NEWS ANALYSIS
MARK SCHUMANN
To settle nearly $1 million in legal bills, and to pay down long term obligations, the Indian River Shores Town Council is moving quickly to rezone and then sell the island enclave’s only public land east of A1A.
Not willing to acknowledge they have squandered seven digits worth of public money on a dubious legal challenge to Vero Beach, Town leaders are instead claiming the proposed rezoning and sale of five acres previous dedicated to public use is simply to “avoid liability.”
Town safety records make clear there have been no safety issues related to the property. Nevertheless, Town Attorney Chester Clem advised town residents to cross instead at the busy intersection at the CVS pharmacy and the 7-11 convenience store, where accidents occur with some frequency.
Vice Mayor Jerry Weick went the farthest in screening the Council’s true motives, when he suggested the undeveloped, unfortified property near the ocean could become a prime landing site for “immigrants.”
Though the Council has yet to cast the final vote on the proposed rezoning and subsequent sale, signs designating pedestrian beach access have already been removed from the property. Reference to the pedestrian beach access between Surf Lane and Pebble Beach Villas has also been deleted from the Town’s website.
In an email to Town residents, Town Clerk, Laura Aldrich wrote, “Mr. Clem (Town Attorney Chester Clem) explained that this is not anything but preliminary action to rezone the land.” Whoever instructed Town employees to remove the pedestrian beach access signs immediately must not understand consideration of the proposed rezoning and sale to be “preliminary.”
The Shores acquired the property in the early 1990s in a land swap with Indian River County. The County first bought the land, at a discounted price, from the Schlitt family, with the intention that the land be preserved for public use.
Addressing the Town Planning and Zoning board on May 25, Steven Schlitt pointed out there are only two dedicated beach accesses in the Shores, one at Beachcomber Lane, and one at the property set to be rezoned and sold. Schlitt said that if the public land is sold, the move will take away convenient beach access for some 150 residential properties in the Shores.
At that same zoning meeting, Pebble Bay resident, Debbie MacKay, spoke of the unfavorable legacy the Council would leave if it sells the Town’s only land suitable for development as a park.
Town Council meeting notes from 1993 and 1994 make clear the Town’s original intention was for the property to be used for public access to the beach, and Town funds were authorized to accomplish this.
Minutes from an August 31, 1993 meeting read, “The Town Manager reported that he had obtained a conceptual plan and estimated cost for a proposed beach access at the newly acquired property.”
The following month, on September 23, 1993, a public hearing was held. Minutes of that meeting read, “Mayor Schoen explained how and why the Town had acquired the property from the County. He also told the audience that a preliminary proposal had been prepared to construct an eight foot wide concrete walkway on the north side of the property. The purpose of having the walkway would provide access to those living on the west side of A1A and also to eliminate people using the private walkway on Reef, Surf and Pebble Lanes.”
On January 1, 1994, the Town Council took official action to establish public beach access on the property now proposed to be sold. Minutes of that meeting read, “Motion by Mr. O’Sullivan, supported by Mr. Wurmstedt, to authorize the Town Manager to proceed with the beach access with the cost not to exceed $5,000. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.”
Despite strong opposition from some Shores residents, the Town Council seems determined to rezone the land and sell it for residential development. The Council’s next meeting is Thursday, June 16.
Indian River Guardian 
Indian River Shores is an especially nice residential area, but with limited beach access for the whole town limits, that doesn’t seem fair to those living there or wishing to purchase property. I would think that there’d be more concern over heavy duty illegal drug drop-offs (which has occurred on our shoreline – either on purpose or due to accident) than to immigrants coming ashore. It’s a good excuse, considering the mindset of many today. But, that’s just my opinion..
Residents of Indian River Shore take heart you can always come to the wonderful, life guard protected, free parking, free usage of the many beaches paid for by the tax payers of the City of Vero Beach.
It appears the residents of Indian River Shores have been duped twice; first by the town council’s spending tens of thousands of dollars on a soon to be a lost cause with respect to Vero Electric. The elimination of public access to a public beach is even worse since it will alter this property and access for all time. The intent of the sale years ago was to create a recreational area which was, and still is a great idea. What we have now is another diminution in quality of life issues in Indian River Shores. What’s next?
John, I suspect the reason Town leaders never developed the land as a park is because they don’t want to attract peasants from the mainland into their seaside sanctuary.
When the residents of the Shores get visits from the relatives who live up North I am sure these relatives want to go to the beach. So, now where do they go….Yep, they will have to use the “public” beaches that are around the county. Wouldn’t that be a shame.
Good thing this council is not in charge of Vero Beach or they would be selling Riverside Park and Humiston Park. Of course if they were in NY they would sell Central Park. Unbelievable.
The city of Vero has one of those sell everything on the city council. At one point she tried to sell the cemetery, and wanted to get a tax producing building at the dog park. Fortunately she was out voted, but you can be sure she will try to sell some other public property if she gets reelected.
What a sad state of affairs. Some people think because they recycle and buy a Prius they are saving the environment. And who made an access path the focus of this debate. That’s baloney. This is about GREEN space and minimizing carbon emissions and wild life habitat. On the other hand it appears to have come about because of lack of foresight by Town Council by overspending on lawyers to reduced electric bills which many people in Indian River Shores can already afford.
Leave the land pristine and untouched. Set an example for your grandchildren. Man/Woman Up!