SEBASTIAN — The latest in a long line of proposed designs for the grassy parking lot behind the Hess gas station next to Riverview Park in Sebastian appears to have garnered some public support.
The newest plan calls for 77 vehicular parking spots, plus five handicapped spots, around the perimeter of what is commonly known as the CavCorp lot. Boat trailer parking would be essentially left as is and is expected to continue to accommodate the 65 to 75 trailers it currently fits.
The project, which would consist of paving parking spots along the four edges of the lot, adding stormwater pipe and landscaping is expected to cost the city approximately $450,000.
“We had a lot of competing users,” engineer Frank Hickson told the audience, noting that boaters use the lot, along with customers of nearby businesses, those visiting Riverview Park, and those attending special events in the area.
Over the course of at least a year and a half, Hickson’s firm – with city guidance – have crafted more than two dozen design concepts, each with a “fatal flaw” or something needing tweaking, he said.
This plan took into account comments made by the Sebastian City Council last month, which decided to send it out to the public for feedback.
In general, the audience seemed to support the concept.
Sebastian Lions Club member Jerry Kennerk asked about the availability of handicapped parking at the lot and expressed pleasure that the city could reserve more than just the daily five spots during special events.
Because car parking would be paved, more spots could serve as handicapped parking as the need arises, City Manager Al Minner explained.
Anjani Cirillo, representing the Sebastian Clambake Foundation, asked about the construction’s timing and whether the improvements would impact the city’s special events.
Minner explained that – if council approves this plan – then the engineer team can finalize the design and the project could be put out to bid. He would expect construction could start after the Fourth of July celebration and wrap up before the Clambake festival.
Upon hearing the proposed timeline, Cirillo said, “Nice!”
“That’s the best case scenario,” Minner cautioned.
Damien Gilliams spoke in opposition to the project overall, raising questions about the need for the project to begin with.
“There’s nothing broken down there,” he said. “I don’t know what we’re fixing.”
He suggested the money the city plans to spend on the CavCorp lot would be better spent acquiring other small properties for future public parking needs.
Minner addressed the comments from Gilliams, noting that the city has wanted to improve the parking lot to fit in with its surroundings. The improvements would bring in the nearby stamped concrete of the area’s crosswalks to the vehicular parking spots – adding to the ambiance.
The concrete parking would also improve pedestrian safety, according to Minner, and the project would also mean an increase in the number of cars that could park in the lot.
By leaving the interior of the lot essentially alone, boaters could park their trailers how they best see fit and special event organizers can layout event parking the way they want to.
“It might not be broken,” Minner said, “but it could be better.”