BRADENTON BEACH – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has authorized a $1,400 analysis of an existing city parking lot in hopes of creating additional public parking spaces.
The authorization is contingent on a pending determination from City Attorney Ricinda Perry as to whether restricted CRA funds can be used to fund the parking analysis, which would be conducted by Collier’s Engineering.
On June 6, the CRA members discussed the parking analysis of the city-owned public parking lot next to the cell tower and the public works building presented by Public Works Director Tom Woodard.
This diagram illustrates the potential reconfiguration of the existing public parking lot. – City of Bradenton Beach | SubmittedCRA member John Chappie said reconfiguring the unpaved parking lot with angled parking spaces and other low-budget improvements could create seven to nine additional parking spaces, with four spaces still reserved for public works personnel. Improvements might also include parking for golf carts and bicycles, he said.
The parking lot would remain unpaved and stormwater and drainage elements would not be impacted, according to Chappie.
Woodard told The Sun the proposed parking improvements are not directly related to the city commission’s desire to potentially implement paid parking in that lot and other city-owned parking lots and spaces in the CRA district, which extends from the Cortez Bridge to Fifth Street South.