HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-11-06A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY,
FLORIDA ADOPTING THE RIVERFRONT PARKING STUDY; PROVIDING
FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Sebastian, commissioned Outlier Planning to study
current parking statistics and make recommendations for parking improvements in the Riverfront
District; and,
WHEREAS, the Council conducted a public review of the study at the Regular Meetings
on 26 January 2011 and 9 March 2011; and,
WHEREAS, by making certain parking improvements in the Riverfront District,
development, redevelopment and access to public /private amenities can be improved; thereby,
bolstering the vitality, economy and ambiance of the District.
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Council of the City of Sebastian as follows:
SECTION 1. FORMAL ADOPTION. The City Council hereby formally adopts the Riverfront
Parking Study dated, January, 2011.
SECTION 2. AUTHORIZATION. The City Council hereby authorizes the City Manager to pursue
the study's recommended actions.
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its
adoption.
The foregoing Resolution was moved for adoption by Council Member Gillmor. The motion
was seconded by Council Member Wright and, upon being put to a vote, the vote
was as follows:
Mayor Jim Hill aye
Vice Mayor Don Wright aye
Council Member Andrea B. Coy aye
Council Member Richard H. Gillmor aye
Council Member Eugene Wolff aye
The Mayor thereupon declared this Resolution duly passed and adopted this 9th day of March,
2011.
ATTEST:
By:
Sally A. Maio,
City Clerk
RESOLUTION NO. R -11 -06
CITY OF SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA
Approved As to Form And Legality For
Reliance by the City Of Sebastian Only:
Robert A. Ginsburg
City Attorney
OVERVIEW
Sebastian is a waterfront community on Florida's east central coast, about 15 miles north of Vero Beach and 20 miles south
of Melbourne. Located in Indian River County on Florida's Treasure Coast, Sebastian grew up as a fishing village along the
pristine Indian River Lagoon, and has since become popular with retiress and snowbirds. The City's 2010 population was
estimated by the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research at 22,922 people, making it the most
populous municipality in Indian River County.
The Sebastian Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) was formed in 1995 under Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes
(F.S.), allowing the use of tax increment financing (TIF) in the district. The CRA includes the Study Area, as well as an ad-
ditional triangular area west of the Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad tracks between the eastbound and westbound lanes
of Sebastian Boulevard / CR 512. Since its formation, the CRA has undertaken a number of key improvements within the
Study Area, such as improvements to the Main Street boat ramp area, bulb -outs and landscaping on US -1, construction of
Riverfront Park, pedestrian and aeshetic improvements along Indian River Drive, property purchases, and facade improve-
ment matching grants, among others.
In October of 2010, Sebastian updated the CRA Master Plan after a public consensus -building process aimed primarily at
prioritizing CRA capital improvements for the following five years. Also in the latter half of 2010, the City considered and
approved a change in the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) allowing commercial developments in certain zoning
districts within the CRA to pay a fee in -lieu of providing up at 30 required off-street parking spaces, with revenues from this
in -lieu fee applied toward public parking improvements. The Master Plan Update process and LDR change provided the
impetus for the Riverfront Parking Study.
In October 2010, the City contracted with Outlier Planning, LLC along with subconsultant IBI Group, Inc. to complete this
Riverfront Parking Study. This Study evaluates existing supply and demand for parking in the Riverfront, as well as pro-
jecting future parking demand for the next ten years based upon projected development/redevelopment. It makes recom-
mendations primarily focused on policies and improvements to ensure that the parking needs of businesses and users are
most effectively met. However, it is also recognized that parking is closely related to a multitude of other issues, including
land use, urban design, transportation and economic development. It is thus important not to miss opportunities to consider
the effects of these factors on the Riverfront's parking system, nor opportunities to intelligently use parking to advance the
City's goals on those issues.
STUDY AREA
The Study Area is defined as those areas within the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) boundary and east of the
Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad right-of-way (Study Area shown on Map 1). This Study Area coincides with the Riverfront
zoning overlay and includes those areas generally referred to as Downtown or the Riverfront.
The parking analysis divides the Study Area into three inventory zones for analysis purposes and focused on the public
parking facilities- on -street and off-street parking within the study area. The four zones are as follows:
Zone 1: Indian River Drive Corridor from north of Jackson Street to Main Street
Zone 2: Indian River Drive Corridor from Main Street to Harrison Street
Zone 3: US -1 Corridor North from Captain Hirams to Main Street
Zone 4: US -1 Corridor South from Main Street to Sebastian Boulevard (CR 512 Eastbound)
These zones are shown on Map 2.
