South area of Coquina Beach parking lot to close April 1 to improve drainage, parking
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (March 28, 2019) – The southern end of Coquina Beach parking lot will close Monday, April 1, for several months while Manatee County improves stormwater drainage and parking conditions.
The project is part of a two-phase project to reduce flooding at the popular public beach. Phase 1 is scheduled for completion by Spring, 2020. Once that project is complete, Phase 2 will begin with similar work being done on the north end of the parking lot. When complete, stormwater will drain more quickly, helping to address frequent flooding and standing water conditions at Coquina.
Chad Butzow, acting Public Works Director, said the project also involves striping parking spaces for 865 vehicles. An indeterminate number of cars can park there now since there are no designated spaces. Phase 2 will not impact large parking areas like Phase 1 since it can be done in smaller segments over time.
"This is a long term and much-needed project," Butzow said. "We all need this drainage improvement to have a top-notch beach parking facility."
During the project, Butzow recommends beachgoers to use Manatee County Area Transit's popular Island Trolley to get to Coquina Beach. Riders can connect to the free trolley from MCAT'sBeach Express routeon Sundays and holidays.
The project will be funded largely through Tourism Development Taxes, as approved by the Tourism Development Council and the Board of County Commissioners.
Today the park has shell parking without any markings to delineate parking spaces. When complete, Phase 1 will have 188 parking spaces. When Phase 2 is complete there will be a total of 865 parking spaces at Coquina Beach.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.