Parking may determine future development in quaint village of Port Salerno
PORT SALERNO — Future development in this quaint fishing village may boil down to one thing: parking.
But the real estate investor who wants to see changes to parking is facing opposition from dozens of residents over his vision and who will pay for the additional parking.
More than 150 people attended a meeting earlier this month to form a united front in an effort to control growth.
"You can't stop development," said Christina Waldron Ardigo during the meeting, adding growth can be controlled.
The opposition to real estate investor J. Corey Crowley is led by the new group Save Our Salerno. Casey Cass, CEO of Casco Tools in Port Salerno is a leader of the group and said parking for his business will be unaffected if parking changes come.
That's contrary to a claim by Crowley.
"Developers want to come into the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency)," Cass said at the Sept. 14 meeting at Pirate's Cove Resort & Marina. "They want to basically build whatever they want with minimal parking."
The county would pay for the construction of additional parking through higher taxes, Cass said. Attempts to confirm that claim with county officials were unsuccessful.
Developers getting organized
Crowley has organized at least three developers into the Salerno Downtown Authority, an entity to plan development.
Among them, those developers already own more than seven acres, Crowley said.
Crowley's initial plans include a coffee shop and food truck park along with sales of artisanal wares.
More: Jensen Beach residents really don't like Riverlight project. So what can they do about it?
He said he is unsure what will come next, but he believes Port Salerno needs more parking to achieve his vision, which he described as incorporating "a lifetime of experience traveling the world into a walkable, enjoyable and affordable seaside fishing village that people of all ages can enjoy and be proud to call their home."
Crowley blames county officials for the lack of parking. In part, the county has failed over the last 20 years to buy land necessary for parking, Crowley said.
Potential development west of tracks
Developers in the Salerno Downtown Authority are focused primarily on developing land west of the railroad tracks.
If development on the west side of the tracks is as successful as the development on the east side, then "parking is going to become critical," county Commissioner Sarah Heard said on Tuesday.
Many are opposed to Crowley's vision, which may include characteristics of South America, he said in an interview.
Among other details of his vision, Crowley said he wants to see mixed-use development west of the railroad tracks between Southeast Commerce Avenue, Southeast Railway Avenue, Southeast Salerno Road and Southeast Seaward Street, which could include residential, retail and office space, among other uses.
Apartments or mixed-use development
Salerno Downtown Authority developers could build upward of 400 apartments, Crowley said.
If 25 percent of a hypothetical 300 units are mixed-use, Crowley estimates Port Salerno would need 780 additional parking spaces beyond what's required by the code.
Crowley would rather see mixed-use development rather than just apartments, but that requires more parking because businesses need more parking than residential uses, he said.
Heard likes Crowley's idea for mixed-use development.
"It's entirely appropriate," she said. "That's the historic use."
More: Don't be fooled, TC residents: Lower millage rates don't always mean lower property taxes
The other option is multifamily residential, which is the easiest and most profitable, she said.
"It's also the most incompatible," she said.
Some have said Crowley wants to eliminate the commercial fishing docks in Port Salerno.
"Absolutely not," Crowley said, adding the docks make Port Salerno special. "I want the commercial docks to be a more integrated part of the community. The fish they catch is mostly sent out of the community.
"I want to create opportunities for the fishermen to sell their fish locally and to create value-added such as fish dip, ceviche, etc."
The docks "could be made into an economic engine that serves the entire community," Crowley added. "Many communities only have condos and jobs. Our community has a genuine resource that can be turned into opportunities for everyone."
Crowley did not respond to a request to elaborate on how the docks could be made into an economic engine for Port Salerno.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New development in Port Salerno may come down to parking