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PLANNING CONTEXT
Comprehensive Plan
The City's Comprehensive Plan envisions the Downtown part of the Riverfront as Sebastian's "Central Commercial
Core Area" (Future Land Use Element Policy 1-2.2.2), and directs development regulations that reinforce this area's
unique waterfront setting (FLUE 1-2.2.3). With regard to community appearance, FLUE Policy 1-2.6.1 mentioned that
"... Special emphasis shall be placed on preserving and/or improving ... the intracoastal shoreline ... and major trans-
portation corridors." Additionally, FLUE Policy 1-2.9.7 addresses the appearance of gateways on the US -1 and CR -512
Corridors by such methods as landscaping and urban design amenities.
The existing Comprehensive Plan also directly addresses the issue of parking. TE Policy 1.3.4 addresses urban design
considerations of off-street parking placement and providing pedestrian/bicycle circulation in parking lots. TE Policy
1.6.11 seeks to encourage alternative transportation choices and minimize impervious surface areas by directing the
City to establish a maximum number parking spaces allowed in excess of required parking.
The City's adopted Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) includes several recommendations relevant to the River -
front and the issue of parking. The EAR expressly recommends exploring ways to increase on -street parking in the
Downtown/ Riverfront Area. Specifically, the EAR recommends the establishment of higher -density "nodes" in the City
— the Riverfront would be one — and within these nodes allow for the payment of an in -lieu fee instead of constructing
required off-street parking "preferably as on -street parking to enhance urban design." More generally, the EAR encour-
ages parking for alternative vehicles, such as bicycles and scooters, particularly Downtown. Also related to the issue,
the EAR recommends continuing to seek funding for multi -modal streetscape enhancements.
As it relates to the issue of parallel parking on US -1, it should be mentioned that the EAR recommends adding a policy
statement in the Comprehensive Plan that "Sebastian seeks a proper balance between its function as a multi -modal
commercial core and the efficient movement of vehicles along US -1, and that the City does not support any future wid-
ening / additional lanes on US -1 ..." The EAR also includes a recommendation to add language that the "City supports
maintaining a slow speed limit on US -1 within the City's boundaries consistent with a dense, pedestrian -oriented area."
In the past, the City has sometimes shown support for the concept of lowering the speed limit on US -1 or portions of it
traversing the Riverfront Area, where the speed limit is currently 45 miles per hour (MPH), in order to enhance pedes-
trian safety and, as suggested in the EAR, recognize and encourage the area's function as a multi -modal commercial
core. As part of this Study, the Consultant discussed the issue of the speed limit on US -1 with the Florida Department
of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT expressed that in order to lower the current speed limit, a speed study would have to
show actual motorist speeds in the correct range to lower the speed to, say, 35 or 40 MPH. Past speed studies have not
warranted lowering the speed limit, and FDOT is not inclined to expend resources to conduct another such unless and
until something about the character of the area has changed that would suggest a new speed study might yield different
results than those conducted in the past. FDOT has further indicated that greater on -street parking use and density of
on -street parking might qualify as such a change in character, as consistently used on -street parking has been shown
to cause motorists to drive more slowly.
Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Master Plan
The CRA Master Plan — completed in 2003 with a minor Update completed in 2010, and including the Riverfront —
further supports the Comprehensive Plan's vision for the area, encouraging regulations to reinforce the "Old Florida
Fishing Village" design theme, encouraging commercial developers on US -1 to "build to the street" and streetscaping
enhancements along US -1 to, among other things, make the area more pedestrian -friendly. The Master Plan Update
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found public support for increasing public parking along the Riverfront in the vicinity of Main Street and Riverview Park.
The 2010 Master Plan Update notes the City's consideration of the (now enacted) in -lieu fee system, which applies
within the CRA area and is an alternative to providing all required parking on-site, in order to encourage redevelop-
ment and appropriate urban form. Also as part of the 2010 Master Plan Update, the "overall concept plan" now calls
for "increased public parking, including on -street parking spaces, to reduce the need for private off-street parking while
providing adequate parking for business and activities in the CRA district."
One of the purposes of the 2010 CRA Master Plan Update was to use a participatory public process to construct a capi-
tal improvements program for 2010 through 2015. Several of the planned expenditures may relate to the issue of park-
ing. Besides the money allocated for this parking study, there is $400,000 programmed for 2012 to pave the CavCorp
parking lot (to be supplemented by $350,000 in non -CRA funds), $250,000 slated in 2011 for gateways, and $25,000 in
both 2010 and 2011 for US -1 Streetscaping. It should also be noted that installation of new parking is ranked as a high
priority in the Master Plan's Long Term Capital Improvement program.
