really happening?
Yeah, that is a great question.
There is a multiple number of steps you
take, but the first one that we try to
encourage is to have a
pre-development meeting.
And that is where we get all of our
disciplines that typically
we would review a project.
(23:02:12):
So it would be the land management part
of it, I should say
the land use part of it.
So development services, our city
planners, the zoning, whether zoning will
accommodate what they want to do.
And then we also look at utilities, what
types of utilities are going to need to
be brought in or created for particular
(23:02:33):
projects, especially
large scale projects.
Do we have sufficient
infrastructure to support it?
What kind of traffic would
this type of a use generate?
So it is good to have those
pre-development meetings to go
over those big picture issues.
And then a site plan is
created by the developer.
And that site plan is submitted, which
(23:02:56):
then gets into more of the details.
It goes from the napkin to a piece of
paper with the details, sometimes civil
engineering plans that then lay out how
the project will fit within the actual
site, what types of utilities they might
need, the size of the pipes, the
elevations, those kind of things.
(23:03:17):
And then that gets submitted again to a
committee within the city that looks at
it and gives comments to the developer
about what things need to be corrected
potentially or where they
see might be some challenges.
There's some back and
forth that takes place.
And depending on the size of the project,
it's a small project that generally
(23:03:38):
doesn't take very long.
Larger projects could take many, many
months of drawings coming in, our staff
giving their opinions or their comments
on them, what needs to be changed.
And then they address those comments.
And then there may be some back and forth
for several months before there is a
final site plan product that can then go
(23:03:59):
through the approval process.
And the approval process may
depend on where it's located.
In some cases it goes, for example,
downtown has a downtown action committee,
which is a citizen committee that
actually goes through the site plan,
looks at the requirements within
downtown, and then decides whether or not
that site plan meets the requirements of
(23:04:21):
the zoning within downtown.
Other districts may go to
the planning and zoning board.
Others may go to city commission.
It depends on the location sometimes as
well as what types of development it is
and what they're
looking for from the city.
If they provide a product or a project
that is by right, that it meets the code
(23:04:44):
exactly, they may not have to go through
any approvals besides an administrative
approval with the city staff.
So it's absolutely not
an overnight process.
There are many different stages.
A lot of stuff happens with the staff
behind the scenes, as it were.
And once it's fleshed out, it's – and
then it goes through, as you point out,
(23:05:04):
an approval process that involves both
experts and citizens
that are taking part.
So it's a long, long haul.
And sometimes experts,
citizens, and elected officials.
So there's times where there was multiple
public hearings as well.
Now, one of the things you mentioned,
early on – very early in the process,
there is a discussion of land
use and how land is classified.
(23:05:26):
And that particular point follows through
the entire approval process.
Tell us a little bit about how a parcel
of land is marked for a certain style of
building or type of building.
Right. Yeah. Good.
So the city is divided – all cities are
divided up into zones that are classified
based on the types of
(23:05:47):
use that are allowed.
So, for example, you may have residential
districts – I should say districts
instead of zones, but residential
districts, you have commercial districts.
You may have a mixed-use district where
you can have a little bit of both.
We also have industrial areas as well.
Not a whole lot here in the city of West
Palm Beach, but we have a few.
And then, depending on the types of uses
that are allowed in that specific
(23:06:07):
district, that's what
the developer can do.
So, you know, sometimes they're, "Why do
they allow this type of project here?"
It's because that's what the
zoning code will allow for.
So it's not like you can just plop a
building in the middle of a single-family
home district, for example.
Right.
Or even a residential district, you may
not be able to have
commercial properties or projects.
(23:06:29):
So – and that's a
process that we go through.
And it gets tweaked here and there.
For example, right now we're going
through the Downtown
Master Plan revision.
So we've had a consultant that has come
out and has been working with citizens,
with other stakeholders like developers,
and other stakeholders throughout the
(23:06:50):
city to get feedback on what
modifications, if any, we should look at
within our downtown and
our Downtown Master Plan.
And that will determine some things like
uses, but also setback requirements.
So how far a building or a structure is
set back from the street, things like
height, different zoning requirements
(23:07:11):
that periodically need to be
revisited as the city grows,
as the city changes,
our population changes.
We need to – probably every 10 years,
you need to be looking at your zoning
code to see what changes need to be made.
What limitations do we have on buildings
that may be not
suitable for our landscape?
(23:07:32):
Someone comes to you and says, "We want
to build a 75-floor
building." What would happen then?
Well, it depends on the
location, a lot of it.
So downtown has a lot more flexibility
because we want a dense downtown.
That's another thing I think people
understand is part of the strategy with
any urban area is to create density
(23:07:53):
within that urban area
so that you have a multitude of uses
within that density so that individuals
can live, work, and play
within that same general zone.
And that's generally
going to be urban downtown.
So, you know, as folks, you hear
sometimes the complaints about getting in
and out of downtown traffic wise, right?
But the whole idea is to create that
density in downtown.
(23:08:14):
And we have right now more residents
within downtown than we've ever had.
