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Sebastian council approves Concept C for Riverview Park after split public input
Summary
After months of public meetings and competing business and safety concerns, the Sebastian City Council voted 3–2 to adopt Concept C for the Riverview Park master plan, choosing traffic calming over a permanent closure of Harrison Street and directing staff to proceed with design and permitting for phase 1.
The Sebastian City Council voted to adopt Concept C for the Riverview Park master plan, choosing traffic calming over permanently closing Harrison Street and directing staff to move forward with design and permitting.
Richard Blankenship, Parks and Recreation director, presented two options: Concept B, which would permanently close Harrison Street, move the splash pad north and create a contiguous park; and Concept C, which retains Harrison with traffic-calming measures and closes the street only for special events. Blankenship told the council the city has a design-and-permitting grant that must be completed with permits by 2026, a larger Land and Water Conservation Fund grant executed on the city side but pending agency execution, and $1,500,000 in city match to leverage additional grants.
The plan drew sharply divided public comment. Resident Sharon Herman urged the council to move accessible parking closer to main event areas and to provide temporary accessible spaces for large events, saying, “Handicapped doesn’t mean just because they’re not in an electric wheelchair that they can go any distance.” Business owners including Damien Gilliams and Roshan Desai warned a permanent closure could harm longtime businesses’ access and revenue. “It will change the value of our property,” Gilliams said, asking the city to consider business impacts. Supporters of closure, including parents and parks volunteers, emphasized safety, arguing a unified park would reduce vehicle–pedestrian conflicts.
Council members debated trade-offs between park cohesion and business access. Council member Nunn moved to approve Concept B, citing park flow and safety, but that motion failed after a council roll call. Vice Mayor McPartland then moved to accept Concept C; the motion carried 3–2. The clerk recorded Mayor Jones and Council member Nunn voting No; Vice Mayor McPartland, Council member Matthews and Council member Dodd voting Yes.
Council directed staff to proceed with formal design and permitting work for the adopted concept and to incorporate additional accessible parking and temporary-event accessible-parking plans into the detailed design, reflecting concerns raised during the public comment period. Blankenship said obtaining final plans will help the city qualify for larger grants it missed previously because formal designs were not available. The council noted removable bollards and other mechanisms can allow emergency access when needed.
The decision marks the next step toward a multi-phase renovation that staff said will seek additional grant funding and prioritize accessibility, event logistics and safety in the design and permitting phase.
