Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Melbourne, FL

Wickham Park will likely remain in the hands of Brevard County for now, frustrating Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey, who expressed disappointment with the county's decision Tuesday to send a formal letter to his city outlining its commitment to maintaining the park.

The County Commission Tuesday voted to send the letter in opposition to Melbourne officials following reports of the city's interest in gaining control of the park, which is located within Melbourne city limits.

Alfrey has opposed changes the county has made to rules on how and how often is used for special events, such as the annual Brevard Renaissance Fair.

Commissioner John Tobia earlier this month floated the idea of transferring the park to Melbourne, a prospect that Alfrey supported with the understanding that it would be publicly discussed by the county commission in March.

Move came without warning

The vote to send the letter came at the end of Tuesday's commission meeting as part of "Board Reports" and was not listed a separate agenda item.

This move irked Alfrey, who said he is still planning to bring the issue before Melbourne City Council at their Feb. 27 meeting for discussion. Voting on the letter at the meeting's end without advance notice did not give the public a proper chance to provide input on the matter, Alfrey said. "As the Commission has sidestepped the legislative process, it is clear to me now that the county just doesn’t want the Renaissance Fair here. Otherwise why would you vote on an item not on the agenda and not to allow the public to weigh in without knowing all of the facts," Alfrey said in response to the Commission's letter.

Commissioner Rob Feltner on Tuesday presented the letter to his fellow board members asking them to oppose transferring the park to Melbourne. Only District 3 Commissioner John Tobia, who originally presented the idea earlier this month, voted in opposition. "Wickham Park has long been established as the regional urban park in our county Its importance as a countywide destination cannot be overstated," the county's letter, signed by Commission Chair Jason Steele, reads.

"Wickham Park — our county's 'Central Park' — holds a special place in the hearts of our community members, and we are committed to preserving its status as a Brevard County park for generations to come," the letter goes on.

Although Alfrey feels the process was sidestepped, Feltner did not agree, stating that the issue should be addressed before Melbourne takes it up next week.

"It was just a way to take the temperature. No ordinance or policy was changed. We're not seeking a change to anything right now," Feltner said. "I don't like voting on things in board reports either. If something's coming up in the next week, that may be necessary."

Alfrey has said that the park, which is located within Melbourne's municipal boundaries, should be under the city's jurisdiction completely. "As we still patrol the park and run the park’s community center, I still plan on bringing this item to our Council on the 27th as people’s voices should be heard in government whether it passes or fails," he wrote.

Alfrey said that he would reconsider the "hasty" decision made by the Brevard County Commission to limit large events at Wickham Park such as the Renaissance Fair, if Melbourne gains control of the nearly 400-acre park. Those new rules limit special events at Wickham Park to a maximum of 15 consecutive days or two consecutive weekends, Friday through Sunday. And for the months of January, February, March and April, at least one weekend per month will not have special events.

"That's definitely something that needs to be discussed more openly. The county has made some recent decisions and they immediately reversed their decisions," Alfrey said. "Maybe we do need an area out somewhere that's a bigger event space. If we're having the good problem with events growing bigger and bigger, we can't just end them when we no longer have space for them," he added. Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard and Brevard County Government Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com.

Behold the modest gourd.

The fruit of the flowering plant species of the family Cucurbitaceae, the gourd has long been a staple in crafts and has made many a home for backyard birds, yet there is more to a gourd than a birdhouse. Just ask the gourd artists who exhibit at the Florida Gourd Society’s Gourd Arts Festival, Feb. 23 to 25 at the Azan Shrine Center, 1591 W. Eau Gallie Blvd.

The festival reveals what you can do with a simple gourd, as long as you have talent and creativity.

“As you wander on through the exhibition, you will see carved, painted, weaved, beaded and multiple gourds used to create sculptures,” said Therese Ferguson, one of the event’s organizers.

“This is the area that will amaze you if you haven’t been to a show before.”

Gourd masks, gourd jewelry, gourd purses, gourd toys, gourd musical instruments, gourd Christmas decorations are also all here, proving that gourds are indeed a versatile fruit with a definite artsy personality.

The Festival makes for a fun outing even if you are not a gourd aficionado such as Ferguson. Activities include demos during lunch hours, food served by the Azan Shrine kitchen, gourd growers and supply vendors, a gourd competition area, a make-and-take area for the kids and silent auction.

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Outside the building is Growers’ Row where visitors can pick out several gourds to take home to fashion their own gourdy art.

“We have growers from Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Kentucky, as well as Florida home grown,” said Ferguson.

Florida’s Lambda Chapter of the American Gourd Society is one of 23 state chapters in the U.S. with the common goal of enjoying and promoting gourding as a hobby and art form. The Sunshine State is home to five “patches,” as local gourd groups call themselves, and one of them is here in Brevard. The local patch meets from 9 a.m. until noon the first Saturday of the month at Eau Gallie Public Library.

If you go

Gourd Arts Festival

Where: Azan Shrine Center, 1591 W. Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25

Admission: Free, but activities have additional costs

Website: flgourdsoc.org

Whether you're interested in music, theater, festivals or other local entertainment, FLORIDA TODAY has got you covered. Support local journalism by subscribing at Special Offers - USAToday Network.

