RECREATION
I.
INTRODUCTION
The
geographic location of Indialantic, between the Indian River Lagoon and the
Atlantic Ocean, provides a bounty of resource-based recreation. Fishing,
swimming, surfing, and other water activities are easily available to residents
and visitors, and the mild climate allows enjoyment of these and other
recreational activities the year round.
The
Town of Indialantic does not have a recreation department to serve its citizens.
It does, however, have active committees that the Council appoints from
time to time to oversee or advise on special activities or areas of special
interest. Recreational opportunities are, also, readily available from
the surrounding communities and from the Brevard County recreational programs.
This
element is intended to be a planning guide as well as a source of information
to residents of the community. It is hoped that by knowing their
community citizens may better preserve the facilities they have and improve the
quality of recreational opportunities and open space areas for future
generations.
II.
RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE INVENTORY FOR THE TOWN
The
following information inventories the various recreation and open space
facilities located within the Town. The inventory, where applicable,
lists the name of the facility, location, type, ownership, size, and facilities
offered. The number of the facility corresponds to the number on the map
which follows the inventory.
1. ORLANDO PARK
Location: Bordered by South Ramona, Ormond, Orlando, and Magnolia Avenues.
Type:Neighborhood
Park
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
2.39 acres
Facilities: Picnic tables, benches, large selection of children's playground equipment, gazebo, basketball court, open area for games, and some green space parking on periphery of park.
2. INDIALANTIC BEACH
Location: Accessed at the east terminus of S.R. #192. Extends from Fourth Avenue southward to Eleventh Avenue.
Type:
Special Use Facility ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size: 1,916.6 feet of beachfront and approximately 2.45 acres
Facilities:
Beach, lifeguards available on limited basis in summer, metered parking, dune
crossovers, a boardwalk, and emergency beach access.
3.
DOUGLAS PARK
Location: Southeast end of Melbourne Causeway and Indian River
Type:
Special Use ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
1.17 acres
Facilities: Benches available for viewing Indian River Lagoon and activities along causeway.
4.
RIVERSIDE PARK
Location: North end of Riverside Place adjacent to Indian River Lagoon
Type:
Special Use ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.54 acres
Facilities:
Gazebo, picnic tables, and benches.
5.
MELBOURNE CAUSEWAY
Location:
Extends along north and south side
of
S.R. #192.
Type:
Special Use ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Florida DOT right‑of‑way
Size:
6,900 feet of river frontage or 6.3 acres
Facilities:
Undeveloped off‑road parking, access to
water.
6. JAMES
H. NANCE PARK
Location:
Between the Atlantic Ocean and S.R. A1A
from
Fourth Avenue to Watson Drive.
Type:
Special Use ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Brevard County
(operated
by Town of Indialantic)
Size:
4.95 acres or approximately 700 feet
of
frontage
Facilities:
Restrooms, parking, picnic shelters,
pavilion,
grills, and crossover.
7. LILY
PARK
Location:
Eighth Avenue and Riverside Drive
Type:
Passive ‑ Open Space
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic (joint maintenance
with
the Garden Club by the Sea)
Size:
0.28 acres
Facilities:
Benches and landscaping
8. WILLIAM
DEWEY PARK
Location:
Intersection of Orlando and Shannon
Avenues
Type:
Passive ‑ Open Space
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.06 acres
Facilities:
Benches
9.
RIVERSIDE PEDWAY
Location:
South of Fifth Avenue: runs parallel to
Riverside
Drive to Eighth Avenue then
cuts
diagonally to Melbourne Avenue,
continues
to Magnolia Drive through
Orlando
Park. North of Fifth Avenue:
runs
from Fifth Avenue northward along
the
west side of Riverside drive and
joins
the County pedway.
