Palm Coast City Council considers study for youth sports complex

The feasibility study will show whether or not there is a market in Palm Coast for a large competitive youth sports complex.

By Sierra Williams
| 4:50 p.m. October 11, 2022

The Publix Sports Complex in Panama City Beach was built in part by Sports Facilities Companies. The company was chosen by city staff for a feasibility study for a sports complex in Palm Coast. Image from City Council documents

Palm Coast Observer
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A sports complex feasibility study was proposed to the Palm Coast City Council at their Tuesday Oct. 11 workshop meeting.

The study, estimated to cost $113,870, will be conducted by Sports Facilities Companies and will determine the market demand in the area for a sports complex geared towards competitive youth sports.

Cultural arts grant will have a second round for submissions

Palm Coast has reviewed the applicants for the next round of cultural arts grants for fiscal year 2023, and will reopen it for another round of submissions.

The Cultural Arts Financial Assistance Matching Grant program has been revamped for its fiscal year 2023 application process. It now includes two tiers - tier one for economic impact and tier two for local organizations - and has increased it's funding from $30,000 to $50,000.

A total of 14 organizations applied for funds, and 12 are recommended to receive grants at this point, for a total of $15,000 awarded for tier one and $24,000 for tier two. Because $11,000 remain in the Cultural Art funds, city staff is reopening submissions for a second round with a tentative review date of Oct. 20.

The two tiers are judged on separate rubric. Tier one has criteria for how much of a positive impact the applying program is expected to have on the city's economy - ticket sales, hotel stays, expected number of attendees. Both tiers have to have a marketing plan, and showcase community involvement and the scope of the events.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin said the future development is a magnet and a catalyst for the city.

“It can become, and I think it will become, a model for the state of Florida,” Alfin said, "by denoting the Greenway and animal quarters right up front. Staking those out and doing our development work around that - we know what our priority is."

Impact fees under Flagler County ordinance would be collected by the city

The Palm Coast City Council reviewed three interlocal agreements with Flagler County and its municipalities to collect new impact fees for developments on behalf of the county.

The new agreements come from the Flagler County Ordinance 2021-09 – or the Comprehensive Impact Fee Ordinance – signed in December 2021 and commits the municipalities and unincorporated county areas to impact fees to help sustain certain services.

In Palm Coast, the city will be responsible for collecting law enforcement, emergency medical services and library impact fees for new construction under these interlocal agreements, according to Joseph DeLorenzo, the city's chief of staff.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin said it just makes sense to collect these fees on behalf of the county.

"Folks that are paying these fees will gravitate to or must come to the city for their permitting," Alfin said. "So it just is common sense that we would take care of the collection on behalf of the County while that's going on."

Impact fees are one-time charges for new developments. The fees are meant to support growth for these services in tandem with the communities’ growth and can only be used for capacity improvement, not operational costs, DeLorenzo said.

The library fees are only for residential developments, but the law enforcement and emergency medical impact fees will apply to residential and commercial builds.

Sports Facilities Companies is the company city staff chose for the study, pending approval from the city council. They have 19 years of experience, according to the presentation by Assistant City Manager Lauren Johnston. They've completed similar sports complexes like the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples and the Publix Sports Park in Panama City Beach.

The envisioned sports complex will draw people in who are traveling south for competition-grade sport fields, Alfin said. Vice Mayor Eddie Branquinho said the positive economic impact this complex could bring is a great investment, especially for the kids.

"There's no such thing as a bad payment invested in kids," Branquinho said.

The study will take place in two parts, Johnston said. First is a market and competitive analysis scheduled for one to 12 weeks that will identify the regional market demand and potential economic benefits, as well as what facilities would be most in demand in the area.

The second task, Johnston said, would be contingent on the results of the first study, but would include a development plan, financial analysis and economic projection, and take an estimated of 12 to 20 weeks to complete.

Johnston said that the city has identified this as a priority part of the city's planned westward expansion. The area identified for this complex is just west past the roundabout at Matanzas Woods Parkway and U.S. Highway 1, near the Sunshine Express and Amoco gas station.

The target start date for this sports complex is December 2022, with a target completion date of December 2024.