TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Anthea Gianniotes, Development Services Director
THROUGH: Jennifer Alvarez, Interim City Manager
DATE: September 10, 2020
Title
ORDINANCE NO. 44-20, TO INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNATE “THE WELLBROCK HOUSE” AT 20 & 22 NORTH SWINTON AVENUE ON THE LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. (SECOND READING)
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Review and consider Ordinance No. 44-20 on Second Reading for the Individual Designation of “The Wellbrock House” at 20 & 22 North Swinton Avenue on the Local Register of Historic Places.
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Background:
The subject property is located at 20 & 22 N. Swinton Avenue, on the west side of the road between W. Atlantic Avenue and NW 1st Street, and is within the Locally and Nationally Designated Old School Square Historic District. The property contains Lot 12, less the south 4 feet thereof, Block 60, Town of Delray, Florida, as recorded in Plat Book 1, Page 3, of the Public Records of Palm Beach County, Florida. Existing on the site is “The Monterey House”, which is Individually Listed on the Local Register of Historic Places and is home to the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) offices. Also, situated on the subject property is a 1937 two-story, Colonial Revival style structure, which was relocated to the site in November 2019. This structure is the subject of the current request for Individual Listing to the Local Register of Historic Places and is to be known as “The Wellbrock House”.
The historical and cultural significance of The Wellbrock House began with its development in 1937 as the home was designed by Samuel Ogren, Sr., the city of Delray Beach’s first registered architect, for John Charles (J.C.) Wellbrock, a local produce shipper in Delray Beach in the early to mid-1900’s. The structure exemplifies the Colonial Revival architectural style popular during the 1930’s. Additional details relating to the cultural, historical and architectural significance of the structure and property can be found in the attached staff report and historical designation report.
In April 2019, a local developer acquired 215 NE 7th Avenue, which contained the subject structure, and the developer had plans to redevelop the site, which included demolition of the residential home to replace it with a new duplex structure. The property is not within a historic district nor is it individually designated to the Local Register of Historic Places.
Once informed of the proposed demolition, the Delray Beach CRA took the initiative to preserve the structure. And in June 2019, the CRA Board approved the purchase and relocation agreement for the structure and submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to the City of Delray Beach to relocate the structure from its original location to the 20 N. Swinton Avenue property.
At its meeting of July 3, 2019, the Historic Preservation Board approved the COA (2019-255) request for the relocation of a single-family residence, subject to the following conditions:
1. That following the relocation, an application be submitted for the individual designation of the structure to the Local Register of Historic Places; and,
2. That an application for a change of use and site plan modification be submitted following the relocation of the structure to 20 N. Swinton Avenue.
The structure was successfully relocated in November of 2019 and an application for a COA and Class IV Site Plan Modification have been submitted, which are under review with the City of Delray Beach.
The request for the Individual Designation of “The Wellbrock House” is now before the City Commission.
Review by Others:
At its meeting of July 1, 2020, the Historic Preservation Board recommended approval of the Individual Designation of “The Wellbrock House” at 20 & 22 N. Swinton Avenue to the Local Register of Historic Places on a 7-0 vote.
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency.
Funding Source:
N/A
Timing of Request:
Second Reading is tentatively scheduled for September 10, 2020.