Type:
Special Use
Ownership:
Town right‑of‑way
Length:
1 mile
10. BEACH
ACCESS POINTS
Location:
Tampa Avenue and Watson Drive
east of S.R. A1A
Type:
Special Use ‑ Resource Based
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
Tampa Avenue 0.32 acres
Watson
Drive 0.8 acres
Facilities:
Unpaved parking and dune crossover
11. OPEN SPACE
Location:
Bounded by Tampa, Cocoa, and S.R. A1A
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.21 acres
Facilities:
Asphalt walkway
12. OPEN SPACE
Location:
Northwest corner of Riverside Drive
and
Melbourne Causeway
Ownership:
Eastminister Presbyterian Church
Size:
0.63 acres
Facilities:
Unpaved parking
13. OPEN SPACE
Location:
Area bounded by Watson Drive, Powell and
Warren
Streets, and N. Shannon Avenue
Ownership:
Florida Power and Light Corporation
Size:
2.3 acres
Facilities:
None, one‑half of property is used for
sub‑station.
14. OPEN SPACE
Location:
Intersection of Wayne Avenue and
Watson
Drive
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.23 acres
Facilities:
None
15. WAVE CREST
PARK
Location:
Intersection of Wave Crest Street
and S.R. A1A
Type:
Passive ‑ Open Space
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.16 acres
Facilities:
Benches
16. WATER
TOWER PARK
Location:
Palm Avenue just south of Palm Court
Type:
Passive ‑ Open Space
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.41 acres
Facilities:
None ‑ water storage tower located on
property
17. SUNSET
PARK RIVER ACCESS
Location:
West side of Riverside Drive at
Watson
Avenue
Type:
Passive - Open Space
Ownership:
Town of Indialantic
Size:
0.41 acres
Facilities:
Benches, walkway
18. S.R.
A1A PEDWAYS
Location:
East side of S.R. A1A from Town Limits
to
Fifth Avenue and west side of
S.R.
A1A from Grosse Pointe Avenue to
Fifth
Avenue.
Type:
Special Use
Ownership:
FDOT
Length:
0.5 miles
19. PRIVATE
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
The
only private facilities are swimming pools located at six multi‑family
complexes. These pools serve an estimated 500 persons.
III.RECREATIONAL
FACILITIES OUTSIDE THE TOWN
It
should be noted here that there are several facilities located on the beachside
which, although are not located within the Town, do serve the residents.
These facilities are as follows: Sebastian Inlet State Park located some
16 miles to the south on S.R. A1A; Paradise Beach Park located approximately
one mile north on S.R. A1A; Spessard Holland Park and Golf Course located
approximately 2 1/2 miles south on S.R. A1A; Indialantic Elementary/Hoover Junior
High Community Park located one block north of the Town Limits; and a recent
County oceanfront purchase of 240 feet adjacent to the Town Limits at Watson
Drive.
IV. SITE
GUIDELINES FOR FACILITIES
The
following definitions and guidelines are those used by the State of Florida in
its publication: Outdoor Recreation in Florida ‑
1997. It is important that these be evaluated since the Town will
have to establish an acceptable level of service standard.
Equipped
Play Area and Tot Lot
Equipped
play areas, or "tot lots" as they are often called, are open areas
with play apparatus for preschool and school age children. It is
recommended that an equipped play area serve neighborhoods of between 500 and
2,500 people on a minimum of 1/4‑acre at a site adjoining an existing
recreation facility or elementary school. Elsewhere, 1 acre is
suggested. Recommended facilities include play apparatus, landscaping,
benches, and open space. Depending on local recreation needs, picnic
tables may be included.
Neighborhood
Park
The
neighborhood park is a "walk‑to" park, generally located along
streets where people can walk or bicycle without encountering heavy
traffic. It serves the population of a neighborhood in a radius of up to
one‑half mile, and should have at least 2 acres for each 1,000
population. Its size usually ranges from 5 to 10 acres, and it serves a
population of up to 5,000.
Because
the service areas of a neighborhood park and an elementary school often
coincide, it is desirable for the neighborhood park to physically join the
elementary school, when feasible. Both park and school serve the same
basic population, share compatible land uses, and contain recreation facilities
that are of mutual benefit. Because recreation needs vary from one
neighborhood to another, site design for this type of park should be flexible
in order to meet the particular recreation needs of each neighborhood.
Site design should also reflect the character of the neighborhood and
incorporate compatible elements of both passive and active types of
recreation. Typical facilities developed in the neighborhood park may
include play apparatus, recreation buildings, multipurpose courts, sports
fields, picnic areas, and free play areas. Additional facilities may be
added, depending on the recreation demands of the neighborhood.
