EUSTIS, Fla. — During an April 5 workshop on the City of Eustis master plan, commissioners identified parking as the single most critical implementation issue for downtown redevelopment and waterfront activation.

Commissioner Gary and others pressed for a short‑term plan to replace parking spaces that would be lost if the city develops the Waterman parcels. "Parking is gonna be the biggest thing people will give us feedback on," Gary said, noting events and new businesses already strain existing spaces. Staff estimated roughly 175 current parking spaces on the three Waterman parcels; the master plan references about 190 spaces with a recommended build‑out target of roughly 220 as the downtown develops.

Commissioners debated solutions including on‑site parking inside each redevelopment lot, scattered "pocket" surface lots of 20–60 spaces, shared parking, and one or more structured parking garages as a last resort. Consultants and staff cautioned parking garages are expensive: workshop discussion cited industry ballpark figures of $21,000–$35,000 per space for structured parking depending on configuration, which would put a 500‑space deck in the roughly $10–15 million range.

Several commissioners favored a scattered, phased approach: smaller surface or wrapped‑parking solutions near active parcels, with a larger "anchor" or overflow structure sited where it can also serve a community center or larger events. Consultant Mike Gohman and staff recommended design guidelines that discourage very large surface lots and encourage on‑site parking for each project when feasible. Gohman: "Smaller lots scattered around is...a lot less expensive. I think you'll find it's more consistent with the character of what you're trying to develop."

The commission directed staff to return with a detailed parking analysis that inventories public and private parking downtown (on‑ and off‑street), updates the current estimate of spaces used today, and models options — surface pockets, shared parking, shuttle/remote lots and potential garage scenarios — so the commission can evaluate costs, phasing and likely funding sources.