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Paula

Beach Fanatic
Jan 25, 2005
3,747
442
Michigan but someday in SoWal as well
I'm for it if there's a heated pool. If they want tourists to pay for it with increased tax, one thing tourists would love to have is a heated pool off season. That would also possibly bring more renters in off season which could also help local businesses (if more people visiting off season is what SoWal wants). We just got back from Italy and there's a public pool and it was full just about every day with families and teens - locals and a LOT of visitors. Kids loved it so I loved it. It was a great place for the kids to meet other kids.
 

beachmouse

Beach Fanatic
Dec 5, 2004
3,504
741
Bluewater Bay, FL
I'm for it if there's a heated pool. If they want tourists to pay for it with increased tax, one thing tourists would love to have is a heated pool off season. That would also possibly bring more renters in off season which could also help local businesses (if more people visiting off season is what SoWal wants).

Three words:

Snowbird water aerobics

Which is both a brilliant and terrifying concept
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
Well, this is suprising. Possible tax money being used to pay for a sports complex from the TDC and most of the comments are positive. I am truly shocked, there was more outrage about using the 1/2 penny increace to assist in drawing a Low Cost Airline. Although I am not opposed to this, had the County had foresight enough a regional facility could have been built long ago with it being built by developers as a swap for green space in subdivisions.
 
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TooFarTampa

SoWal Insider
Three words:

Snowbird water aerobics

Which is both a brilliant and terrifying concept

:rotfl:

If the county doesn't need a facility like this yet, they will at some point, not just for tourists but for general population growth. So it's good to try to target land while they still can. I would hope it would be centrally located so tourists and SoWal residents/owners can use it. But that's tricky. Nature Walk isn't exactly central for the entire county, but boy that would be sweet!
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Don't need it. Don't want it. Bed taxes should be going to maintain the beaches, not diverted to other spending.

It is interesting to read the different opinions. Thanks for sharing. My comments are as follows. Regarding the comment above about the TDC should be using that tax on the beaches, that is not the TDC's perspective. They spend it on things which draw tourists. A recreational facility such as Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach brings thousands of tourists to PCB, who spend millions of dollars, which in turn helps the local businesses and local tax revenues.

On that note, the problem I have with such a facility being built to bring in more tourists, to our uncrowded beaches, is that it could take away from the focus on our different lifestyle from Destin and PCB. This area is a low-key vacation area, which has a focus on natural settings, not huge rec parks. We actually have a huge natural recreation facility, otherwise known as Pt Washington State Park and the Gulf of Mexico, but it is greatly underutilized as such by locals. There could easily be team building events in our natural settings, almost year round, but no one is doing it. I think a good Parks and Recreation Director would have many programs to take advantage of our unique natural setting. We have great opportunity, if we just open our eyes to that which is already before us.

The flip-side is that it has the potential to fill cash registers, especially in the off season when it is so desparately needed, which tends to make living here much easier. We sure could use something to bring the entire community of South Walton together. If a kid wants to play tennis or go swimming in a pool SoWal, good luck. Currently, we have no public facilities to do such. I can't even think of more than one public basketball goal in South Walton (Cessna Landing).

I know the Boys and Girl's Club is now on the table. It seems to me that by building a good public facility, we wouldn't need a private one designated solely for kids.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
:rotfl:

If the county doesn't need a facility like this yet, they will at some point, not just for tourists but for general population growth. So it's good to try to target land while they still can. I would hope it would be centrally located so tourists and SoWal residents/owners can use it. But that's tricky. Nature Walk isn't exactly central for the entire county, but boy that would be sweet!

Actually, a location like the property where the Boys and Girls Club is proposed (behind the court house annex), would be great, as it is centrally located east to west, backs up to the Library and High School, close enough to draw South Freeport residents as well. Kids could go directly from school to the library, then the rec center. Since is sounds like the Girls and Boys Club is moving forward, having a public adult rec facility next door would also be convenient for parents.

I don't think the facility would need to be centrally located for the entire County, as that would put the facility north of Freeport, making Frank Brown Park in PCB closer for most of South Walton. Freeport already has a large park, and they actually have a public swimming pool behind City Hall. I believe other parks are located in the other areas in North Walton. South Walton has no such place for public use.
 

WCTA

Beach Lover
May 27, 2009
124
120
Walton County
www.waltontaxpayers.org
This weeks DeFuniak Herald has a legal notice for a "Public Hearing" for a 1/2 cent bed tax increase to be effective October 1, 2009.

Wonder what the hearing is for ? (Please See Post #35)

If it is for the Cultural Center and Sports Complex then they are proposing a new tax for a project without the Economic Feasibility Study completed.

From The RPF.

RFP NO: 09-037
The Walton County Tourist Development, (TDC), a division of Walton County is
requesting proposals from firms to do a Feasibility Study for an Arts Center and Sports
Center located in South Walton.

RFP Deadline: August 25, 2009 no later than 3:00PM (cst) and will open immediately
thereafter.


RPF deadline is 14 days after the Public Hearing to increase the bet tax again.

Hmmmm !
 
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