Business owners urge committee to revisit Harrison Street closure near Riverview Park

Damien Gilliams, a Sebastian property owner, asked the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to reconsider a conceptual plan that would partially close Harrison Street adjacent to Riverview Park, saying the road closure would hurt local businesses and employees and asking the committee to place the issue back on a future agenda.

Gilliams told the committee he and other property owners who have worked and lived on that street for “33 years plus” were concerned the closure would divert traffic into nearby shopping plazas and reduce customer access. “By shutting the roads to your grant money… you can still have your cake and eat it too,” Gilliams said, urging the committee to allow road closures only during special events and to keep the road open most days.

The request followed earlier committee movement on a conceptual Riverview Park plan. Chairperson responded that what the committee approved was “such a rudimentary plan just to move forward” and “it's not the final plan. There's still a whole bunch more that needs to go through committee before this gets to the point where it's finalized.”

Richard Blankenship, parks staff, told the committee the idea of closing part of Harrison Street is not new and was discussed with council in 2023. Blankenship described the proposal as a conceptual change intended to create a contiguous pedestrian pathway through the park so people could cross without using a travel lane. “It actually went to council. The idea was to have a contingent pathway… so you can go from one side of the park to the other side of the park without crossing a road,” Blankenship said, and added that the ultimate decision rests with elected officials.

Committee members asked for clarity about the proposal’s purpose and its effect on adjacent businesses. One committee member asked whether local businesses had been polled; Blankenship said businesses had voiced concerns at meetings and had opportunity to meet with staff. Committee members reiterated that the advisory committee’s role is to recommend and advise, and that any final change would require action by the City Council.

No formal committee vote or binding decision on closing Harrison Street was recorded at the meeting. The public commenter asked staff to send certified letters to affected property owners and asked the committee to reintroduce the item so owners could present additional information; staff and the chair said additional public input and further review are possible as the plan moves through subsequent committee and council steps.

The committee did not adopt a new motion on the street closure during this meeting; staff said the conceptual plan will continue through review and, if modified, will return to committee and ultimately council for further public consideration.