HomeMy WebLinkAbout1957-05-24 Florida Builders Convert Sand and Swamp Into Nucleus for New Town (Christian Science Monitor)H.:
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Beal Estate— building THE (C HRISTIA' T SCIENCE MONITOF
Florida Builders Convert Sand and
Sam R. Quincy; Rudi Rada
The village of North Palm Beach fronts on
Lake Worth. Houses now completed or under
construction were not started until the village
had been officially set up with a town hall,
mayor. fire department. and other services. It
is another major indication that the Florida
building boom is looking solidly into the future
Florida Comity
Sees 1,000,000
Within 18. Years
Special to The Chrr,t+an Science Monitor
West Palm Beach. Fla.
There seems to be no end to
Florida's building boom. The
latest area to feel the construc-
tion splurge is Palm Beach
County which now has a pop •
-
ulation of 187,394 as compared
with 114,700 only five years'
ago.
By 1975, a special census
committee appointed by Flor-
ida's Gov. LeRoy Collins esti-
mates that palm Beach Coun-
ty's population will pass
1,000.000.
Pratt & Whitney's decision to
build a $42,000,000 jet. engine
plant, northwest of West Palm
Beach triggered the current
rush of industry into this area.
Air Products, Inc., followed suit
and is now erecting a plant in
the same location.
Establishment of an 1,800-
acre Palm Beach County In-
dustrial District near the Pratt
& Whitney N,enture is the latest
move' in this county.
and not a temporary flash like the land boom
of the 1920's. The village or town hall can be
seen backing up to the lake in the background.
The North Palm Beach Country Club (below),
built in the earlier boom days (1925), is being
used by the new developers as a nucleus for
present-day social activities.
By Sue P
Special to The Chi*
West Palm Beach, Fla. &.
This is the story of a town
which started with a $125,000
village hall, a city manager,.
' mayor, town council, police and.
fire protection, before it had
single resident.
The village of North P
Beach is a planned commu
built by two brothers, Rich'.
E. and Herbert A. Ross. The
turned four square miles of s:
and swamp into a subdiOis'
conforming to strict eodes"'
beauty and sanitation. It dit
ready for action before a ha'
of building plot was offered
the public.
Residents now moving in
the village find paved streett,.
five-foot concrete sidewalks"
sewage connections, fire hy'
drants, and soft water alread
provided and free of assess-
ments.
The land lies along US Hig
way No. 1, north of the towj','
of Lake Park and about 12 mile*
north of West Palm Beach. 'E'(l
the east of the highway, it bons
ders Lake Worth. Some of the;:
land was so low that proper.'
drainage had to be provided. •
River Widened
The Earman River, Rowing;
through the property, is being:,`
widened to 180 feet and given a'
16-foot depth. An exceptionally,+
low spot is being dredged to,
form two artificial lakes and a
communication canal flows into
the intracoastal waterway
bounding the property on the
north.
These steps alone would have.
provided drainage from heavy
rainfall, but the builders added
a system of 42-inch culverts
hich preclude any standing
which
Modern water and sewage dis- `
posal plants are automatic.
Water is pumped from a 19-acre.
area into a treatment plant.from
four wells, each 55 feet deep.
The plant takes care of color,
odor, and hardness of water. The
area is bulkheaded against salt-
water intrusion and additional
wells will be sunk as needed.
Furthermore, these buildings
are picturesque so that the sur-
rounding area is a recreation
park which will include a small
boat launching area providing
residents, whether or not living
36c
BEACH PUBLIC UBRARY
BOSTON, FRIDA .'; MAY 24,1957
Real Estate —UU&t4in�L
Swamp Into Nucleus for New Town
ity •Facilities
of yore Homes
Burkhardt
dlvn Science Monitor
)n a waterway, with access to
„i Lake Worth and the fishing
grounds of the Atlantic.
Immediately after the town
was chartered by a special ses-
vion of the Florida Legislature
n 1956 the brothers began con-
struction of the waterand sew-
age systems. Their next step was
o donate 10 acres for a public
Ischool site. County school• archi-
i tects are drawing plans for a
t I4 classroom building estimated
to cost $294,000 and to become I
a part of the Palm Beach County i
public school system. I
in aquiring the property from'
the estate of Sir Harry Oakes, 1
the builders also acquired for 1
the village a ready -made coun- j
iry club, built in 1925, All resi-
dcnts of the community are'
automatically members of the i
lub with the use of all its facil-
ities free of membership fees
;mtil sometime in 1958. In the i
rear future an Olympic swim- ;
ming pool is to be added to the',
facilities which now include an i
l8-hole golf course.
First sales of Iand were made
to the Home Builders Associa-
r:ll Cll tt&cl0.
A typical North Palm Beach village home is also typical of I low slanting or flat roofs (many are tiled), a wealth of gtass,
the residential building boom styling throughout Florida. Most 1 and garages or carports, generally including extra space for tool
of the state's new families insist on one-story construction with 1 houses, utility services, stall showers, laundries, and food freezers.
completed or are now under
construction.
Shopping Center Slated
The village has a potential of
3,300 homesites on a five-year
construction plan. At present,
the population is 97, but
bulldozers, graders asphalt
spreaders and other mechanics
constantly go ahead of builders School of Business Administra- 1 H. Mott Associates of Washing -
preparing for what is fully ex- tion from the University of ton, D.C.
John Volk, Architect
Town functions revolve around the village I It backs up to Lake Worth and fronts into the
halt of North Palm Beach, built in the one- f village itself, like a mother hen watching over
story, ranch -type styling of the village homes. I her brood.
tioW of Palm Beach County pected to become a community , Florida, points out that all
which chose the site for its ini- ! of 500 homes by the end of 1957. buildings must be submitted to
tial "Parade of Homes" last Oc- 1 Motels are to be erected along , an architectural committee.
tober. Fifteen builders erected the highway and a shopping cen- While there is regulation as to
1/7 model homes, and since that i ter will be built on the south types there is not asset minimum
time 105 other homes have been side of the Earman River. I price for homes.
There is also to be a professional , The developers paid $3,700,-
building to care for community 000 for the land, and up to May
needs, but all commercial proj- of this year buildings erected
ects will be strictly segregated, came to a total of $1,321.072,
according to Albin R. Olson, city . Mr. Olson states that the char -
manager, who considers the ter calls for all council mem-
community a distinct "chal- bers to be residents of the
lenge" and "a model for the area and that March, 1939, has
whole country." 1 been set as the Hate for the first
Mr. Olson, who holds a degree; election.
of city. management in the Planning was done by Seward