SEBASTIAN — Sebastian currently has more than a handful of construction projects somewhere in the pipeline.
City Manager Joe Griffin is doing a bit of triage to determine priorities and, in general, “get the oldest and the biggest” projects checked off the list as expeditiously as possible. He said he’s trying not to add any more to the list for the time being.
Here are a few updates:
Presidential streets: Traffic slowdowns can be expected through the summer months as the Presidential Streets project moves forward. Currently, between U.S. 1 and Indian River Drive on Cleveland, Washington and Martin, existing roadways are being removed and replaced and drainage pipe installed, after which rock will be placed.
A key component of this major project will be the placement of large baffle box filtration units at the Cleveland and Washington outflows. Considered the Cadillacs of stormwater filtration systems, and pricing in at an impressive $50,000 each, the baffle boxes efficiently filter stormwater, protecting the endangered lagoon from not only all types of debris but also, more importantly, harmful chemicals.
The boxes are being paid for through a Florida Department of Environmental Protection TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Water Quality Restoration Grant, and the City already has a maintenance schedule in place. Boxes for the Ccty’s other five outflow locations are expected to be installed in 2015.
Coolidge intersection: Not a part of the Presidential Streets project, Coolidge Street, at its intersection with Indian River Drive, is undergoing work to dig out the drainage ditch and replace pipe.
Municipal airport: With almost all the permitting in hand, project design completed and bids awarded, the two-phase project should get under way at the Sebastian Municipal Airport next month. Phase 1 encompasses widening and improvements to the airport access road and entrance. Dirt removed from the old roadbed will be stockpiled and later used as fill, to create additional buildable space, to attract new airport tenant businesses.
During Phase 2, the 40-year-old golf course maintenance building will be demolished and replaced, in a more convenient location, with a more efficient, prefabricated structure; The entire two-phase, $1.5 million project is expected to be completed in June, 2015.
Old city-owned Community Center: Late last year, with guidance from former City Manager Al Minner, the Recreation Advisory Committee had just begun to discuss how best to update the old, bursting-at-the-seams wood-frame building on Indian River Drive and North Central Avenue. During a meeting with the committee on that very subject, Minner got a call informing him that he’d been chosen for the City Manager position in Leesburg, FL. He took it, left shortly thereafter, and the project ground to a halt without making it out of the gate. Griffin, as he considers the current hefty project list, says the Community Center project has not really “bubbled to the top in the staff review,” and, at the moment, doesn’t have the same “present day validity” or urgency that others do. The interior is being painted and parking lot issues are being addressed, however, he added.
Captain Hiram’s new building: The Sebastian Inlet Marina & Trading Co. (a.k.a. Capt. Hiram’s) plan for a 2-story, 16-unit motel on a .28-acre portion of its Indian River Drive Oyster Bay Condominium property, between U.S. 1 and Indian River Drive is currently undergoing site plan review. A still-pending lawsuit filed last December by Damien Gilliams, citing insufficient notification to adjacent property owners, has not yet impacted the project. However, if the issue is not resolved by the time the project is set to go before the Planning and Zoning Board, a delay could result.
Avery Way: The $14 million project is on track, with the site plan currently undergoing staff review and expected to go before the Planning and Zoning Board in late June to early July. The project will be a 55-and-over, 100,000-sq-ft, 3-story residence facility on 7.4 acres along the north and west sides of the Publix Plaza at Barber and U.S. 1, offering a wide range of amenities and a variety of optional services. The project was met with positive feedback when it came before the P&Z Board and the City Council last November with a zoning request.
