It’s rare for a new home design to win approval during its first review by the powerful Palm Beach Architectural Commission
But that’s what happened May 27, when the board got its initial look at homeowners Mark Finerman and Anne Elizabeth Torrell’s proposal to replace their Midtown home at 418 Seaspray Ave. The commission’s vote to approve the project on the street’s lake block was unanimous, although it came with a few caveats.
The approval of the new 5,545 square-foot Mediterranean Revival-influenced two-story design was conditioned on designers widening the street-facing wing of the L-shaped building and slightly refining the arch detailing above the front windows.
Kirchhoff & Associates Architects designed the residence to replace a 3,927-square-foot, two-story house on the property, which lies a block north of the Society of the Four Arts’ campus.
The house would replace one built in the 1920s — and designers considered renovating that home. But they and the property owners agreed it would be easier and more cost-effective to raze it and build anew, architect Thomas Kirchhoff told the board.
The homeowners have owned the property since 2018 and have the house homesteaded as their primary residence in the latest tax rolls.
Board Chair Jeff Smith had no beef with the idea of replacing the existing residence.
“I really like the (new) house,” Smith said. “To me, it looks like it was always there.”
Commissioners also endorsed a variance to allow the screening of a mechanical equipment bay on the south side to extend slightly beyond the town’s thresholds.
The lot is on one of the three co-called “Sea streets,” which also include nearby Seaview and Seabreeze avenues. The streets are among the oldest platted roads in town and are home to many older homes and landmarked houses.
“I like the house very much. I think it fits the area,” Commissioner Kenn Karakul said.
The proposal would replace the existing rectangular home on the southwest portion of the nearly quarter-of-an-acre lot. The new L-shaped house would have wings extending along the lot’s north and west sides, according to the plans.
The house would feature a barrel tile roof and a painted stucco exterior. Atop the street-facing windows of the building’s first story would be blue tri-tone mosaic-tile elements in an arch shape, according to the plans.
The home’s southern wing would feature a balcony and loggia that would face the swimming pool.
While commissioners liked the subdued Mediterranean aesthetic of the proposal, Vice Chair Richard Sammons said the building’s wings appeared out of balance. He called for the northern wing to be widened so that would be closer in size to the other wing.
The property’s existing driveway entrance on the west side would remain, with the driveway covered in a combination of brick and coral stone.
Alternate Commissioner David Phoenix voted in place of Commissioner Claudia Visconti, who recused herself because her employer, SMI Landscape Architecture, is involved in the project.
Landscaping would include sea plum hedges and hibiscus planted along the street facade. An 8-foot-tall buttonwood hedge would screen the property. Flanking the pool would be coconut palms to the east and west, complemented by low-lying tropical plants at the lot’s southeastern corner.
The project’s mechanical equipment screening variance is expected to be reviewed during the Town Council’s June 10 meeting.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: ‘Sea street’ house built in 1920s to be razed, replaced in Palm Beach
Reporting by Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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By Diego Diaz Lasa, Palm Beach Daily News | USA TODAY Network