So we have people who are living
downtown, who are working downtown, who
never even have to get into a car.
So creating that is ideal.
But yes, if you want to build a structure
that is not allowable
under the zoning code,
whether that's because of the way it's
(23:08:35):
shaped or the height or the type of use,
then it just simply gets rejected.
Now, there are some times where you can
get a variance which
is built into the code,
the process for getting a variance and
where variances may occur.
As an example, if you are proposing a
building on an irregular size lot or odd
(23:08:57):
shaped lot where our zoning code is just
not conducive to something
getting built on that lot,
then you can request a variance for the
setbacks from the sidewalk or there might
be other landscaping or there might be
other variances that you can request
because otherwise that lot makes it empty
for a very long time.
And so that's the reason for variances.
(23:09:19):
It's not a way really
to get around the code.
It's meant for when there is a difficulty
with a particular site to be able to
develop it because of its shape, because
of its where it's located.
So there has to be some
flexibility built into the code.
Otherwise, you'd have a lot of parcels
that would get undeveloped,
which is not good for the city,
not good for the city in terms of not
(23:09:40):
just the tax base that's
created when you have a new project,
but not good for even like how the
citizens interact with the city.
We're very mindful about how buildings
look, how they interact
with the public realm.
And so you need to have some flexibility
to make sure you can make these tweaks,
so the developer can make the tweaks
working with the city to make the best
(23:10:01):
possible product for that site.
There's generally not a
100% one size fits all.
You mentioned residents and the public.
What sort of voice do they have in the
decision making process as far as
buildings are concerned?
So that's a great question
because we get that a lot.
I mean, we have the downtown master plan
process that I talked
(23:10:21):
about that is occurring now.
We've had extensive outreach on that, and
we've had great participation, both
citizens coming to feedback meetings.
We've had online polls that have been
done, surveys, I should say, to get that
feedback from the public on those changes
into the downtown master plan.
And then when there's variances requests
that come in from a project,
(23:10:44):
if they have to go through a public
approval process, and most variances do,
either through one of the citizen boards
or through the city commission,
number one, the boards are made up of
citizens who have been appointed.
But they also use typically as an
opportunity there for public comment.
So citizens can come out and voice their
concerns or maybe their
(23:11:06):
support for a project,
both at these boards, whether it's the
downtown action committee
or planning and zoning board,
or they can do it at the city commission
and provide their opinion there.
But it's important for folks to
understand that the best time to do the
comments is when we
are going through a code
or a zoning change like we are now at the
(23:11:26):
downtown master plan,
because once it is set in the code, as
long as the developer is developing
within those
parameters that are in the code,
then the citizen, even the elected
official, has very limited ability to
stop or to impact a development
because they are by right
(23:11:46):
allowed to do that development.
So it's important for folks to get
involved at that stage.
And the reason we have elected officials
is they're
representing the citizens' rights.
So some of it you have to leave it up to
your elected officials and their judgment
if you voted for them to make some of
those decisions as well.
We've talked a little bit about the
downtown master plan.
(23:12:07):
Go into exactly what that is.
And is there still time for people to
have their input into that plan?
Yeah, we're pretty far into the process.
We've had a lot of input so far, but we
do have several public
hearings that will be left.
One of them will be the
downtown action committee.
There's actually going to be a
presentation at our August, I believe,
(23:12:27):
yes, our August mayor
commission workshop,
that will then provide some opportunities
for people to at least hear what's the
input that we've seen so far
and some of the recommendations that are
potentially going to come out, and then
they can provide input
on those recommendations.
I believe we may have a website as well.
(23:12:48):
We can link that up on this show to find
out that people can give input that way.
But the downtown master plan is basically
like a roadmap that sets the rules for
developers on what they can construct
and the land use and the setback
requirements and what are the general
building requirements or land use
requirements within downtown.
(23:13:08):
It's a form form base,
meaning that kind of is what it is.
There's not a lot of variances or things
that are allowed within downtown because
it's already built to be flexible.
As I said, the idea of a dense urban area
is to create that place where you can
live, work and play a mix of uses.
(23:13:28):
While you're here, you can you have
residential, you have commercial, you
have entertainment districts.
There's just a lot of things happening in
downtown. You have obviously
recreational parks, green space.
So there's a combination of things
happening right now in
downtown that are exciting.
One is a downtown master plan.
The other is the waterfront your way
(23:13:48):
effort that is underway as well, which is
providing that the input that we've
gotten from citizens on
our waterfront in downtown
and what folks want to see their
activation of the waterfront.
Some folks want to leave it as it is.
More green space, more shade.
We've gotten a lot of feedback and
there'll be a presentation coming soon on
that effort as well.
And people will still have
opportunities to provide input.
(23:14:11):
And one of the great ways to have input
is through your your representative.
So we have our commissioners, our
district commissioners.
And if you voice your opinion on what you
want through them, they generally will
act as as the voice for their their
district and their citizens, as well as
the mayor, who's open to
input from his citizens.