Land Development Regulations (LDRs)
The City of Sebastian's Land Development Code includes off-street parking requirements applicable uniformly through-
out the City. The Code sets out a number of required spaces by use per units of square footage, maximum occupancy
and similar measures that vary by use, and are generally consistent with those seen in similar communities around the
country. Required dimensions for parking spaces vary by the angle of parking. However, parallel parking spaces are
required to be nine feet wide by 22 feet in length. Ninety degree parking space requirements vary in width between
nine and ten feet, and require a 20 feet stall length. The Code also provides that off-street parking cannot be designed
so as to cause vehicles to back into a public street to leave the parking space.
Many properties in the Riverfront Area are small, and locating all required parking on-site can sometimes pose a chal-
lenge. The Code includes several ways that can help to accommodate such situations. In non-residential zoning dis-
tricts, up to 50 percent (a recent change from 25 percent) of required parking spaces may be located on a site up to 500
feet (a recent change from 300 feet) from the primary site, so long as the use and the parking site are not separated
from each other by a roadway classified as a major collector or higher or with more than two lanes, or by a railroad
right-of-way (ROW). Additionally, for parking lots of 20 or more spaces, a maximum of 15 percent may be compact
spaces (subject to approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission), which are 7.5 feet wide by 15 feet in length. Also
available is joint use of parking by two or more uses, so long as their hours of operation do not overlap. The Code also
offers a potential reduction in parking requirements of up to one space or 10 percent of required parking (whichever is
greater) to preserve the historical character of historic properties or to save specimen or historic trees.
Additionally, the City recently enacted changes to the off-street parking requirements specifically applicable to the
Commercial Waterfront Residential (CWR) and Commercial Riverfront (CR) zoning districts in the CRA Area. This
provision allows developers in these areas to satisfy up to 30 of their required parking spaces by paying an in -lieu fee,
to be established on a "per space" basis, to be used to develop and maintain public parking. This program has already
been utilized by Mulligans Bar and Grill at 806 Indian River Drive — on the east side of the street roughly across from
the CavCorp parking lot and immediately south of the Sebastian Yacht Club property.
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METHODS
As part of the Riverfront Parking Study, Outlier Planning has held a series of interviews and other communications with
stakeholders in the Study Area. In addition to the Mayor and City Council Members, we spoke to the executive director of
the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce, members of the City's Waterfront Committee, individual business own-
ers, and a forum of business owners/operators hosted by the Chamber of Commerce.
Additionally, at the outset a project webpage was established on the Outlier Planning website, accessed through the web
address www.SebastianRiverfront Parking.com. Besides including a description of the project and a number of ways to
directly contact the consultant team, this page was used to post work products throughout the project lifecycle. This allowed
interested citizens the opportunity to review the progress of the work and offer comments throughout.
RESULTS
On some points, there is a very strong consensus. For example, interviews found no support at this time for parking me-
ters or other methods of charging for public parking. Business owners along US -1 are generally consistent in feeling that
while there is a good deal of on -street parking available along US -1, it is underused because people are either unaware of
its availability or feel unsafe using it. On the other hand, some believe that its underuse is simply due to a lack of demand,
rejecting the idea of safety concerns based on the fact that the parking is used during intermittent periods of high demand.
However, while there is general support for the concept of landscaping and other streetscaping enhancements along LIS -
1, there are conflicting opinions regarding the priority for such improvements, and whether doing so would be useful in
addressing concerns about parking in the Riverfront. Some feel that landscaping (i.e. additional bulb -outs), colored pave-
ment or other enhancements would make US -1 on -street parking both more known and more safe, increasing its use and
practicality. However, others feel that while landscaping is nice, it does not address parking, and some believe that further
the need for increased parking is along Indian River Drive, not US -1.
Among business owners, there is generally support for more public parking. While some favor structured parking, others
point out that such a solution is difficult because no one location would be close enough to the places where public parking
would be needed most. Those in favor of a parking structure or other large public parking facility also divide over whether
such a facility should be east or west of US -1. Some feel that property on the east side of US -1 is too expensive, while
others feel that parking should be on the east side of US -1 because that is where the business are who need it. While
some business owners believe that current City parking requirements are excessive - requirements for medical uses were
specifically called out - some also expressed concerns of fairness if parking requirements were to be reduced after they
have already spent money to meet them.
The issue of boat trailer parking was a consistent theme, with participants generally interested in ensuring the available
boat trailer parking is not reduced. Connected to this is the opening of Mulligans restaurant near the City -owned CavCorp
lot, which is made available for boat trailer parking. Some stakeholders fear conflicting demand for parking on the CavCorp
lot between Mulligans customers and boat owners. While several participants expressed that paving and reconfiguring the
parking layout of the CavCorp lot may make it more efficient and less chaotic, there is some resistance to paving based on
drainage issues and the potential environmental impacts on the Indian River Lagoon.
