The Vero Beach City Council has officially embraced a local grassroots campaign to rebuild the storm-damaged Humiston Park boardwalk, voting unanimously last week to change course after approving a less-costly plan last summer to replace the historic structure with a sidewalk.
Not only will the 427-foot-long boardwalk be made of concrete, but council members asked city staffers and under-contract consultants who will design the new structure to provide an option to include an enclosed lifeguard station.
It was council newcomer Aaron Vos who suggested the city explore the possibility of integrating a lifeguard tower into the design of one of the boardwalk’s two planned pavilions.
“Something more permanent than something that sits on the beach,” he said.
In a phone interview Sunday, Vos said he envisions a station that would occupy one-third of the pavilion and have a front balcony from which lifeguards could observe the beach.
The station, he added, should provide an air-conditioned room in which medical care could be provided to beachgoers.
City Manager Monte Falls said he didn’t know how much a lifeguard station – even one incorporated into the design of a shade pavilion – would add to the cost of the boardwalk project.
“Not at this point,” he said last week. “We were intending to have a stand-alone lifeguard tower on the beach, so we’ll need to get some ideas in terms of size and scope first.”
Asked whether the lifeguards’ sightlines from the boardwalk would be sufficient, Falls said that determination likely would depend on the location of the station and height of the balcony.
He also was unsure about the difficulty of getting the boardwalk station permitted.
As for the boardwalk itself, the council wants it to be built as close to the location of the previous structure as permitting agencies will allow, using the most environmentally friendly design possible.
Falls said at least one of the designs presented to the council will include a faux-wood composite decking that would be installed atop the concrete surface.
The boardwalk’s projected construction cost would be more than $2 million and probably approach $2.5 million, city officials said. However, it now appears the price tag will be significantly reduced.
The council, which has budgeted $1 million for the project, opted for a concrete boardwalk after CDS Manufacturing offered to donate more than $300,000 worth of structural materials needed for its construction.
The company – which makes pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete beams, piling and other structures for construction projects – is owned by Clayton Sembler, who grew up in Vero Beach with his brother, Charlie, a former Florida House representative and Indian River County tax collector.
Their family’s roots here date back more than 100 years.
County Commission Chairman Joe Flescher said earlier this month Clayton Sembler told him CDS’ contribution, which was projected to reduce the city’s current-market construction costs by an estimated $700,000, would be a “gift” to the community.
Flescher quoted Clayton Sembler as saying: “We want to build something for the people here, the next generation and the generations to follow. … The Sembler team is all in.”
Neither of the Sembler brothers wanted to talk to the news media until the City Council formally approved the boardwalk option and the County Commission publicly agreed to contribute $400,000 to help fund the project, both Flescher and Vero Beach Mayor John Cotugno said.
Flescher said he expects the commission to take such action at its meeting next Tuesday. Falls said he had sent an email to County Administrator John Titkanich offering to provide any formal documentation of the council’s decision to switch from a sidewalk to boardwalk.
The Humiston Park boardwalk was damaged by Hurricane Nicole in November 2022 and later demolished by the city for public safety reasons.
Vero Beach officials submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency a petition seeking $400,000 to rebuild the boardwalk – but, unless their appeal is granted, the city will receive only $84,000.
FEMA cited the advanced age of the concrete boardwalk, the latest incarnation of which was built in 1973. (A boardwalk at that location dates back to the 1930s, but it was originally made of wood.)
Citing a limited budget and other priorities, the City Council voted 4-0 in June to replace the boardwalk with a raised sidewalk that included two shade pavilions and four dune crossovers with benches.
That vote came after council members considered two more expensive boardwalk options – one made of a faux-wood composite, one made of concrete.
Last month, however, Vero Beach 32963 agreed to champion the rebuild-the-boardwalk cause, pledging $5,000 to launch a community fundraiser.
The offer followed a commitment from council members John Carroll and Aaron Vos to each contribute $3,500. And a movement began.
In the weeks since, two local philanthropists have stepped up: John’s Island’s Tom Corr publicly announced in late December he would donate $100,000 to the boardwalk fund; and two weeks ago, Grand Harbor’s Charlene Friedman informed city officials in a letter that she would contribute $50,000.
As the week began, the city had received pledges totaling more than $175,000 – not including the Semblers’ contribution.
At its meeting last week, the council adopted a resolution establishing a partnership with the Indian River Community Foundation to manage a newly created “Humiston Boardwalk Fund” for private-sector contributions for the boardwalk project.
Jeff Pickering, the foundation’s president and CEO, said Saturday all contributions to the fund are irrevocable.
“Funds won’t be dispersed unless they’re used to rebuild the boardwalk,” he said. “In the unlikely event the boardwalk isn’t built, the funds will be used for repairs and improvements at Humiston Park.”
Pickering said the foundation is encouraged by the public support and “glad to help,” because it believes that rebuilding the boardwalk would be beneficial to the entire community.
“But we’re not tracking pledges,” he added. “We’re counting cash.”
As of Monday morning, the foundation’s boardwalk fund – gifts can be made through the RebuildHumiston.org website – had received a total of $9,950 from 13 donors. The fund’s goal is to raise $400,000.
Given the $1 million budgeted by the city, $400,000 in funding expected from the county, more than $175,000 in pledged contributions and the $700,000 in structural materials the Semblers say they’ll donate, the project’s costs should be covered.
Construction, however, cannot begin until after sea turtle nesting season, which begins on March 1, ends on Oct. 31.
Falls said the city would like to begin work on the project in November, just as it had planned for the sidewalk. But, he added, the boardwalk still needs to be designed, planned and permitted – and the city has no control over the permit-review process.
“We’ll do our best to get it built as soon as possible,” Falls said, “but I can’t sit here in good conscience and tell you that we’ll start on Nov. 1 of 2025.”
Former Mayor Tony Young, who was the only local resident to speak in favor of the boardwalk at the council’s meeting in June, remains hopeful and optimistic.
He sees the project as a rare opportunity for the city, county and community to work together in celebration of the county’s 100th birthday.
“This is the centennial year for the county, and the city is the county seat,” Young said. “Why not make the boardwalk our centennial project?”
