Bethesda-by-the-Sea, an iconic Episcopal Church located in Palm Beach County, is seeking approval to add a lightning suppression system to the bell tower that church officials hope will stave off future damage from storms. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, the Palm Beach Town Council recently approved their request for the equipment.
Harvey E. Oyer III, a partner in the West Palm Beach office of Shutts & Bowen and a local historian, represented the church at the council meeting.
“This is one of the most important structures in the town and if it takes a device like this to protect it, it’s an easy decision,” he said. “This is sort of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Palm Beach County and one lightning strike could take it away.”
The lightning suppressor, which is 9 feet tall, will increase the height of the church to 96 feet in an area where the maximum height limit is 30 feet. The mechanism is supposed to diffuse the lightning by dampening the positive and negative charges in the atmosphere needed to create it.
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About Harvey E. Oyer III
Harvey E. Oyer III is a partner in the West Palm Beach office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. As a fifth generation native of Palm Beach County, Harvey brings a unique perspective to his understanding of the issues facing the region, its real estate market and development. He is one of the region’s leading land use & zoning lawyers, having led the approval of many of the county’s largest and most iconic projects. Harvey represents commercial and residential developers, cultural institutions, large farming interests and rural land owners, and governmental agencies in real estate transactions, finance, land use, zoning, agricultural law, and government affairs.