WPB grants height exemptions for two development sites

Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell and Clematis StreetTwo sites on West Palm Beach’s Clematis Street have been granted exemptions to the area’s five-story height limit by the city commission, clearing the way for two developments near the City Center complex. The sites are 500 Clematis, near the corner of Quadrille Boulevard, and 335 Clematis, near City Hall. The approval, which is final, was 3 to 1, with the nay vote coming from Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, who warned that granting exemptions could open the floodgates for other developers looking to build big, citing Fort Lauderdale as an example. Indeed, the owner of 510 Clematis Street has already asked for an exemption, too, though he was denied. “We have a historic district for a reason,” Mitchell said. “Las Olas changed from something that was charming. Everyone got excited about bigger was better. But guess what? No offense to Fort Lauderdale, but no, it’s not bigger or better. All of the charm of old Fort Lauderdale is gone.” [Palm Beach Post]