Coastal Bend program outlines GOMESA-funded shoreline and park projects for San Patricio County

Kristen Stansell, Executive Director with the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, briefed the court on seven projects the program manages under an MOA with San Patricio County and outlined how the county might allocate roughly $512,000 in GOMESA funds. Key project highlights included the Ingleside On the Bay pocket park (property acquisition completed; parking site identified and a CMP grant applied for), rehabilitation and solarizing of a well at a county-owned Hibernia Park parcel, replacement and rebid of a damaged Aransas Pass boardwalk (bids had exceeded budget), engineering/design for Sunset Lake trail and Violet Andrews Park permitting, pier replacement with the San Pat Navigation District, and a multi-phase plan to reactivate the Fred Jones Nature Sanctuary (access control, signage, potential demolition of structures, and trail maintenance).

Stansell presented a proposed allocation that would set aside approximately $100,000 for Ingleside On the Bay phase 2, funds toward phase 2 of Fred Jones improvements and a proposed septic-to-sewer conversion project at Agape Fellowship and Training Center that a commissioner had raised. She said the county’s available GOMESA funds total just over $512,000 and currently proposed projects total about $293,500, leaving flexibility for additional proposals.

Commissioners and staff discussed grant-matching, rebid strategies to reduce construction costs (including switching some materials from plastic timbers to treated lumber), and next steps to coordinate precinct-level priorities. Stansell said this briefing was informational and that formal funding amendments would return to court later for approval.