And so if you're a resident and you're
not sure who your your representatives
(23:14:32):
are, who your who your commission
commission commissioner is, you can find
it on the website at WPB.org.
That's correct. We have all the
commission districts listed listed there.
Fantastic. What's a bigger
hot button, water or traffic?
That's a great question. I'd
probably say traffic right now.
Traffic is one I hear about all the time,
(23:14:52):
although there is
concerns about the water.
One of the more common questions when I
hear about development being questioned
by citizens, maybe the density
of it, how big it is as well.
Do we have enough water to maintain all
this growth or to keep
up with all this growth?
And the answer is yes, we have the park.
Our water capacity has been evaluated and
(23:15:14):
based on current growth trends, we're
good for at least another 50 years when
it comes to our water capacity.
We are we have applied and have gotten
approval for a permit through the South
Florida Water Management District, which
will allow for additional capacities and
more importantly, a more of
a diverse source of water.
(23:15:35):
Right now, our water comes from surface
water, Lake Okeechobee, Grassy Waters
Preserve, and then our
lakes here in downtown.
We are exploring the opportunity to be
able to use what's called the Florida
Well, which is a deep well system that is
used throughout Florida, particularly in
areas south of here, which will diversify
our water sources and provide us another
(23:15:57):
source of water for well into the future.
And better to not have all your eggs in
one basket, we will have
multiple ways to access water.
So we're we're good with water.
The one area that we have to look at and
we do evaluate when a new project comes
in is the age of our infrastructure to
that transports the water.
Right. So we're constantly looking at
that, evaluating the condition and age of
(23:16:20):
our of our distribution system for water
and wastewater, making those upgrades.
And as developers come in, they typically
will have to foot the bill to make those
types of upgrades when their project
requires, let's say, a larger pipe size,
whether it's water or wastewater.
They have to they have to pay for that.
Sometimes we'll kind of share in cost to
(23:16:42):
extend a new water line to an area that
then will benefit well into the future
for other developments that may come.
So it's a it's a bit of a shared process
when it comes to the private
sector and the public sector.
And then with traffic, traffic is a
challenge everywhere in South Florida.
Yeah, I think it also depends on where
you're coming from. Right.
I moved here 10 years ago from Broward
(23:17:05):
County. I was working
in Miami-Dade County.
And this is a delight compared to those
two counties when it comes to traffic.
We don't want to get to where they were.
So we've actually just in the process
recently of updating our downtown
mobility plan, which lays out within
downtown how to increase capacity
potentially, how to move people, not just
(23:17:25):
cars, move people around downtown more
efficiently and identify
the areas where there are.
Especially roads where there where
there's a lot of traffic and
traffic is being jammed up.
How do we alleviate that?
One way we're looking at is opening up
Fern Street to a crossing right now is
only two ways again to downtown
(23:17:46):
Okeechobee Boulevard and Banyan.
We're looking at a third
option, which is Fern Street.
That would then be a third way you can
get in through Australian
Avenue to enter downtown.
That would help alleviate some traffic.
We've already gotten some
preliminary permits for that.
That's probably a five year project to
get it all complete.
We also we're getting ready to award a
(23:18:06):
contract to a provider who will provide
us with mobility services.
We used to have a trolley downtown.
Folks remember the trolley may have a
nostalgia for the trolley.
Well, we're going to have trolley 2.0 and
not just to move people around downtown,
but a system that will move
people in and out of downtown.
So we're really excited.
It's the most resources the city has ever
(23:18:28):
put into mobility within within the city.
So I think the residents will be really
excited once they see the final product.
And we expect the very late parts of this
year, early part of 2025, excuse me,
early 2026 to be able to start launching
that new service that will bring people
in and out of downtown and within
(23:18:48):
downtown and help
alleviate some of the traffic.
But traffic is it's
really a countywide issue.
And we are working also with our partners
in the county and other municipalities.
There's an effort right now to create a
countywide mobility plan.
The city is participating in that effort,
which will lay out what are some of the
(23:19:09):
improvements that can be done on a
countywide basis
because you're traveling.
It doesn't matter what the county what
the lines are between cities.
Your traffic is the traffic.
And so we want to make sure that we're
working in conjunction with our our
neighbors for the south and to the north
and as well as the county to implement
strategies, implement systems.
(23:19:29):
That will move people more efficiently,
not just within the city,
but in and out of the city.
It seems like most of this, most of our
discussion here is forward looking things
that will be coming up in
the next two or three years.
Let's take a second
look into our crystal ball.
What do you think is going to be
happening for next year as far as our
development in our in the thriving
(23:19:50):
businesses we see and what's going to be
happening five years from now?
Will the trend continue?
Will we be as as successful as we've been
over the past five years?
Yeah, I think the long
term trends are good.
There's a lot of uncertainty right now in
global markets and U.S. markets in terms
of where the economy is headed.
(23:20:11):
So you see a little bit of hesitation
when I talk to folks who are looking to
invest in the area,
but they're still coming.
And a lot of the projects that we see
going up now are projects that came in
two years ago, maybe
even three years ago.
