HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-11-01 Longtime debate on Watt building still faces rebuttal (Palm Beach Post)PALM BEACH POST
DATE:
ongtime debate
on Watt building
still faces rebuttal
Demolition probably
awaits the North Palm
Beach building, but
some want to keep it.
By Stephanie Smith
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
NORTH PALM BEACH —
Since at least the late 1980s,
there's been talk of demolishing
or moving the dated and
cramped Herb Watt Building.
The building might have
both asbestos and lead paint and
doesn't meet handicapped ac-
cess requirements. The air-
conditioning system recently
gave out. The building, which
city officials say dates to the
1960s, was renamed after a coun-
cil member who was a champion
for seniors.
The village council last
month voted to close the build-
ing effective today, but otherwise
left its fate undecided. The coun-
cil also authorized an asbestos
study of the building.
Some of the council, such as
Ed Eissey and David Norris,
wanted to move the building, but
village staff said that wouldn't
work. The building has an addi-
tion and is on a concrete slab
foundation.
Councilman Charles O'Meilia
is in the demolition camp. He'd
like to see the building leveled
and the land used for parking or
greenery.
"It's got a lot of problems,
code -wise," O'Meilia said.
Public Service Director Tom
Hogarth said the main problem
is the building's age. It was origi-
nally built as a shed for shuffle-
board courts before a meeting
room and kitchen was added.
O'Meilia said the building
should have been closed a long
time ago.
"The full intent when we
built our new activities building
at Anchorage Park was that the
Herb Watt Building would be
closed," O'Meilia said.
The Anchorage Park center,
which cost $565,000, opened
about three years ago.
In 1988, the village discussed
having a referendum on moving
the center, but dropped the idea
because of opposition from se-
niors who used the building.
The village attorney at the time
found that a green -space ordi-
nance requires any sale or move
of recreational property to be put
to a villagewide vote.
After the Anchorage Park
site opened, the Watt building
was closed for a time. But it re-
opened at the request of the
North Palm Beach Yacht Club,
which used it as a clubhouse.
Mayor Joseph Tringali, a
member of the yacht club, said
the building made a perfect club-
house and the group even paint-
ed and decorated the interior in
a nautical theme.
Other groups also trickled
back, such as a bridge club, a
single boaters' club, a band and
a couple of Alcoholics Anony-
mous groups, Tringali said.
"That's what some of the
people didn't like, the building
came back on line," said Tringa-
li, an advocate of preserving the
Continued on page 25
ACCESSION # (.)0C)//24 St
Historical society could move to site
Continued from page 1
building.
All of the groups have found
new places to meet since the
council's decision to close the
building, said Mark Hodgkins,
village recreation director. The
largest, the 160-couple yacht
club, now uses the village's coun-
try club, Tringali said. North_
Palm Beach also has the Com-
munity Center on Prosperity
Farms Road and a building at
Osborne Park for meetings.
Tringali said that, although
he agrees with village staff that a
move isn't feasible, he doesn't
think demolition is the solution.
Tringali envisions a village
square with the library, village
hall and Watt Building as the
new home of the North Palm
Beach Historical Society. The
village does have history to pre-
serve, even if it is recent, he
said. The village was incorporat-
ed Aug. 13, 1956.
"I know it's not old and it
wasn't designed by some famous
architect, but it does give you
that homey feeling, that villagey
feeling and there's not much of
that left," Tringali said.
Tringali concedes he doesn't
have much support.
"There's at least one member
of the council who wants to ab-
solutely see it torn down and salt
put on the earth," Tringali said.
stephanie_smith@pbpost.com