- April 19, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Locals who play tennis and pickleball like the city of Palm Coast's courts. But they want more of them, and the city government is planning to deliver with a $5.7 million transformation of its Tennis Center.
Resident Agnes Lightfoot, president of Friends of Tennis, noted that new university facilities and a new hospital are planned for Palm Coast.
"We can not just plan for tomorrow; we have to plan for years to come," she said. "... All these different residents and employees ... will be coming over to the tennis center, and it will not accommodate it if we don't expand now."
Palm Coast's city staff during a March 9 City Council workshop unveiled the latest iteration of the city's plan to transform its existing Tennis Center facility on Belle Terre Parkway into a Regional Racquet Center that could give locals more space to play, serve as a secondary community center for that area of the city and attract regional tournaments.
The discussion drew an audience of residents who applauded when council members spoke in favor of the expansion. Some residents also spoke during the workshop's public comment period.
"The time has really come to advance the game of pickleball here in Palm Coast," said resident Steve Major. "If it’s done correctly, it can really bring a great advantage to living here in Palm Coast. The expansion program that we have planned is beautiful."
The first phase of the planned expansion would add a clubhouse and give the city its first dedicated, permanent pickelball courts — 12 of them — add six new hard tennis courts, and add two new clay tennis courts to the facility's existing 10, said Carl Cote, Palm Coast's director of Stormwater & Engineering. The facility could ultimately have more than 40 courts.
Councilman Ed Danko said he didn't object to the Racquet Center, but did object to the timing.
"We’re talking about a lot of money here — an awful lot of money," he said, "... and we're in the middle of a pandemic; in case you folks haven't noticed, you're all wearing masks, OK? Our economy is going to come to a screeching halt when all this government money does come to an end. ... I’m not opposed to this project, but I’m opposed to it now. We can wait a year, can’t we? We don’t have to move forward on this today. It’s not a must-have, like police or fire or roads."
City Manager Matt Morton said that much of the money that would be used for the facility is earmarked, coming from parks grants or from parks and recreation impact fees paid by builders.
That money can only be used for parks, and the city would have to return it to the builders if it's not used within a predetermined time period, Morton said.
Councilman Eddie Branquinho said that having a popular racquet facility in Palm Coast will help attract tourists and keep residents from driving elsewhere to play.
When people leave to play in other cities, he said, they end up spending their money there, depriving Palm Coast of sales tax revenue.
"Sometimes, you need to invest to save," Branquinho said.
Danko asked about costs to operate the facility after the proposed expansion. Morton didn't have specifics, but noted that the city has partnered with management companies to run such facilities in the past.
Mayor Milissa Holland said the city is in a good financial position, with zero municipal debt and one of the lowest municipal tax rates in the state.
"People choose Palm Coast for their home because they like the amenities," she said.
She added that the city is growing.
"Why? Because we offer a tremendous quality of life for all ages in our community," Holland said. "... If we do this well — and I have confidence we will do this well, because we do have stakeholders in the community that will help it be successful — it will drive and generate additional income for our local business community. It will allow for a greater experience for residents that want to spend dollars here in Palm Coast."
