South Walton Sports Complex Update

[DCFinSCB]

Hammock Bay is too far away to be considered a destination sports vacation draw, and it really does not serve the residents of South Walton except for some of the hardcore adult soccer players who go up there, many of which are single, young guys who don't have the need to worry about a nearly all day soccer commitment.

The benefits to having a South Walton Family Sportsplex are many and not just to those visiting for tournaments. In fact, I'd say the benefits would be more for the permanent residents than the vacationers, but it would appeal to and draw both. That in turn creates revenue producing opportunities for a large portion of local businesses and residents.

Personally, I'd rather have a quality sports and cultural arts facility in South Walton than any more strip malls. One of the ways to preserve the standard of living and beauty of this area would be to capitalize on the increasing demand for sports and arts related activities and organizations, so we could avoid making US98 look like Destin or PCB along that corridor. I agree we should preserve as much of the natural beauty of the area as possible, but having a strategically located Family Sportsplex that serves resident and vacationer alike, and a master plan for developing sports facilities in South Walton in general, could go a long way towards helping us avoid the mistakes that other communities have made in growing their communities and developing their landscapes.

In my opinion, promoting healthy lifestyles goes hand in hand with preserving natural landscapes. If South Walton decides to embrace the idea of becoming one of THE preeminent sports vacation destinations in the Southeast (arguably the country, or even the world), it will be to its benefit. But let's do it the South Walton way, and provide something that is so uniquely attractive, and not just some cookie cutter plan, that we preserve not only the natural beauty, but our community's exceptional approach to thinking, working, and living.

 

[Busta Hustle]

Hammock Bay is too far away to be considered a destination sports vacation draw, and it really does not serve the residents of South Walton except for some of the hardcore adult soccer players who go up there, many of which are single, young guys who don't have the need to worry about a nearly all day soccer commitment.

The benefits to having a South Walton family Sportsplex are many and not just to those visiting for tournaments. In fact, I'd say the benefits would be more for the permanent residents than the vacationers, but it would appeal to and draw both. That in turn creates revenue producing opportunities for a large portion of local businesses and residents.

Personally, I'd rather have a quality sports and cultural arts facility in South Walton than any more strip malls. One of the ways to preserve the standard of living and beauty of this area would be to capitalize on the increasing demand for sports and arts related activities and organizations, so we could avoid making US98 look like Destin or PCB along that corridor. I agree we should preserve as much of the natural beauty of the area as possible, but having a strategically located Family Sportsplex that serves resident and vacationer alike, and a master plan for developing sports facilities in South Walton in general could go a long way towards helping us avoid the mistakes that other communities have made in growing their communities and developing their landscapes.

In my opinion, promoting healthy lifestyles goes hand in hand with preserving natural landscapes. If South Walton decides to embrace the idea of becoming one of THE preeminent sports vacation destinations in the Southeast (arguably the country, or even the world), it will be to its benefit. But let's do it the South Walton way, and provide something that is so uniquely attractive, and not just some cookie cutter plan, that we preserve not only the natural beauty, but our community's exceptional approach to thinking, working, and living.

then let's do it from within the private sector! The area around the high school might work which makes me wonder why the middle school is 5 miles away. Let's put a moratorium on strip malls. I agree a sports complex is not the worst idea walco has. but making it purty still just makes us Bayco-okalooco Junior. We have the Seaside Rep already the ogden musuem, private galleries galore, the auditorium at the high school with ball fields and gyms. The middle school has footbal softball baseball and tennis and a pond. Coordinate your tourneys at those places in conjunction with local school kids.

 

[DCFinSCB]

Just to get you up to speed, Emerald Coast Middle School will be moving to an area just east of Bay Elementary soon, and I believe Butler Elementary will take over that whole facility. We have a Northwest Florida State campus that looks like it is well under way in the area you reference, and apparently the Boys & Girls Club will be developing the land just behind the Library.

Does there need to be more and better communication between the County, Parks & Rec, the local Schools (which are not part of or associated with Parks & Rec), Northwest Florida State, the Boys & Girls Club, and now SWAF (South Walton Athletic Foundation), which is now in charge of scheduling and managing the Helen McCall facility? No doubt about it.

But it does not change the fact that we would benefit, undeniably in many ways, from having additional facilities for those sports and arts that are either currently not served or underserved. You not only make these facilities "purty", you use smart development to strategically locate, design, and construct them. Bayco Junior? No thank you.

 

[Matt J]

IMO, the proposed complex is much needed, although I am concerned we are going to tax the visitors right out of Sowal. As it stands now, guests are charged 11.5% total tax when they check in.

already happening. Know several families from Miss. have been coming to soccer tournaments with kids for years. they are all engineers with big oil companies. they all stay in FWB for the better family rates.

Answer the following question:

Which county has a bed tax of 11.5%?

1.) Bay County
2.) Walton County
3.) Okaloosa County

Careful it's a trick question.

Extra credit if you can name which one raised it to that level last.

