Consultants suggest redoing a building with restrooms and offices,
reconfiguring the docks and refurbishing the area.
Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
The dock at Ocean Inlet Park, almost 30 years old, has rotting wood fenders and other failings.
Plans call for a two-story structure with a residence for the dockmaster on the second floor,
expanded parking and a new dock (in red). The county parks director
says, 'There’s no doubt that funding will be available at some point.’
Rendering provided
By Rich Pollack
Plans for improvements to Palm Beach County’s aging Ocean Inlet Park at the Boynton Inlet are in the works, but the timeline for when drawings will be converted into actual work is still up in the air.
A consulting firm has drawn up preliminary conceptual plans for the nearly 30-year-old park, which would include replacing a building that houses offices and bathrooms, reconfiguring docks and generally sprucing up the popular recreational area.
The problem is that there is no money available for the project, which has an estimated $5 million price tag.
Still, county officials are optimistic that the money will be freed up eventually, and they want to be ready when that happens.
“There’s no doubt that funding will be available at some point,” said Eric Call, Palm Beach County’s director of parks and recreation.
Call said wear and tear on facilities have taken their toll and improvements would not only enhance the park’s appearance but also address potential safety issues.
“Over the past decade, there has been significant settling of the seawall and patio area, deterioration of the docks and piers, and significant wear and tear on a 28-year-old building that is no longer serving the needs of the department,” he said.
Call said that the picnic area at the southern end of the park as well as the beachfront area adjacent to docks on the park’s Intracoastal Waterway side are popular, especially on weekends and holidays.
“We want to improve all support facilities necessary to meet the recreational needs of our residents,” he said.
Conceptual plans for the park’s renovations, drawn up by the consulting firm of Alan Gerwig & Associates of Wellington, call for the demolition of a two-story building that includes bathrooms and offices used by the county’s ocean rescue team and by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
It would be replaced by a more functional two-story building that would include bathrooms and offices that would serve as headquarters for the Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue’s south district and perhaps other marine enforcement-related organizations.
The big change would be on the second floor, which Call says would be used as a residence for a dockmaster.
Seawalls damaged over time would be strengthened and there would be some improvements to the playground area, Call said.
Plans also call for improved landscaping on the south end of the park and widening of a footpath. Also being considered is the addition of about 35 parking spaces and the reconfiguration of the docks that would include one space designated for a water taxi.
At this point, Call said, there are no plans to make improvements to the north end of the park, adjacent to the inlet, but improvements could be made in later phases of the project.
As plans evolve, Call is seeking feedback from neighboring Ocean Ridge officials. He has already run conceptual drawings by Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins for input regarding public safety issues.
Eventually, plans for the park will be brought before the Town Commission for approval.
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