SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian City Council has agreed to allocate $275,000 in discretionary sales tax funds to build a new, public parking lot near Captain Hiram’s and to repair Davis and other nearby streets after Indian River County Utilities installs a new sanitary sewer system.
City Manager Al Minner told the council that he estimates the public parking lot near Captain Hiram’s to cost about $125,000 and could accommodate approximately 14 vehicles within city-owned right of way.
Minner said the parking might help the owners of Capt. Hiram’s to move forward on their plans for expansion, considering the city’s tax abatement program would not apply to the expansion.
Sebastian business owner and resident Ruth Sullivan urged the Sebastian City Council to not approve what would ultimately be considered private parking for Capt. Hiram’s. She said public dollars should not be used for such a project.
Sullivan said that if Capt. Hiram’s could not accommodate its parking needs on its own property, then that was a sign the property has been overdeveloped.
Capt. Hiram’s co-owner Mickey Capp told the council that Capt. Hiram’s can accommodate the requisite parking and would not be using the public parking lot to do so. He also corrected Minner, saying that the hotel plans to expand by 18 to 21 units, not the originally stated 30.
Sebastian City Councilman Richard Gillmor initially balked at the idea of using the discretionary sales tax funds to build a parking lot along city right of way that would most likely be used by Capt. Hiram’s patrons.
He said he’d rather see the $125,000 be used for expanding the Presidential Streets project – a project that includes repaving and adding parking along certain waterfront district streets and improving drainage in that area.
He also voiced concerns about public safety regarding the proposed parking.
“I can see a real problem with this,” Gillmor said, explaining that the parking near Capt. Hiram’s as is helps to funnel pedestrians to a marked cross-walk. The new lot would not have that and people would dart across the street.
Mayor Jim Hill supported the request for the parking lot, noting that the Presidential Street project would be the same – using public money to, in part, establish parking near private businesses.
“I think this just makes sense,” Hill said, explaining that much of the city’s public parking is located near businesses and can be used by the businesses’ patrons and members of the general public.
Vice Mayor Don Wright agreed, saying that the additional parking would most likely help Capt. Hiram’s bottom line, which would in turn help the city and its residents.
Council members Andrea Coy and Bob McPartlan agreed with Gillmor’s safety assessment of the proposed parking and suggested engineers consider angled parking.
“We are bending over backwards,” Coy said of the council working to help businesses remain viable. “We are committed to helping businesses.”
As for the Davis Street sanitary sewer project, the Indian River County Board of Commissioners in April approved more than $402,000 to improve the system in the area of Davis Street, Central Street, US 1 and Indian River Drive – on the condition that Sebastian funds the necessary repairs to the roads after construction.
“I’m extremely encouraged to see that,” Wright said of the Indian River County Utilities turning its gaze on Sebastian for needed projects and improvements.
Minner estimates that the city’s contribution – which would be in the form of a reimbursement to the county for the road repairs – would be approximately $150,000.
After the meeting, Minner said the $275,000 allocation from the city’s discretionary sales tax funds would not impact other projects already programmed.