SEBASTIAN – If the Sebastian City Council won’t reconsider their proposed site for a new pavilion on the east end of Riverview Park along the river, then the Recreation Advisory Committee doesn’t want it at that park.
Instead, they would be willing to consider relocating the pavilion to Hardee Park.
The committee discussed the options for the pavilion at its regular meeting Monday evening, following a special meeting earlier this month on-site at Riverview Park.
“I have a hard time moving the pavilion just to move the pavilion,” committee member Scott Simpson said.
The committee some months ago recommended that a pavilion be installed on the southeast corner of the “event” park portion of Riverview Park, near the twin piers in the area near where the stage is often setup for events.
The Sebastian City Council, however, had other ideas and chose to relocate the pavilion to the northeast corner, adjacent to the stamped pavement of the city’s logo.
The committee did not like that location because members felt the pavilion would obstruct the view of the river and impede other activities at the park. If the pavilion were on the south end, tucked into the corner as much as possible, they felt it would serve its purpose without obstructing too much of the view.
Committee Vice Chair Matt Sims reminded his fellow members that it was at the public’s request they consider a pavilion for that side of Riverview Park.
“Why should we go away from that?”
City Manager Al Minner told the committee that the options for the pavilion are limited and, essentially, up to the Sebastian City Council, which is expected to address the issue at the July 13 meeting.
Minner said the committee would have to get one of the four City Council members who voted in favor of the northeast corner to make a motion to reconsider the vote and then get two others to agree to the reconsideration.
Mayor Jim Hill, Vice Mayor Don Wright and Council members Richard Gillmor and Andrea Coy voted for the northeast corner site. Councilman Eugene Wolff voted against it, saying that the committee had made the recommendation for the southeast corner for a reason.
There are two other options for the new pavilion if the City Council rejects the southeast corner, according to Minner.
The council could either cancel the contract with the company set to build the pavilion or find another park to place the pavilion.
Canceling the contract would cost the city $6,500, Minner told the committee.
“That seems a little steep,” Minner said of the $6,500.
No one on the committee was supportive of quashing the pavilion and incurring the expense of canceling the contract.
“I don’t want to give the money back,” committee member John Tenerowicz said of canceling the contract.
Instead, they affirmed their opposition to the northeast corner of Riverview Park along the water and decided to recommend to the Sebastian City Council that Hardee Park would be an acceptable plan B.
