COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Brevard County commissioners Tuesday decided to withdraw consideration of a plan to give a new 4-star hotel exclusive use of a public beach park in Cocoa Beach.
The Westin will be Brevard County’s only 4-star hotel when it opens in 2027, and it’s already on the largest hotel property in Cocoa Beach (the old International Palms site).
Commissioners decided the proposal needed some work before consideration.
The plan would have given the hotel exclusive access to the south half of Lori Wilson Park for up to 100 days a year, including renting all of the park for up to 12 days a year for Westin events.
It would include closing the park’s dog park on the south side by the construction site, so long as Westin builds a new dog park on the north side of Lori Wilson.
Dozens spoke during the public hearing for the proposal, with many in opposition to the plan.
Dog park regular Sandra Dzurek is worried about parking.
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”They want the park for 100 days between November and April. This park is so busy during (that) season,” she said. “And if we’re forced to go to the north park, there’s going to be no parking. So many of the people come here, drive here for the dog park.”
At a county commission meeting two years ago, Commissioner John Tobia was the only county commissioner who did not wish to give Westin $1 million a year, every year for 30 years from tourism-generated money.
On Monday, Tobia said he’s in favor of the proposal, though.
“There’s more in it for the taxpayers, as well as the visitors of Brevard County,” he said.
Tobia said those benefits would include the potential dog park, which he called an upgrade to what the park has now.
“It will be new and will have a whole bunch of amenities that it currently does not have,” he said.
After Tuesday’s commission meeting, the hotel’s developer, Driftwood Capital, also told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that a new dog park would benefit the community.
Project engineer Hector Arechiga blamed the public’s negative reaction to the plan on miscommunication.
”People were thinking that we were gonna take over the parking, which we’re not,” he said. “People were thinking that we were gonna own the park, which we’re not.”
Arechiga said the hotel will now meet with county commissioner Tom Goodson, who represents Cocoa Beach, and get started on a new plan.
“So I think there is an exercise where we all really communicate what we need and what we need to meet with the community,” he said.
Other concerns for building a new dog park include harming gopher tortoise nests.
It’s not known whether the commission will revisit the plan in the future.
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