VERO BEACH — Changes are coming to parking at Vero Beach Regional Airport as Envision takes over the airport's parking lots and prepares to build a new paved lot on land currently used for grass parking.
The changes will begin Nov. 9, when parking restrictions take effect in the affected area. Vehicles remaining in the lot after Dec. 2 will be subject to towing, said Brandon Dambeck, the airport's director.
"The no parking restriction goes into place Nov. 9 and then ultimately that Dec. 2 is when cars will get towed. The hope is that the cars will trickle out with those signs that's going to be up that's going to show that that lot is going to be cut off starting Dec. 2," Dambeck said.
Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year, with the project focused on paving the new parking area. Dambeck said the work is expected to take about six months, though the timeline could be shorter.
"It's anticipated to be a six-month build, but honestly, it might be a little bit less than that. We're talking paving. They're going to try to get that done as quickly as possible," he said.
To help accommodate travelers during construction, the airport is preparing a temporary grass parking lot. The area is being outfitted with fencing and infrastructure to help pedestrians safely navigate between the lot and the terminal.
Dambeck said the airport is also taking steps to alert drivers and pedestrians to potential safety concerns near the access point.
"They're going to put a couple of pedestrian walkway signs because the culverts are going over an existing area that has sidewalks. We want to make sure that both the traffic using that and the pedestrians are aware that there's an entryway there and make sure that we're heading off some of the pedestrian safety concerns," he said.
The airport also plans to accommodate travelers with disabilities who need assistance getting from the temporary parking area to the terminal.
"You can request ahead of time to have somebody come out, meet you, pick you up and bring you over to the terminal building if you have those disability needs," Dambeck said.
Airport officials are encouraging travelers to consider alternatives to driving themselves while construction is underway, including rideshare services and drop-offs, to help ease parking demand.
"We're trying to reduce the amount of vehicles that will be coming to the airport, promote some rideshare, promote getting dropped off, something along those lines at least during the time of this construction," Dambeck said.
The airport is also planning to establish a parking lot for employees and a cell phone waiting lot in the near future.