Community
Park
A
community park is a "ride to" park, located near major streets or
arterials. It is designed to serve the needs of 4 to 6 neighborhoods
which may be said to constitute a community and serves community residents
within a radius of up to 3 miles, or a service population of up to
25,000. A minimum of 20 acres for each community park is recommended,
with acreage needs based on a standard of 2 acres per 1,000 population.
Where a community park can be located adjacent to a junior or senior high
school, a minimum of 5 acres is recommended. The community park offers a
wide range of program and facility opportunities for all individuals and
families. Just as the neighborhood park fulfills the recreation needs of
the neighborhood, the community park is designed to meet the recreation needs
of the entire community. Typical facilities at a community park may include
swimming pools, ball fields, tennis courts, play areas, picnic areas, multi‑purpose
courts, recreation buildings, and sport fields. Additional recreation
facilities may be included to meet a particular recreation demand in the
community. Adequate off street parking may be needed to contain parking
overflow from the school parking areas. Two important elements of every
community park are the use of landscaping and the provision of passive
recreation activity areas.
Urban
Open Space
Urban
open space sites are landscaped or natural open areas, located within built‑up
areas. Depending on their location, open space sites may serve populated
areas ranging in size from a single neighborhood to an entire city. Their
principal function is to intersperse congested urban environments with
aesthetically pleasing buffer areas. Urban open space areas may vary in
size from 1/10‑acre to several acres depending on their intended use.
Some serve as linear, vest pocket or traffic circle parks, while others are
parkways, boulevard medians, plazas, malls, courthouse squares, and
promenades. Benches, commemorative structures, trails and paths are
optional depending on local needs and the size and location of individual
sites.
Urban‑District
Park
An
urban‑district park is designed to serve the recreation needs of several
communities, a city, or a county, and usually provides some areas and
facilities that are resource‑based. Typical areas and facilities include
natural areas, campgrounds, and play apparatus. Additional facilities may
include a zoo, a golf course, or a botanical garden.
Driving
periods of up to 30 to 40 minutes may be required to reach an urban‑district
park, which should, when possible, be located on the periphery of a large urban
area. Each such park should be utilized by an average population of
50,000, with a desirable space allowance of 5 acres per 1,000 people.
While 100 acres may meet minimum requirements, a size range of 200 acres or
more is desirable.
Regional
Park
Regional
parks are large, resource‑based areas that serve two or more communities
or counties and are usually located within an hour's driving distance of the
residents they serve. A space allowance of 20 acres per 1,000 population is
suggested. The park should serve a population of over 100,000 and should
range in size from a minimum of 250 acres to as much as several thousand
acres. Because regional parks are generally designed for resource based
activities, location is dependent upon the availability of high quality natural
resources capable of being developed and used for outdoor recreation.
Typical
facilities provided at a regional park include water‑based recreation
sites, camping areas, hiking and nature trails, picnic areas, and other
facilities not requiring intensive development. Parking areas are
necessary support facilities and should be designed to minimize adverse effects
on the natural environment. The most prominent feature of a regional park
is that it provides recreational opportunities that, through the design and
development of outdoor recreation resources and facilities, capitalize on the
natural environment and promote an atmosphere of beauty and serenity.
Access
points and parking areas are support facilities for primarily publicly‑owned
beaches. In many areas of the state, access to beaches is restricted to
pedestrian use of paths and raised wooden walkways which extend to the publicly‑owned
portion of the beach (that part lying seaward of the mean high water
line). Public parking may or may not be provided at access points.
Accessways may range from a width of 10 to 100 feet or more for pedestrian
access, and parking areas may range from less than an acre to more than 1
acre. Parking areas are often created where the shoulders of public roads
have been widened. A distance of one‑half mile between access sites
has been developed as a guideline for the spacing of public access sites at
State‑financed beach restoration projects. Currently, however, this
is not a mandatory standard. Such a standard is being considered as an
amendment to Chapter 16B‑36, Florida Administrative Code, which governs
the administration of State grant funds for beach renourishment projects.
V.
