Last night, the City of Sebastian held a workshop to discuss the future renovations of Riverview Park. The meeting brought together residents and business owners to share ideas and concerns about the proposals.

The city has already held meetings to discuss the park, and two conceptual plans (A and B) were presented at this workshop. City Manager Brian Benton explained that they initially planned to spend $1 million to replace the old splash pad, a water play area for kids. But since no grants were available for just that, they decided to think bigger.

“We had budgeted a million dollars to replace the splash pad,” Benton said. “As we started to look at that, we decided we could utilize some grant funding if we can look at the entire park.”

Benton also stated that the City of Sebastian is likely to keep the Veterans Memorial at its current location.

The city also needs a new portable stage, which could cost up to $200,000. These two items—the splash pad and stage—were the main things the city planned to fund.

Upgrading the entire park will cost about $3 million. Benton made it clear that the city didn’t want to spend all that money on its own. The plan was to use grants to cover half the cost while adhering to the budget for the splash pad and stage.

So far, the city has secured three grants: $1.5 million from the federal government, $50,000 from the Florida Inland Navigational District Water Assistance Program, and $40,000 for a dock near the park. That totals $1.59 million, leaving the city to pay less than $1.5 million.

The new plans include some nice changes. An amphitheater would be built under the trees near the center of the park, the volleyball courts would move closer to the water, old pavilions would be replaced with new ones, and a dock will be renovated. There’s a plan to add extra parking behind the Veterans Memorial for the park.

There was also talk of adding a floating dock for kayaks, but some people worried about wind and water currents, hinting it might be a bad idea.

Not everyone agreed with every idea. When someone asked why the city was spending money on the park instead of other projects, Benton said they’re already working on about 20 other grant-funded projects around Sebastian.

Parks Are a Priority for Citizens

Councilman Ed Dodd told Sebastian Daily that a 2022 survey mailed to some residents showed city parks were a key priority for citizens.

For the question: ‘Select the top 5 factors that contribute to your quality of life rating within the city of Sebastian only,’ the following responses were received:

Parks: 70.89%
Water Access: 53.76%
City Location: 50.28%
Public Safety: 47.35%
Community Events: 45.13%

In response to another question: ‘Select the top 5 investments the city should focus on over the next 3 to 5 years to improve the overall quality of life,’ the results were:

Drainage Improvements: 69.35%
Roads: 59.57%
Parks: 56.98%
Police: 46.48%
Traffic Safety: 40.14%

These results showed that city parks were a key concern for citizens, another reason the city sought grant funding to improve Riverview Park.

Veterans Memorial Debate

One big issue was the Veterans Memorial. Concept A, the first plan, suggested moving it to the west side of the park near U.S. Highway 1, but veterans didn’t like that idea. They said it would be too noisy for ceremonies and not an ideal spot for them and insisted on leaving the memorial at its current location.

Another concern was the playground and splash pad. Parents have long complained that the playground is too far from the splash pad. They wanted them closer together, but that would mean moving the memorial.

After talking with veterans before the workshop, the city developed an additional plan known as Concept B. This one keeps the memorial where it is and moves the splash pad and playground into Riverview Park.

Veterans liked this idea, but some residents think moving the splash pad would cost too much. If the memorial stays put, the city wants to add more shade to the area and other improvements.

However, Benton emphasized that the Veterans Memorial is likely to stay at its current site and would not be moved.

Harrison Street Controversy

Another hot topic is the closure of Harrison Street, from the splash pad to Indian River Drive, to merge the park with the Veterans Memorial. The plan would redirect cars entering the road from the west into a new paved parking lot behind the Veterans Memorial.

Many people liked this, but local business owners weren’t happy. Damien Gilliams Jr., who runs the No Name Sports Bar with his father, said closing the street would hurt their family business. He said it’s a main artery to Indian River Drive and was concerned about emergency vehicles, like fire trucks, getting through.

Nearby businesses, like Ar-Pat’s Dry Cleaners and Italian Cousin restaurant, had similar concerns. Michele Hennessey, owner of Italian Cousin, said park visitors already overflow into her restaurant’s parking lot during big events. She doesn’t want that to get worse. The new paved parking area they want to build is behind the plaza of her restaurant and interconnects with parking.

Gilliams Jr. is also concerned about the lack of restroom facilities in the plans. With thousands of people visiting the park at times, he said the portable toilets they’ve used before are “stinky and hot.” Benton said he would toss some ideas around with city staff for additional restrooms.

Listening to the Community

The city has been talking about these park improvements for eight months now, and they’re still listening. Last night’s workshop showed how much people care about Riverview Park—and how challenging it can be to make everyone happy.

With grants helping to pay for most of the upgrades, the city hopes to create a better park without breaking the bank. But as debates continue over the memorial, Harrison Street, parking, and restrooms, it’s clear there’s still work to do to find a plan that works for everyone.