As I said, sometimes that development
process is a long process, not just
internally for us reviewing everything
(23:20:31):
that comes in, but even for the
developers themselves.
They have to line up the financing.
They have to get assurances from the
contractors that are
going to be building.
So it's a very long process for them to
particularly large projects.
So some of the things you're seeing going
up now were approved two years ago.
There's a little bit less activity in
terms of new
(23:20:52):
applications that are coming in now.
So we may have a bit of a pause or
breather, I should say, which is not a
bad thing even for the city to catch up
with some of the work that we have.
And that's how things go.
They go in cycles.
But I think the long term
trends here are very positive.
Folks are continuing to have a great
interest in investing and coming here.
(23:21:13):
As you hear the news and folks are still
worried about what's happening
politically in some other parts of the
country and want to come here because of
the tax situation, because of the
political situation.
They feel like it's a more business
friendly environment and a great place to
bring up your family.
So are there challenges?
(23:21:33):
Yes.
Affordability is a
challenge as we become more popular.
Obviously, it becomes harder to afford
housing, afford even a business and
opening up a business.
So that is a challenge as demand goes up,
that the affordability part of it gets
harder, which then decreases demand.
So these are bounces in the
market that kind of even flow.
(23:21:55):
But I think we're
still in an upward trend.
And although we may have a little bit of
a flattening for a couple of years, the
long term trends look very good.
Right.
There's still so much interest in this
area and investing here.
I constantly hear from individuals who
are thinking about moving to this area or
thinking about relocating a business.
And so as more people come and move here
(23:22:16):
and they love it, they'll continue to
tell their family and
friends, hey, come visit me.
And that just like it's just a it just
kind of perpetuates
itself as people come here.
Every time I moved
here, I moved back here.
I grew up here.
Yeah.
And I moved back here about 10 years ago.
And every time I bring guests in from out
(23:22:37):
of town, they're just they love it.
They think this is the greatest thing.
They love our waterfront.
They love just the
how close everything is.
And even though we we locals complain
about traffic, the folks who are coming
from other places think this
is great in terms of traffic.
So I think the long
term trends are fantastic.
Well, on that note, thank you for this
(23:22:57):
look inside the process, how we plan, how
things turn into the buildings and the
future of our of our city here.
Thank you for the time
that you've spent doing this.
Thank you for giving this this this view.
And thanks for
everything you do for the city.
Thank you.
Thank you to the citizens who are
watching and listening.
I hope you continue to enjoy our city and
(23:23:18):
bring your friends and family over so we
can continue to grow.
And thank you for joining us
for the City Center podcast.
If you enjoyed the show, please take a
moment to like and subscribe.
We have a lot more great
content coming your way.
The podcast is a production of the city
of West Palm Beach
Communications Department.
I'm Jerry Marcello.
(23:23:38):
We'll see you next time.
Welcome to the City Center Podcast. I'm
Jerry Morisolo. West Palm Beach is on
fire with new business, new growth, and
breathtaking new buildings.
But why is it happening in this city?
What makes us so attractive?
We'll explore the phenomenon and learn
how developments go from
the drawing board to reality.
(22:57:18):
Next on the City Center Podcast.
And joining us today is Armando Fauna,
Assistant City Administrator for the City
of West Palm Beach. Armando, welcome.
Thanks, Jerry. Great to be here.
Now, West Palm Beach seems to be a
favorite with world-class developers.
(22:57:40):
They're all flocking here.
The question that comes to
mind is, why are we so popular?
Well, what's not to love, right? I mean,
West Palm Beach has become almost the
place to be when it
comes to South Florida.
Miami's been growing for a long time.
It's sort of almost grown out. Fort
Lauderdale and Broward County, definitely
there is nowhere else to develop.
(22:58:00):
West Palm Beach is always kind of the
stepchild of the town of Palm Beach.
And so we've stepped up on our own now,
particularly post-COVID. It became just a
really popular place for people to come
get out of the
Northeast, get out of the cold.
Even during the summertime, the COVID
changed everything. Folks came here. A
lot of them stayed during the
(22:58:21):
hot months of the summertime
where they thought it was almost
unbearable, and they realized, you know
what? They got air conditioning there.
Things functioned just the way they do in
New York and maybe a little bit better.
And I think a lot of the folks that I've
spoken to who have actually immigrated
here from New York and other parts of the
Northeast and even California,
realize that the summers are not that
much worse than they are in other places
in the country, and that we have so many
(22:58:43):
more amenities than what folks thought.
I always like to say we're a small town
with a big town amenities.
We have world-class restaurants. We've
got entertainment districts. We have the
Kravitz Center, which is fantastic.
The Norton Museum of Arts. We have a lot
of amenities that towns of this size or
(22:59:04):
cities of this size
may not have typically.
And everything is so easy to get to. I
mean, no matter almost where you are in
the city, you're five to 10 minutes away
from an international airport.
You're close to getting to the other
cities where it was jumping on Bright
Line. You can go to Orlando. You can go
to Fort Lauderdale to Miami.