Stakeholders participants also "floated" several specific ideas, which are summarized as follows:
changing the parking on the east side of Indian River Drive between Sebastian Boulevard and Coolidge street from
90 degree parking to angled parking;
creating parking in the right-of-way of Indian River Drive next to the CavCorp lot (this area currently includes a
drainage ditch and so would require installation of piping);
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CONCLUSIONS
The overriding conclusion suggested by the parking data gathered in this Study is that, overall, the supply of public and
semi-public parking significantly outstrips demand. This, however, does not mean that there are not parking problems or
issues. Those problems that do exist tend to be primarily in relation to geographical mismatch - available parking located
other than where it is needed, i.e. Jackson Street - or an issue of safe and convenient access to parking spaces and then to
ultimate destinations, most notably in the case of parallel on -street parking along the US -1 corridor. In any case, the exist-
ing and projected future situation does not suggest the need for large public expenditures to considerably increase the sup-
ply of public parking in the Riverfront, such as might be associated with large land acquisitions, construction of structured
parking facilities and the like. Rather, the City can achieve a more effective - and effectively larger - supply of public parking
mostly through investment in existing resources, attention to accessibility between parking and end destinations and better
information for users and potential users of public parking in the Riverfront. This strategy will not only be less expensive
for taxpayers in the City and CRA, but will also help to more effectively meet redevelopment goals while maintaining and
enhancing the "Old Florida Fishing Village" character of the Riverfront area.
Fundamentally, parking must be considered in its broader context, particularly with the character that exists in large parts
of the Study Area - along Indian River Drive and, to varying degrees, along that part of the US -1 Corridor just to the north
and south of Main Street. Whether because of when they were developed or in deference to the waterfront location, many
of these properties' development patterns foster a pedestrian -friendly environment that the City explicitly seeks to maintain
and, in the case of the waterfront, has directly invested to enhance. These areas stand in contrast to the more suburban
development pattern predominant in the remainder of the City. Because of both the practical need for automobile transpor-
tation in spite of these development patterns, and because of the wide right-of-way (ROW) of US -1, a fairly large amount
of public parking now exists in the Riverfront in a way that it generally does not in the remainder of Sebastian. Regardless
of this public parking supply, however, the City's off-street parking requirements for private development were until recently
applied uniformly throughout the City. Among the longer-term results has been that the public parking supply in the Study
Area has been underused, including along US -1 (among other reasons, in this case, as noted elsewhere). The City's recent
adoption of the optional in -lieu fee system for required parking within the CR and CWR zoning districts in the CRA area is
a major step in recognizing how this area differs from other parts of the City.
The underuse of parallel on -street parking on US -1 is a problem on a number of fronts. First, it is a waste of a public re-
source. To the extent that the burden of providing parking areas on private development parcels may hinder development
or redevelopment, it would be preferable to shift a (relatively small) part of that onto these currently unused spaces, as
continued development and redevelopment of the Riverfront is a legimate public goal. Second, it has become a matter of
safety. The disuse of these areas has created confusion to the extent several stakeholder participants in this Study reported
regularly observing motorists utilizing the parking lane as a right turn lane, and one participant reported their parked vehicle
being struck by another vehicle moving at a high speed. Finally, it is a significant missed opportunity. As suggested in the
Evaluation and Appraisal Report (EAR) approved in October 2010, and otherwise documented in numerable locations,
on -street parking is an important urban design tool, particularly since the CRA Master Plan emphasizes maintaining and
enhancing a pedestrian -friendly atmosphere in the district. On -street parking tends to slow down traffic, make pedestrians
on the sidewalk feel safer by providing a buffer between them and moving vehicles in the travel lanes and reduces crossing
distances. As noted in Chapter 1, according to the Florida Deparment of Transportation (FDOT) it may also help to effect
an eventual lowering of the speed limit on portions of US -1. In recent years, the City has made progress in installing a
number of bulb -outs with landscaping along US -1, as well as having FDOT recently remove a large number of "no parking"
signs that gave many people the incorrect impression that on -street parking was not allowed anywhere along the corridor.
In order to make the best use of public parking, however, accessibility between these spaces and end destinations must
be addressed, as well as providing better information to users of public parking (and others generally) about the locations
of Riverfront businesses and where convenient public parking may be found. This is particularly important for several busi-
nesses along Indian River Drive, where on-site parking is often limited, but available public parking is nearby. Pedestrian
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connections with appropriate amenities and wayfinding can both help businesses attract customers and help to make the
most efficient use of public parking infrastructure investments, whether those investments are already made or yet to be
undertaken.