 

[Bob Wells]

then let's do it from within the private sector! The area around the high school might work which makes me wonder why the middle school is 5 miles away. Let's put a moratorium on strip malls. I agree a sports complex is not the worst idea walco has. but making it purty still just makes us Bayco-okalooco Junior. We have the Seaside Rep already the ogden musuem, private galleries galore, the auditorium at the high school with ball fields and gyms. The middle school has footbal softball baseball and tennis and a pond. Coordinate your tourneys at those places in conjunction with local school kids.

Using WCSB facilities will and should cost for use. Also there are possible liability issues and there are not enough fields in one place to have that sports destination. Build the facility, and pattern it after a successful complex and bring a professional to operate/ manage it.

 

[Here4Good]

Using WCSB facilities will and should cost for use. Also there are possible liability issues and there are not enough fields in one place to have that sports destination. Build the facility, and pattern it after a successful complex and bring a professional to operate/ manage it.

In another place, in another time, when I was young, the facilities used by the school district (football field, baseball diamond, auditorium) did not belong to the school district, they belonged to the county, which had a usage agreement with the school district. The schools had practice fields for football, baseball, soccer, but they played their games in county facilities, which were also used by rec leagues, private schools, etc. We had an indoor pool, which the school used for classes but was open to the public the rest of the time. We had a downtown auditorium, which was much more professional than the auditoriums at the schools and could hold more people.

Do you realize what the overall utilization of our school facilities are, especially now, in the height of the tourist season? We have some very expensive facilities which are used by a school which has less than 500 students. We let the school board build them because they get federal help, and now we are going to do the same thing at the new middle school (aka, the kick@ss school with great facilities and no teachers).

As for the overall concept, I'd love to see South Walton market our ecotourism in a concerted effort. We could be the Costa Rica of the US; here, your kids can take surfing lessons one day, YOLO lessons the next, learn to kayak the river the next, learn to surf fish, go deep sea fishing, all in one week.

We do have a world class, private ski facility - we have friends that come there with teams, and they stay in Ft. Walton because "it's so much cheaper". I put that in quotes because I am not positive it's true, but that's their perception - when they are coming with a team of 5 kids, they get two motel rooms in Ft. Walton.

 

[Bob Wells]

In another place, in another time, when I was young, the facilities used by the school district (football field, baseball diamond, auditorium) did not belong to the school district, they belonged to the county, which had a usage agreement with the school district. The schools had practice fields for football, baseball, soccer, but they played their games in county facilities, which were also used by rec leagues, private schools, etc. We had an indoor pool, which the school used for classes but was open to the public the rest of the time. We had a downtown auditorium, which was much more professional than the auditoriums at the schools and could hold more people.

Do you realize what the overall utilization of our school facilities are, especially now, in the height of the tourist season? We have some very expensive facilities which are used by a school which has less than 500 students. We let the school board build them because they get federal help, and now we are going to do the same thing at the new middle school (aka, the kick@ss school with great facilities and no teachers).

As for the overall concept, I'd love to see South Walton market our ecotourism in a concerted effort. We could be the Costa Rica of the US; here, your kids can take surfing lessons one day, YOLO lessons the next, learn to kayak the river the next, learn to surf fish, go deep sea fishing, all in one week.

We do have a world class, private ski facility - we have friends that come there with teams, and they stay in Ft. Walton because "it's so much cheaper". I put that in quotes because I am not positive it's true, but that's their perception - when they are coming with a team of 5 kids, they get two motel rooms in Ft. Walton.

Unless this has changed, I don't think school property can be used for the type of things that are being talked about here. I heard 98 Soccer was charged or going to be charged for the use of Helen McCall for a fundraiser. I thought and still do think that sucks. But are we not talking about this new facility to be sustaining financially. Back in my youth, school property was not used outside school function except for the auditorium which could be rented.

 

[Here4Good]

Unless this has changed, I don't think school property can be used for the type of things that are being talked about here. I heard 98 Soccer was charged or going to be charged for the use of Helen McCall for a fundraiser. I thought and still do think that sucks. But are we not talking about this new facility to be sustaining financially. Back in my youth, school property was not used outside school function except for the auditorium which could be rented.

Right, what I meant was, that in my part of the world, it was the reverse - these were public facilities which the school district used, not school facilities which the public used. If we are charging the public for certain uses now of "public" facilities, the charges are probably for cleanup or some such additional cost which the county would have (or, we're just charging whenever we can because we need the money).

When you say, "we are not talking about this new facility to be sustaining financially", I get a pit at the bottom of my stomach. We would be talking about operating a facility out of the TDC taxes, which we ASSUME would be a certain $$ amount over a number of years. Assuming that tax revenues would be a certain $$ amount is what got us where we are today.

 

[Bob Wells]

No, I am talking about user fees or the TDC would need to run with their revenue, they seem to be operating at least with the contract with the Fire District the Lifeguards, even with the addition of more beach. I would still want to find out how other successful sporting complexes operate.

 

[Busta Hustle]

Answer the following question:

Which county has a bed tax of 11.5%?

1.) Bay County
2.) Walton County
3.) Okaloosa County

Careful it's a trick question.

Extra credit if you can name which one raised it to that level last.

the families i referenced base their stay on total charges not just highest or lowest bed tax rate so i did not mean to imply that. 2 nites on 30a for a weekend soccer tourney just isn't budget friendly. Trick question for you. Who will be the first to raise it to 12%?