So there's just so many options. It's
very central to get to
(22:59:25):
anywhere in the state.
And it's just an attractive place to be.
And I think folks have figured that out.
We've always were attracted. We had many
of these items that you
just mentioned already in play.
But it seems like you pointed out that
the COVID pandemic is what really sort of
shined a light on West Palm Beach.
Yeah, it really did. I mean, that changed
(22:59:46):
everything. It was a game.
Unfortunately, it was a pandemic.
So there's nothing positive about that.
But at the end of the day, it did bring a
lot of people into this area who normally
wouldn't come,
especially during the summer once.
And they realize that it's a great place
to be all year round,
not just for the winter.
So a lot of people sort of discovered
West Palm Beach at that particular point.
One of the things that I wanted to talk
(23:00:06):
to you about is that not only is it a
very attractive place, but it's also a
good place to do business.
Tell us why West Palm Beach has sort of
taken that tack that we
were business friendly.
Yeah, absolutely. As more people moved
here and realized that this is a nice
place to live all year round, I think
businesses have also realized that.
First of all, you have the tax advantages
(23:00:27):
that all of Florida has compared to some
other states where there
is no state income tax.
Generally, Florida is a business friendly
state as compared to some other states.
And I think businesses are realizing that
and flocking here in many ways.
But the city of West Palm Beach in
particular, when I speak with individuals
who have done business here at
corporations, one thing they always say
(23:00:48):
is we are friendly in terms of being able
to sit down with staff in the city or
with the mayor and talk through ideas and
what their vision is for what they want
to bring to the city.
And that we are open to listening and we
are opening trying to make those visions
come a reality within the parameters that
we have in the code.
(23:01:09):
But other places I have heard where it is
just difficult even to get a meeting, we
try to be very open.
Matter of fact, we try to encourage those
individuals who want to open up a
business, who want to create a
development opportunity to come to us
early so that we can talk through some of
the challenges and some of the benefits
that we may offer as a city.
(23:01:30):
And identify things early on so we are
not hit with surprises or they are not
hit with surprises
midway through the process.
So we are very open and encouraging in a
sense of just having an open door policy
for individuals in business to discuss
what they want to do.
So if a developer comes to you with an
idea, what is involved?
(23:01:50):
What are the steps in the process of
going from the drawing on the napkin to
something that is really happening?
Yeah, that is a great question.
There is a multiple number of steps you
take, but the first one that we try to
encourage is to have a
pre-development meeting.
And that is where we get all of our
disciplines that typically
we would review a project.
(23:02:12):
So it would be the land management part
of it, I should say
the land use part of it.
So development services, our city
planners, the zoning, whether zoning will
accommodate what they want to do.
And then we also look at utilities, what
types of utilities are going to need to
be brought in or created for particular
(23:02:33):
projects, especially
large scale projects.
Do we have sufficient
infrastructure to support it?
What kind of traffic would
this type of a use generate?
So it is good to have those
pre-development meetings to go
over those big picture issues.
And then a site plan is
created by the developer.
And that site plan is submitted, which
(23:02:56):
then gets into more of the details.
It goes from the napkin to a piece of
paper with the details, sometimes civil
engineering plans that then lay out how
the project will fit within the actual
site, what types of utilities they might
need, the size of the pipes, the
elevations, those kind of things.
(23:03:17):
And then that gets submitted again to a
committee within the city that looks at
it and gives comments to the developer
about what things need to be corrected
potentially or where they
see might be some challenges.
There's some back and
forth that takes place.
And depending on the size of the project,
it's a small project that generally
(23:03:38):
doesn't take very long.
Larger projects could take many, many
months of drawings coming in, our staff
giving their opinions or their comments
on them, what needs to be changed.
And then they address those comments.
And then there may be some back and forth
for several months before there is a
final site plan product that can then go
(23:03:59):
through the approval process.
And the approval process may
depend on where it's located.
In some cases it goes, for example,
downtown has a downtown action committee,
which is a citizen committee that
actually goes through the site plan,
looks at the requirements within
downtown, and then decides whether or not
that site plan meets the requirements of
(23:04:21):
the zoning within downtown.
Other districts may go to
the planning and zoning board.
Others may go to city commission.
It depends on the location sometimes as
well as what types of development it is
and what they're
looking for from the city.
If they provide a product or a project
that is by right, that it meets the code
(23:04:44):
exactly, they may not have to go through
any approvals besides an administrative
approval with the city staff.
So it's absolutely not
an overnight process.
There are many different stages.
A lot of stuff happens with the staff
behind the scenes, as it were.
And once it's fleshed out, it's – and
then it goes through, as you point out,
(23:05:04):
an approval process that involves both
experts and citizens
that are taking part.
So it's a long, long haul.
And sometimes experts,
citizens, and elected officials.
So there's times where there was multiple
public hearings as well.
Now, one of the things you mentioned,
early on – very early in the process,
there is a discussion of land
use and how land is classified.
(23:05:26):
And that particular point follows through
the entire approval process.
Tell us a little bit about how a parcel
of land is marked for a certain style of
building or type of building.