The recommendations following will help the City to address all these issues, as well as others such as special events, in
a way that is both fiscally responsible and in a way that is in keeping with, and furthers, the City's broader objectives as
expressed in the Comprehensive Plan, CRA Master Plan and economic development efforts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Parking Supply
1. Delineate parallel on -street parking spaces on US -1, consistent with a 22 feet stall length as required for parallel
parking in the Land Development Code.
2. Increase use of bulb -outs with landscaping on US -1 in parking lanes to define parking areas and increase recogni-
tion among motorists of the availability of on -street parking, and to improve aesthetics.
3. Install stamped concrete on parking lanes along US -1 to differentiate these areas from the travel lanes and improve
aesthetics.
4. The timing of implementation of Recommendations 1-3 above should, where practical, consider what areas have
the most immediate need for additional parking.
5. Where feasible, encourage closing of curb cuts along US -1 that do not meet current standards for distance between
curb cuts or between curb cuts and intersections, in order to increase the supply of on -street parking.
6. Reconfigure the CavCorp Lot to maximize the efficient use of land to achieve maximum parking supply, including
designating approximately 92 boat trailer spaces. Remaining land should be dedicated to automobile parking,
which should be placed on the east side of the property, adjacent to Indian River Drive.
7. Use pavement markings to designate on -street parallel parking on the north side of Cleveland Street, consistent
with a 22 feet stall length as required for parallel parking in the Land Development Code.
8. Encourage use of the in -lieu fee parking ordinance by, for example, publishing an informational pamphlet about the
program and prominently displaying information about the program on the City's website to increase awareness of
this option for development and redevelopment.
9. After designating vehicle stalls of 22 feet in length for public parallel on -street parking, utilize any "leftover" area to
designate parking for motorcycles and/or scooters.
10. Amend the land development regulations to allow backing from a private parking space onto local and collector
public streets within the CRA ONLY (This would not include US -1).
11. Establish angled, on -street parking on the north side of Cleveland Street, utilizing the existing 80 feet ROW and
maintaining two-way traffic. Consider extending this strategy to other streets between US -1 and Indian River Drive
(such as Martin and Washington streets) as future parking demand warrants.
Pedestrian Connectivity and Accessibility
1. Establish designated pedestrian connections between Indian River Drive and US -1 along the following streets:
Sebastian Boulevard; Cleveland Street; Martin Avenue; Main Street; and, Jefferson Street. These streets should
include wayfinding signs as recommended below and, where these amenities do not currently exist, sidewalks,
landscaping and lighting. (See Map 20)
2. Establish and/or improve US -1 pedestrian crossing points along US -1 at CR -512 Eastbound / Sebastian Boulevard
and Main Street. Work with FDOT to attempt to establish a pedestrian crossing point at CR -512 Westbound. Such
a crossing point, if established, should include a pedestrian crossing light and space in the median for pedestrians.
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W'ayfinding a:ysiem i in,forn;anon
Establish a Riverfront Wayfinding System, including the following elements: stations in public parking lots and in
strategic locations along Indian River Drive and US -1, including a map showing locations of businesses, attrac-
tions and available parking; signs directing pedestrians, particularly directing them to and through US-1/Indian
River Drive pedestrian connections as recommended above and US -1 pedestrian crossing locations as recom-
mended above; and, signs directing motorists to available public parking locations. The map should be designed
so as to make periodic alterations easy. Consider partnering in this effort with the Chamber of Commerce or other
organization(s) interested in economic development/ business promotion.
Establish a website to provide information regarding businesses, attractions and available parking facilities in the
Riverfront area, the main element of which should be the same map as established for the Riverfront Wayfinding
System recommended above. The City should ensure that this website is optimized for mobile devices, such as
smartphones, and that the website is advertised on the stations and signs of the Wayfinding System.
Other
1. Encourage and participate in the continued use of shuttle systems for special events, such as the Sebastian Clam-
bake Lagoon Festival and concerts and other events at Riverfront businesses such as Captain Hirams.
2. Work with any existing or prospective businesses that may consider utilizing the Jackson Street public parking area
as a "valet lot".
3. Five years following approval of this Riverfront Parking Study, reevaluate the use of, and any potential need for, ad-
ditional public parking in the Riverfront Study Area. Also as part of this evaluation, examine the use of and success
of the in -lieu fee parking ordinance, and consider increasing the allowable number of spaces that a developer may
chose to mitigate with the in -lieu fee system.
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