APPLICATION OF SITE GUIDELINES TO THE TOWN
It
is obvious from the review of these guidelines along with an understanding of
the small size and almost completely developed nature of the Town that the
application of these guidelines in their entirety would be fruitless; however,
if the regional park standard is deleted, the acreage requirement would be 10
acres per 1000 persons. Because of the unique character of the Town with
almost one‑half of its ocean frontage devoted to parks and because the
Town has almost no remaining undeveloped land, the Town will use an overall
level of service standard of 4 acres per 1000 persons to evaluate its
recreation and open space needs. Where applicable, a comparison with
State guidelines will be made.
VI.
POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS AND PROJECTIONS
In
order to adequately examine existing and future recreation and open space
needs, it is necessary to evaluate population characteristics and projections
for the Town.
Age
According
to the 1990 Census, the total population in the Town was 2,844
persons of which 4.2 percent were under 5 years of age; 84.2
percent, 18 years and older; and 23.6 percent, 65 years and older.
The
population by age group was as follows:
Group
Number
0‑14
365
15‑24
287
25‑44
801
45‑64
720
65+
671
Source:
1990 Census
It
is felt that this general trend will continue toward an older population.
Income
The
income level in the Town is extremely high with the median family income being $50,132.
Of the 827 families residing in the Town in 1990, the Census made
the following determination:
Category
Families
Under $5,000
5
$5,000 ‑
9,999
15
10,000 ‑
14,999
30
15,000 ‑ 24,999
113
25,000 ‑
34,999
101
35,000 ‑
74,999
405
$75,000 or more
158
Source: 1980 Census
Projections
The
following population projections are the same found in the Future Land Use
Element. The methodology is contained in that element. Figures are
shown for the remainder of South Brevard which includes that area on the beach
and the mainland from the Pineda Causeway south to the County line.
POPULATION PROJECTIONS
Year Indialantic
South Beaches South Mainland
1980
2,883
40,483 87,226
1990
2,844
46,302 161,133
1995
2,940
47,980 188,859
2000
3,035
49,659 216,585
2005
3,130
51,337 244,312
2010
3,225
53,015 272,038
Source:
Brevard County Planning Department
Projections, August, 1996.
VII.RECREATION
AND OPEN SPACE ANALYSIS
An
analysis of recreation and open space needs can be made by using the acreage
level of service standard and standards for user-oriented standards.
Current
Acreage Needs
As
can be seen from the previous section, the population estimate in 1990
was 2,844 persons, and it has increased to approximately 2,940
persons in 1995. Because all data presented in other elements is
presented by five year increments, the projections will begin with 1995.
By
applying the level of service standard of 4 acres per 1,000 persons to the 1995
population figure of 2,940 persons, and by adding the peak non‑resident
figure of 480 persons, it can be determined that there is a need for
approximately 13.7 acres of park and recreation area.
If
the pedways and Florida Power and Light Company properties are excluded,
there are 21.3 acres available to the Town.
Future
Acreage Needs
By
using the same methodology as previously described, the need can be determined
for 2000, 2005 and the year 2010. The need in
acreage is shown below:
Resident
Peak Functional
Year Population
Non‑Resident Population
Acreage Need
2000
3,035
538
3,573 14.3
2005
3,130
570
3,726 14.9
2010
3,225
654
3,879 15.5
As
previously stated, the existing 21.3 acres should meet the level of
service standard for the Town and should serve the Town until it is built out.
Current
and Future Facility Needs
Since
the level of service standard indicates that no new acreage need be acquired, a
closer look was given to the actual facilities as to the need to expand or
improve them based on the State quidelines. Although all residents
are within user distance of the parks, U.S. 192 does divide the Town into
two service areas.
Neighborhood
Parks
Orlando
Park very adequately serves the area of the Town south of S.R. #192 and will do
so in the future. The Town can be divided into two basic neighborhoods
with respect to neighborhood parks with U.S. #192 being the dividing line. The
Town should encourage Brevard County and the School Board in
upgrading the facilities at Hoover Junior High School/Indialantic Elementary
School to serve the northern section of the Town.
