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Clearwater wakes up to parking possibilities

By EDITORIAL
Published June 4, 2006

For years Clearwater city officials believed it would be possible to find a piece of land in Clearwater Beach, buy it and build a public parking garage on it.

Economic realities have intruded on that dream. Property is just too expensive on the beach. The city can't afford to buy land and also build a parking garage on it. Mayor Frank Hibbard's comment at a City Council work session last week speaks bluntly to that reality.

Since the city can't afford to buy property, Hibbard said that leaves four city-owned properties as possible parking garage locations: Pier 60, the city marina, the Rockaway (north beach) parking lot, and a parking lot beside the former Adam's Mark hotel property. (The Clearwater Beach Recreation Center property on Mandalay Avenue wasn't mentioned.)

Hibbard's list brings a sense of deja vu . City officials have debated all those locations previously. The city marina was discussed, but former officials seemed determined to reserve that spot for a fine redevelopment project some day, and besides, the city had a contract with the U.S. Post Office for a postal facility there until 2009.

There was once a plan to build a garage at Pier 60, and another time there was serious discussion about building a garage beside the Adam's Mark. Both ideas were withdrawn after the public opposed a multilevel parking garage on the beach side of S Gulfview Boulevard where there is a wide view of the sand and Gulf of Mexico for passers-by.

The city moved on. Officials looked for land to buy at a steal. Didn't happen. They tried to partner with beach business owners or hotel developers to get a garage built. That looked promising for a while, but still, there is no garage and the city's Beach Walk project will soon eliminate some of the surface parking that now exists on the beach.

Officials talked about using the Rockaway area for a garage, but some beach residents opposed paving over a small park that borders the existing lot there to build a parking garage. There is also a fire station there that would have to be uprooted, and the location is distant from the south beach tourist area.

At last week's council meeting, the city finally seemed to give serious consideration to the best option on Hibbard's list: the city marina.

A garage on the marina property would not be a hulking eyesore on the sand and would not block a view of the gulf, yet it would be close to the heavily used south beach and central business district. It could have restaurants and retail shops on the ground floor, maintaining the marina's commercial flavor.

Last week's council discussion was not really about beach parking, but about projects the city might put on a list for funding by a proposed extension of the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. A 450-space beach parking garage was mentioned for possible inclusion, with council members seeming divided only on whether the marina property should be preselected as the garage location. No formal vote was taken at the council work session.

The marina property is not without complications. Some worry that the location on the edge of the beach roundabout would cause exiting garage traffic to back up. A reconfiguration of the roundabout or construction of an elevated ramp might be necessary to move westbound traffic on the causeway into the garage.

Given the other pluses of the marina location, those concerns should not boot it off the list. An experienced and creative parking garage designer - or two - should be consulted on whether those issues are mountains or molehills.

[Last modified June 4, 2006, 07:48:45]