SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a $2.5 million purchase and sale agreement for the Sembler waterfront property at 1527 and 1528 Indian River Drive, clearing the way for the city to acquire the roughly 1.3-acre parcel and its docks next to Fisherman’s Landing.
The vote authorizes City Manager Brian Benton and the city attorney to close the deal and execute the necessary documents. The Sembler property, long associated with the Sembler family, stretches from U.S. Highway 1 to the Indian River Lagoon and includes a substantial pier and dock structure. It sits immediately adjacent to Fisherman’s Landing, the city’s existing working waterfront.
Council members framed the purchase as a way to lock in commercial fishing and aquaculture uses rather than see the site converted to residential development. Nicolette Mariano of Treasure Coast Shellfish, the current tenant and operator of the only oyster farm in Indian River County, spoke in favor of the deal during public comment. She told the council the dock access has been essential to her business and that she hopes the city will keep the site as a functioning waterfront instead of allowing it to be redeveloped.
The $2.5 million price exceeds the average of two recent appraisals, which came in at roughly $2.1 million. Under the city charter, that difference required a supermajority. The motion still passed Monday 5-0.
Funding is a mix of previously set-aside money, grant reimbursements, and reserves. Staff identified about $990,000 from proceeds of the old public works compound sale, $250,000 budgeted in the Community Redevelopment Agency as a grant match, and roughly $1.26 million drawn from general fund reserves to cover the full amount at closing. Reimbursable grants include $1.041 million from the Florida Communities Trust and an additional $250,000. Benton told the council that once the reimbursements arrive, the net impact on general fund reserves is expected to be minimal.
This is the latest chapter in a multi-year effort. Talks date back to at least 2022. In early 2023 the council unanimously rejected a $2.5 million counteroffer after the city had offered $1.2 million. Earlier this year the council approved a Florida Communities Trust grant agreement that contemplated a lower overall figure, but negotiations with the owners ultimately settled at the $2.5 million now approved.
Council Member Christopher Nunn described the package of grants and other sources as making the deal a “no-brainer” relative to the amount of unrestricted city money ultimately at risk. Mayor Fred Jones said the goal is to preserve and eventually expand the working waterfront activity already occurring on the river next to Fisherman’s Landing.
Closing is expected to follow once remaining documentation is completed. City staff have indicated the priority after acquisition will be keeping the aquaculture operation in place while exploring public access and other amenities on the site.