FELLSMERE – From changing up where customers can park for Broadway businesses to creating a focal point coming into the city, the Fellsmere City Council is moving forward with plans to make Historic Downtown Fellsmere feel more like a destination.
The vision for Broadway is to expand the current 3-foot median to 12 feet and add lush landscaping. Intersections along the road would receive specially designed pavers, and new buildings would be up close to the sidewalk, providing a more pedestrian-friendly feel.
“This is not the final design,” Community Development Director Mark Mathes told the Fellsmere council Thursday night. Instead, the plans he showed them were to create a visual basis on which the final design plans would be based.
Parallel parking would still be allowed on Broadway, but to accommodate future parking needs, new businesses would have on-site parking to the rear of the buildings and pedestrian access ways to Broadway. A common alley would serve both customers and service vehicles on the rear side of the businesses.
To help traffic flow more smoothly on Broadway, Mathes has proposed that some current driveways onto the road be closed off, requiring current users to gain access through the planned alley.
“This is not something that goes away tomorrow,” Mathes said of the driveways.
Instead, only if current business owners decide to redevelop their sites or when the city implements the alley access plan.
A 10-foot sidewalk is also planned along Broadway, which would provide businesses space enough for sidewalk sales or limited outdoor seating without impeding foot traffic.
“I think it’s looking good,” Mayor Susan Adams said of the Broadway plans.
New trees would be planted with the new, wider median and park benches and other amenities would improve the pedestrian experience, according to Mathes.
As part of the plans, the city is looking into ways to handle stormwater runoff and water quality issues.
The road currently can handle the water castoff from the street and existing businesses, but Mathes told the council that under current rules new businesses might find it difficult constructing the size building they need and still provide on-site water retention.
He is proposing the city come up with a master plan that could allow businesses to handle their water run-off off-site, which could require the city to develop retention areas on city-owned parcels.
Vice Mayor Joel Tyson asked Mathes why the city’s ditches would not serve the purpose of handling the run-off.
Mathes explained that the ditches are meant to handle run-off in the sense of flooding. The ditches do not treat the water for water quality purposes as required of the retention businesses need.
As for the City Hall/Old Fellsmere School Complex, design plans are also moving along.
Designer Jeff Smith presented his game plan to the council seeking approval so the plans could be finalized and be sent out to bid when the city is ready.
A “clock tower” treatment is planned for the baseball building at the corner of County Road 512 and Broadway to help create a focal point coming into Downtown Fellsmere, Smith said.
His plans call for a gateway at Orange Street consisting of short brick walls flanking the road, a pair of tall columns and an element proclaiming “Fellsmere” that spans the road.
Around the entryway, there would be a variety of palm trees and ground cover and a seating area.
Orange Street, already, is undergoing preparation to become a one-way street heading north off County Road 512.
A plaza is designed for just outside the front of the Old Fellsmere School, which would be split by Orange Street. Special pavers would help to create a sense of space and slow traffic on Orange, according to Smith.
“This may be controversial, but I’ve taken your flag pole and moved it,” Smith told the council, expecting there to be opposition.
The pole, as he recommends, would be in the center of plaza and serve as a vertical focal point.
Adams said that it was her belief the flag pole should have long since been located where Smith is suggesting.
Councilwoman Sara Savage agreed.
“He lost a lot of sleep over that,” Mathes said of Smith.
Other improvements for the complex include more seating around the old school, more landscaping to help soften the hard lines of the school, and creating a wet retention pond with picnic tables and a potential stage or amphitheatre.
The council appeared supportive of the entire plan except for two items.
Savage said she did not want the landscaping to include juniper plants, which she said she’s never seen maintained well.
Council members, too, were not in favor of using trees to camouflage the corners of the building.
Smith had recommended tall, thin cypress trees that would grow up to the second floor.
“Leave the front open,” Adams requested of Smith, noting she did not want to have the school building covered by too much landscaping. “I’m not a fan of cypresses anyway.”