Right. Yeah. Good.
So the city is divided – all cities are
divided up into zones that are classified
based on the types of
(23:05:47):
use that are allowed.
So, for example, you may have residential
districts – I should say districts
instead of zones, but residential
districts, you have commercial districts.
You may have a mixed-use district where
you can have a little bit of both.
We also have industrial areas as well.
Not a whole lot here in the city of West
Palm Beach, but we have a few.
And then, depending on the types of uses
that are allowed in that specific
(23:06:07):
district, that's what
the developer can do.
So, you know, sometimes they're, "Why do
they allow this type of project here?"
It's because that's what the
zoning code will allow for.
So it's not like you can just plop a
building in the middle of a single-family
home district, for example.
Right.
Or even a residential district, you may
not be able to have
commercial properties or projects.
(23:06:29):
So – and that's a
process that we go through.
And it gets tweaked here and there.
For example, right now we're going
through the Downtown
Master Plan revision.
So we've had a consultant that has come
out and has been working with citizens,
with other stakeholders like developers,
and other stakeholders throughout the
(23:06:50):
city to get feedback on what
modifications, if any, we should look at
within our downtown and
our Downtown Master Plan.
And that will determine some things like
uses, but also setback requirements.
So how far a building or a structure is
set back from the street, things like
height, different zoning requirements
(23:07:11):
that periodically need to be
revisited as the city grows,
as the city changes,
our population changes.
We need to – probably every 10 years,
you need to be looking at your zoning
code to see what changes need to be made.
What limitations do we have on buildings
that may be not
suitable for our landscape?
(23:07:32):
Someone comes to you and says, "We want
to build a 75-floor
building." What would happen then?
Well, it depends on the
location, a lot of it.
So downtown has a lot more flexibility
because we want a dense downtown.
That's another thing I think people
understand is part of the strategy with
any urban area is to create density
(23:07:53):
within that urban area
so that you have a multitude of uses
within that density so that individuals
can live, work, and play
within that same general zone.
And that's generally
going to be urban downtown.
So, you know, as folks, you hear
sometimes the complaints about getting in
and out of downtown traffic wise, right?
But the whole idea is to create that
density in downtown.
(23:08:14):
And we have right now more residents
within downtown than we've ever had.
So we have people who are living
downtown, who are working downtown, who
never even have to get into a car.
So creating that is ideal.
But yes, if you want to build a structure
that is not allowable
under the zoning code,
whether that's because of the way it's
(23:08:35):
shaped or the height or the type of use,
then it just simply gets rejected.
Now, there are some times where you can
get a variance which
is built into the code,
the process for getting a variance and
where variances may occur.
As an example, if you are proposing a
building on an irregular size lot or odd
(23:08:57):
shaped lot where our zoning code is just
not conducive to something
getting built on that lot,
then you can request a variance for the
setbacks from the sidewalk or there might
be other landscaping or there might be
other variances that you can request
because otherwise that lot makes it empty
for a very long time.
And so that's the reason for variances.
(23:09:19):
It's not a way really
to get around the code.
It's meant for when there is a difficulty
with a particular site to be able to
develop it because of its shape, because
of its where it's located.
So there has to be some
flexibility built into the code.
Otherwise, you'd have a lot of parcels
that would get undeveloped,
which is not good for the city,
not good for the city in terms of not
(23:09:40):
just the tax base that's
created when you have a new project,
but not good for even like how the
citizens interact with the city.
We're very mindful about how buildings
look, how they interact
with the public realm.
And so you need to have some flexibility
to make sure you can make these tweaks,
so the developer can make the tweaks
working with the city to make the best
(23:10:01):
possible product for that site.
There's generally not a
100% one size fits all.
You mentioned residents and the public.
What sort of voice do they have in the
decision making process as far as
buildings are concerned?
So that's a great question
because we get that a lot.
I mean, we have the downtown master plan
process that I talked
(23:10:21):
about that is occurring now.
We've had extensive outreach on that, and
we've had great participation, both
citizens coming to feedback meetings.
We've had online polls that have been
done, surveys, I should say, to get that
feedback from the public on those changes
into the downtown master plan.
And then when there's variances requests
that come in from a project,
(23:10:44):
if they have to go through a public
approval process, and most variances do,
either through one of the citizen boards
or through the city commission,
number one, the boards are made up of
citizens who have been appointed.
But they also use typically as an
opportunity there for public comment.
So citizens can come out and voice their
concerns or maybe their
(23:11:06):
support for a project,
both at these boards, whether it's the
downtown action committee
or planning and zoning board,
or they can do it at the city commission
and provide their opinion there.
But it's important for folks to
understand that the best time to do the
comments is when we
are going through a code
or a zoning change like we are now at the
(23:11:26):
downtown master plan,
because once it is set in the code, as
long as the developer is developing
within those
parameters that are in the code,
then the citizen, even the elected
official, has very limited ability to
stop or to impact a development
because they are by right
(23:11:46):
allowed to do that development.
So it's important for folks to get
involved at that stage.
