Delray says plan for historic homes falls short

DELRAY BEACH – A developer says his plan to save historic homes while adding shops and apartments could be a win for downtown Delray Beach.

But a city board rejected the proposal Tuesday, saying it won’t do enough to preserve the city’s history.

“It results in the ‘Disney-fication’ of Delray, allowing an artificial, contrived, homogeneous, sanitized and oversized development right in the middle of our most significant historic district,” said John Miller, chairman of Delray’s Historic Preservation Board.

Midtown Delray Beach, a nearly $140 million development project across 7 acres, would include hotel rooms, apartments, restaurants, office and retail space, said Scott Pape, Delray city planner.

The project, formerly known as Swinton Commons, includes plans to restore seven historic homes, and reconstruct an eighth. Six of the restored homes would be prominently displayed along Swinton Avenue south of Atlantic Avenue.

Miller said the project could destroy the district’s historic value and threaten its chances for anational designation— the application for which is pending with a state board, Miller said.

He also said the boardwould not be persuaded by the developer’s threats to demolish the homes by allowing them to fall into disrepair. Approving the plans “rewards a developer who is using demolition by neglect as a negotiation tool,” he said.

Among other concerns, Miller said planswould:

Create a false sense of history by stripping the homes of their historical context.

Destroymore than200existing trees and countless shrubs.

Would set precedent that if a