As of March 2024, the average solar panel system costs $2.4/W including installation in Melbourne, FL. For a 5 kW installation, this comes out to about $12,004 before incentives, though prices range from $10,203 to $13,805. After the federal tax credit, the average price drops by 30%.

You'll probably pay even less than what we show here. It doesn't include the federal ITC or Melbourne, FL state incentives, which will lower this price by at least a few thousand dollars.

It may seem obvious but larger solar panel systems cost more money. We use cost per watt ($/W) so you can easily compare quotes, controlling for slight variations in system size.

While a 5 kW system will only cost you $12,004 in Melbourne, FL, doubling the system size effectively doubles the price, so you'll pay about twice that for a 10 kW system. The higher the price tag, though, the more you'll get back as a credit towards your federal tax bill.

Average solar cost by system size in Melbourne, FL

Solar panels are worth it in most areas, including Melbourne, FL. Certain factors, including the cost of electricity, incentives, climate, and the angle at which the sun hits your roof impact how quickly you break even on your investment relative to other areas around the U.S.

If you pay for your system with cash, you'll save about $43,193 over 20 years on electricity costs with a 5 kW system in Melbourne, FL. We generate this estimate based on real solar quote data from our Marketplace. It considers your system's cost, the federal tax credit, and inflation rates.

If you can't shell out $12,004 in cash to pay for solar, don't sweat it. You can choose to finance your system with a loan instead. Some companies even offer $0-down loans so you can start saving on day one if your loan payments are less than your current electric bills. Just keep in mind that your long-term savings will be lower with a loan due to interest rates.

The numbers we're showing are averages. The price you'll pay for solar depends on many factors unique to you and your home:

If you're looking for solar companies in FL, here are some popular suggestions:

Solar is a major purchase, but you can get the price tag to come down a bit by being an educated shopper. Taking advantage of incentives and rebates and shopping around for quotes can bring down your cost of solar in Melbourne, FL.

As long as your federal tax bill is high enough, you can take advantage of the federal tax credit in Melbourne, FL. This incentive allows you to apply 30% of your solar installation and equipment costs toward your federal tax bill. If the amount exceeds your tax bill, you can roll over the remaining credit to the following year. Many states also offer great local incentives and rebates.

Comparing multiple solar quotes can save you money through competition and transparency. Each additional quote you receive for solar will help you find the right solar panel system at the right price.

This is where EnergySage can help. With funding from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Prize, EnergySage opened the country’s first (and now the largest) marketplace for home solar panel installations. We gather custom solar quotes from local installers on your behalf and put them in an easy-to-compare format. When you compare quotes for solar panels on the EnergySage Marketplace, you can expect to see prices up to 20% lower than if you work with a single solar company.

U.S. News released its list of the best places to live in the U.S. in 2023-2024, featuring 150 of the most desirable places in the nation.

The list looked at value, job markets and quality of life to determine which metro areas should top the rankings.

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Sitting at No. 1 is Green Bay in Wisconsin, though Huntsville, Alabama, came in at No. 2, and Raleigh, North Carolina, placed at No. 3.

Two of the top 10 picks were actually found in Florida: Sarasota at No. 5 and Naples at No. 6.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

In Central Florida, the highest-ranking city was Melbourne, which came in at No. 15. According to U.S. News, Melbourne has an especially low sales tax and median home sales price.

“Melbourne is an easygoing metropolitan area with serious small-town appeal,” U.S. News’ website reads. “Residents don’t hesitate to take advantage of the area’s beaches. There are also plenty of outdoor recreation areas that offer hiking opportunities, such as the Viera Wetlands and the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.”

The full ranking of Florida cities is as follows:

Your next home could be printed instead of built.

3D printing is transforming the construction industry, and the Space Coast is leading the way. The region’s first 3D-printed home is under construction right now in Melbourne, with more homes in the works. The new building is located just off Eau Gallie Boulevard near Wickham Road, and it’s not your normal construction site.

Number one, it’s pretty quiet because of where a new home is being built. There’s no dust swirling around in the air. There’s only a small construction crew working with cutting-edge, new robots to make the home. Layer by layer, a team of robots is building the walls on a brand new 2,100 sq. foot home.

"Why reinvent the wheel when we can make the exact same thing, just better, faster, and more affordably?" asked Trevor Ragno, a director at .

Viera-based company Apis Cor says 3D printing is the future. Robots work together to prep the concrete and pour the finished product with little help from humans.

"We’re not reinventing the wheel, so the process and the guidelines are exactly the same," said Josh McCarthy, who’s the general contractor on the build.

He says 3D-printed homes follow the same codes as normal buildings but are safer for construction crews.

"It’s very nice as a contractor to have my people come and be able to go home exactly the same way they showed up," he added.

Neighbors who live nearby have hardly noticed the new construction because the robots don’t make much noise.

"I haven’t heard anything. It’s been real quiet. I can’t wait to see it, to be finished and built," said David McGuire, who came by to see the home on Friday.

When finished, Ragno says the four-bed, four-bath home will cost around $300,000.

He’s betting on 3D printing to build homes faster when workers are hard to find.

"For every seven people leaving the construction industry, only one new person is joining," Ragno concluded.

The home will take about three months to build from start to finish, and contractors are already working with Habitat for Humanity on the Space Coast to create new affordable homes.