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Preliminary Riverside boat ramp design seeks compromise on cost, habitat and capacity
Summary
An engineer presented a preliminary design for a Riverside boat ramp that would require extensive dredging and habitat permitting; staff said combining adjacent Riverside Park property might increase boat‑slip capacity but could trigger grant restrictions and extra permitting scrutiny.
The council received a preliminary engineering briefing Monday on a proposed Riverside boat ramp intended to replace slips lost downtown during prior redevelopment. The consultant described navigational, environmental and cost challenges and said further design work and permitting discussions are needed.
Engineer Hans Wilson reported that the site has very shallow water and would require a navigation channel of about 1,108 feet out to minus‑5 feet mean low water, a minimum 40‑foot channel width and a protective structure (a peninsula or alternative) to reduce wave energy and sediment accumulation. Wilson said the peninsula concept would allow dredge material to remain on site, provide wave protection and create limited recreational space, but the peninsula footprint could affect smalltooth sawfish habitat and trigger National Marine Fisheries Service scrutiny.
Wilson said the Riverside Park site alone qualifies for only eight boat slips under the county's manatee protection plan because of shoreline length, but combining the newly acquired adjacent city parcel might allow transfer of additional slip credits and increase capacity. He warned that a prior Florida Communities Trust (FCT) grant for Riverside Park included conditions that could prohibit boating access, and staff planned to discuss combining the parcels with FCT and the Department of Environmental Protection.
Wilson estimated a preliminary construction cost of about $2.2 million for the conceptual plan and said he believes further redesign could reduce cost; he also described a possible revenue model for contractor staging during resiliency or repair operations. He outlined permitting scope that could take 18–24 months, involving the Florida DEP, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal and state resource agencies because of habitat and listed species considerations.
Council asked about maximizing trailer parking; staff said upland parking layouts could add capacity and that combining the properties could allow reconfiguration of vehicle and trailer parking. No final design or approval was made; staff said they will pursue discussions with the Florida Communities Trust and DEP and continue design refinements to reduce habitat impacts and cost.
