PORT CHARLOTTE — Projected costs for expanding sidewalk access near Sunseeker Resort have drastically increased due to delays, according to Charlotte County officials.
County staff and contractors presented plans for the Charlotte Harbor CRA at a Tuesday workshop for the Board of County Commissioners.
One of the main focuses for the workshop was an expansion of sidewalks on Parmely Street and Melbourne Street, just north of the U.S. 41 bridges over the Peace River.
The project, originally authorized in December 2021, would have placed an 8-foot multi-use path alongside both streets, along with a handrail and gravity wall along Melbourne.
The Parmely Street sidewalk was originally projected to cost $500,000 for 0.3 miles, while the Melbourne Street sidewalk was anticipated to cost $686,000 at 0.87 miles.
However, due to delays in construction — including from Hurricane Ian — the Parmely Street project is now projected to cost roughly $2.2 million, while the Melbourne Street pathway would be $3.37 million in its current form.
Presenters also noted there were pre-existing issues regarding drainage in the area, which would need to be overhauled as part of the project.
County staff and contractors said they were seeking direction from the County Commission for alternative plans for Melbourne Street to lower the relative cost while meeting the required needs of the project.
The sidewalk projects are slated to be funded by impact fees from Sunseeker Resort, which are due to begin being collected early next year. The annual fees are anticipated to be $2 million per year.
Vice Chair Christopher Constance noted the increase in project cost would require years of funding from impact fees to be able to pay it off.
“I can’t give any direction today,” he said. “We don’t have the money.”
Gordon Burger, the county’s budget and administrative services director, said the project was still feasible with anticipating funding.
“I think the revenue is there. It’s a matter of how far out do you want to go,” Burger said.
Other commissioners seemed amenable to a scaled-back version of the Melbourne Street project with a five-foot sidewalk on the east side of the street — which would lower the cost to roughly $2.8 million.
Chairman Bill Truex particularly pointed to the gravity wall on Melbourne Street, saying the project would be better off without it.
“I think this would be an eyesore to the people who live there,” he said during the meeting.
Commissioner Joe Tiseo also noted roughly $1 million from a previous CRA project returning to the general fund, which may be re-purposed for the Charlotte Harbor area.
Constance expressed skepticism about the possibility of re-directing funds, saying that he did not want to set “precedent” about it.
He described the Parmely Street sidewalk as a “want” rather than a “need,” which Tiseo disagreed with.
County commissioners and staff also discussed an anticipated project to pave a grass-parking lot on Bayshore Road and add drainage to the area, which is estimated to cost $750,000.
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