Community
Park
It
is recommended that Hoover Junior High School/Indialantic Elementary School
serve as the community park for the Town. It is within a one mile radius
of all residential units and is operated after school hours. It has play
fields, softball fields, a track, tennis courts, and racquetball courts. The
Town should work with the County in its plans for expansion and its
determination of programs.
Urban‑District
Park and Regional Park
These
facilities require a large amount of acreage and are best suited for the
mainland areas. Sebastian Inlet State Park which is 16 miles to the south
on S.R. A1A probably best suits the definition for an urban‑district park
and Wickham Park, about 8 miles away in the north end of Melbourne, serves as a
Regional Park.
Beach
Access
The
town has approximately 2,600 feet of ocean frontage and access. At the
State standard of one mile to serve a minimum population of 100,000
persons, the Town can certainly serve its current and future residents.
The Town has paved the Tampa Avenue access for residents in the area
south of U.S. #192.
River
Access
The
Town has a total of approximately 8,900 feet of river access with the largest
contributor being the FDOT right-of-way on the Melbourne Causeway. Using
the same standard as that for saltwater access, the Town has ample river
access.
Although
it does not have any boat launching ramp facilities, there is a public ramp at
the west end of the Melbourne Causeway. This facility is large enough to
serve the residents of the Town.
There
has been expressed some desire for a fishing pier which would be in conjunction
with the Melbourne Causeway; however, this effort would have to be completed
with State funds. The Town may wish to seek such funding.
Passive‑Open
Space Parks
There
are several such parks located throughout the Town. The Town should
consider a concerted effort to landscape these parks and rights‑of‑way
to further enhance the natural beauty of the Town.
The
Parks, Recreation, and Beautification Committee has recommended that these
areas be maintained in as natural a state as possible and that natural
vegetation be retained on the sites. The committee has also recommended
that vacant lots should be cleared in a manner that would protect desirable
trees such as oaks already growing on the lot.
Bike
Paths
There
is a pedway on Riverside Drive through the Town on the north side of
U.S. #192. There is a connecting link on the south side of U.S. #192
which extends along Magnolia Avenue to Orlando Park. This connects
Orlando Park with the other river access. There is, also, a State
maintained bike path on the south side of the Melbourne Causeway.
The
County and the Town have completed a pedway on the west side of S.R. A1A from
the Town Limits to Fifth Avenue, and a second pedway is being constructed on
the east side of S.R. A1A from Grosse Pointe Avenue to Fifth Avenue.
At
present, the approximately 2 1/2 miles of pedways existing in the
Town would serve, according to the State standard, a median population of
approximately 5,000 persons. The current status would suffice for both
existing and future population.
User‑Oriented
Needs
The
Town is not adopting specific facility standards; however, Table I ‑ User‑Oriented
Facility Needs was developed from State guidelines in order to demonstrate
these needs. The Town must rely on the Hoover Junior High School
facilities, located approximately four blocks north of the Town limits, for
user oriented facilities.
TABLE I
TOWN OF INDIALANTIC USER‑ORIENTED
FACILITY NEEDS
________________________________________________________________________________
Existing
Needs
Activity
Facility Standard
Facilities 1988 1990 1995 2000
Tennis
One Court/2,000 Pop.
0
2 2 2 2
Baseball/
Softball
One Field/3,000 Pop.
0
1 1 1 1
Football/
Soccer
One Field/4,000 Pop.
0
1 1 1 1
Handball/
Racquetball
One Court/10,000 Pop.
0
1 1 1 1
Basketball
One Court/5,000 Pop.
0
1 1 1 1
Swimming
One Pool/8,700 Pop.
0
1 1 1 1
Shuffleboard
One Court/1,000 Pop.
0
4 4 4 4
________________________________________________________________________________
SOURCE: Town of
Indialantic and Outdoor Recreation in Florida - 1997
VIII.
CONCLUSION
Based
upon the stated level of service standard and the 1997
State guidelines for
recreation and open space, the Town has done
quite well with
respect to meeting the acreage level of service.
The recommendations
mentioned in the previous section with the
exception of the
swimming pool and shuffleboard courts can be
met at the Hoover
Junior High School Community Park site.
IX. GOALS,
OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES
Goal
1: Provide parks, open space, and
recreational
opportunities that attempt to meet the needs