And the reason we have elected officials
is they're
representing the citizens' rights.
So some of it you have to leave it up to
your elected officials and their judgment
if you voted for them to make some of
those decisions as well.
We've talked a little bit about the
downtown master plan.
(23:12:07):
Go into exactly what that is.
And is there still time for people to
have their input into that plan?
Yeah, we're pretty far into the process.
We've had a lot of input so far, but we
do have several public
hearings that will be left.
One of them will be the
downtown action committee.
There's actually going to be a
presentation at our August, I believe,
(23:12:27):
yes, our August mayor
commission workshop,
that will then provide some opportunities
for people to at least hear what's the
input that we've seen so far
and some of the recommendations that are
potentially going to come out, and then
they can provide input
on those recommendations.
I believe we may have a website as well.
(23:12:48):
We can link that up on this show to find
out that people can give input that way.
But the downtown master plan is basically
like a roadmap that sets the rules for
developers on what they can construct
and the land use and the setback
requirements and what are the general
building requirements or land use
requirements within downtown.
(23:13:08):
It's a form form base,
meaning that kind of is what it is.
There's not a lot of variances or things
that are allowed within downtown because
it's already built to be flexible.
As I said, the idea of a dense urban area
is to create that place where you can
live, work and play a mix of uses.
(23:13:28):
While you're here, you can you have
residential, you have commercial, you
have entertainment districts.
There's just a lot of things happening in
downtown. You have obviously
recreational parks, green space.
So there's a combination of things
happening right now in
downtown that are exciting.
One is a downtown master plan.
The other is the waterfront your way
(23:13:48):
effort that is underway as well, which is
providing that the input that we've
gotten from citizens on
our waterfront in downtown
and what folks want to see their
activation of the waterfront.
Some folks want to leave it as it is.
More green space, more shade.
We've gotten a lot of feedback and
there'll be a presentation coming soon on
that effort as well.
And people will still have
opportunities to provide input.
(23:14:11):
And one of the great ways to have input
is through your your representative.
So we have our commissioners, our
district commissioners.
And if you voice your opinion on what you
want through them, they generally will
act as as the voice for their their
district and their citizens, as well as
the mayor, who's open to
input from his citizens.
And so if you're a resident and you're
not sure who your your representatives
(23:14:32):
are, who your who your commission
commission commissioner is, you can find
it on the website at WPB.org.
That's correct. We have all the
commission districts listed listed there.
Fantastic. What's a bigger
hot button, water or traffic?
That's a great question. I'd
probably say traffic right now.
Traffic is one I hear about all the time,
(23:14:52):
although there is
concerns about the water.
One of the more common questions when I
hear about development being questioned
by citizens, maybe the density
of it, how big it is as well.
Do we have enough water to maintain all
this growth or to keep
up with all this growth?
And the answer is yes, we have the park.
Our water capacity has been evaluated and
(23:15:14):
based on current growth trends, we're
good for at least another 50 years when
it comes to our water capacity.
We are we have applied and have gotten
approval for a permit through the South
Florida Water Management District, which
will allow for additional capacities and
more importantly, a more of
a diverse source of water.
(23:15:35):
Right now, our water comes from surface
water, Lake Okeechobee, Grassy Waters
Preserve, and then our
lakes here in downtown.
We are exploring the opportunity to be
able to use what's called the Florida
Well, which is a deep well system that is
used throughout Florida, particularly in
areas south of here, which will diversify
our water sources and provide us another
(23:15:57):
source of water for well into the future.
And better to not have all your eggs in
one basket, we will have
multiple ways to access water.
So we're we're good with water.
The one area that we have to look at and
we do evaluate when a new project comes
in is the age of our infrastructure to
that transports the water.
Right. So we're constantly looking at
that, evaluating the condition and age of
(23:16:20):
our of our distribution system for water
and wastewater, making those upgrades.
And as developers come in, they typically
will have to foot the bill to make those
types of upgrades when their project
requires, let's say, a larger pipe size,
whether it's water or wastewater.
They have to they have to pay for that.
Sometimes we'll kind of share in cost to
(23:16:42):
extend a new water line to an area that
then will benefit well into the future
for other developments that may come.
So it's a it's a bit of a shared process
when it comes to the private
sector and the public sector.
And then with traffic, traffic is a
challenge everywhere in South Florida.
Yeah, I think it also depends on where
you're coming from. Right.
I moved here 10 years ago from Broward
(23:17:05):
County. I was working
in Miami-Dade County.
And this is a delight compared to those
two counties when it comes to traffic.
We don't want to get to where they were.
So we've actually just in the process
recently of updating our downtown
mobility plan, which lays out within
downtown how to increase capacity
potentially, how to move people, not just
(23:17:25):
cars, move people around downtown more
efficiently and identify
the areas where there are.
Especially roads where there where
there's a lot of traffic and
traffic is being jammed up.
How do we alleviate that?
One way we're looking at is opening up
Fern Street to a crossing right now is
only two ways again to downtown
(23:17:46):
Okeechobee Boulevard and Banyan.
We're looking at a third
option, which is Fern Street.
That would then be a third way you can
get in through Australian
Avenue to enter downtown.
That would help alleviate some traffic.
We've already gotten some
preliminary permits for that.
That's probably a five year project to
get it all complete.
We also we're getting ready to award a
(23:18:06):
contract to a provider who will provide
us with mobility services.
We used to have a trolley downtown.
Folks remember the trolley may have a
nostalgia for the trolley.
Well, we're going to have trolley 2.0 and
not just to move people around downtown,
but a system that will move
people in and out of downtown.
So we're really excited.
It's the most resources the city has ever
(23:18:28):
put into mobility within within the city.
So I think the residents will be really
excited once they see the final product.
And we expect the very late parts of this
year, early part of 2025, excuse me,
early 2026 to be able to start launching
that new service that will bring people
in and out of downtown and within
(23:18:48):
downtown and help
alleviate some of the traffic.
But traffic is it's
really a countywide issue.
And we are working also with our partners
in the county and other municipalities.
There's an effort right now to create a
countywide mobility plan.
The city is participating in that effort,
which will lay out what are some of the
(23:19:09):
improvements that can be done on a
countywide basis
because you're traveling.
It doesn't matter what the county what
the lines are between cities.
Your traffic is the traffic.
And so we want to make sure that we're
working in conjunction with our our
neighbors for the south and to the north
and as well as the county to implement
strategies, implement systems.
(23:19:29):
That will move people more efficiently,
not just within the city,
but in and out of the city.
It seems like most of this, most of our
discussion here is forward looking things
that will be coming up in
the next two or three years.
Let's take a second
look into our crystal ball.
What do you think is going to be
happening for next year as far as our
development in our in the thriving
(23:19:50):
businesses we see and what's going to be
happening five years from now?
Will the trend continue?
Will we be as as successful as we've been
over the past five years?
Yeah, I think the long
term trends are good.
There's a lot of uncertainty right now in
global markets and U.S. markets in terms
of where the economy is headed.
(23:20:11):
So you see a little bit of hesitation
when I talk to folks who are looking to
invest in the area,
but they're still coming.
And a lot of the projects that we see
going up now are projects that came in
two years ago, maybe
even three years ago.
As I said, sometimes that development
process is a long process, not just
internally for us reviewing everything
(23:20:31):
that comes in, but even for the
developers themselves.
They have to line up the financing.
They have to get assurances from the
contractors that are
going to be building.
So it's a very long process for them to
particularly large projects.
So some of the things you're seeing going
up now were approved two years ago.
There's a little bit less activity in
terms of new
(23:20:52):
applications that are coming in now.
So we may have a bit of a pause or
breather, I should say, which is not a
bad thing even for the city to catch up
with some of the work that we have.
And that's how things go.
They go in cycles.
But I think the long term
trends here are very positive.
Folks are continuing to have a great
interest in investing and coming here.
(23:21:13):
As you hear the news and folks are still
worried about what's happening
politically in some other parts of the
country and want to come here because of
the tax situation, because of the
political situation.
They feel like it's a more business
friendly environment and a great place to
bring up your family.
So are there challenges?
(23:21:33):
Yes.
Affordability is a
challenge as we become more popular.
Obviously, it becomes harder to afford
housing, afford even a business and
opening up a business.
So that is a challenge as demand goes up,
that the affordability part of it gets
harder, which then decreases demand.
So these are bounces in the
market that kind of even flow.
(23:21:55):
But I think we're
still in an upward trend.
And although we may have a little bit of
a flattening for a couple of years, the
long term trends look very good.
Right.
There's still so much interest in this
area and investing here.
I constantly hear from individuals who
are thinking about moving to this area or
thinking about relocating a business.
And so as more people come and move here
(23:22:16):
and they love it, they'll continue to
tell their family and
friends, hey, come visit me.
And that just like it's just a it just
kind of perpetuates
itself as people come here.
Every time I moved
here, I moved back here.
I grew up here.
Yeah.
And I moved back here about 10 years ago.
And every time I bring guests in from out
(23:22:37):
of town, they're just they love it.
They think this is the greatest thing.
They love our waterfront.
They love just the
how close everything is.
And even though we we locals complain
about traffic, the folks who are coming
from other places think this
is great in terms of traffic.
So I think the long
term trends are fantastic.
Well, on that note, thank you for this
(23:22:57):
look inside the process, how we plan, how
things turn into the buildings and the
future of our of our city here.
Thank you for the time
that you've spent doing this.
Thank you for giving this this this view.
And thanks for
everything you do for the city.
Thank you.
Thank you to the citizens who are
watching and listening.
I hope you continue to enjoy our city and
(23:23:18):
bring your friends and family over so we
can continue to grow.
And thank you for joining us
for the City Center podcast.
If you enjoyed the show, please take a
moment to like and subscribe.
We have a lot more great
content coming your way.
The podcast is a production of the city
of West Palm Beach
Communications Department.
I'm Jerry Marcello.
(23:23:38):
We'll see you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.