Boys' & Girls' Club property sold

Wu · 04-01-2005, 08:44 PM

Walton Sun - Sale will put an end to litigation over 30A property

Officials closed the sale of the Boys and Girls Club property on W. County Road 30A on April 1.
The exact selling price has not yet been released. However, sources close to the sale say the price was more than double the $10 million offered by opponents of the club two years ago.
The sale signals the end to the controversy surrounding the site for almost three years.
The 22.3 acres of land is a stone�s throw from the beach on the road�s south side, just west of Butler Elementary School.
The property and $8 million to be used solely for construction of new facilities were donated by the Pennington Foundation.
Groundbreaking for the new facility was initially expected to be held the beginning of 2002 and construction started shortly thereafter with completion in 18 to 24 months.
However, opposition to the club and its location stopped the facility dead in its tracks. Opponents charged the facility would be disruptive to the neighborhood with its ballpark lights, traffic and the ensuing noise and present an environmental impediment to adjoining Topsail park.
Current litigation challenges the non-profit status of not just the local club, but the entire Boys and Girls Club organization.
Supporters of the club countered, however, that opponents were motivated by other elements including social bigotry and greed.
Friday�s sale clears the way for the club to relocate to a new location without further litigation.
Sources close to the sale said the club had identified property near or in the Government and Education Center as the potential new location for the club.
The offer is said to be one of several that the club entertained that came unsolicited.

**Smiling JOe** · 04-02-2005, 06:47 AM

Sources close to the sale said the club had identified property near or in the Government and Education Center as the potential new location for the club.

I hear that the B & G Club is purchasing land that you could swim across on Don Bishop Rd -- maybe it is mitigation land?

**FoX** · 04-02-2005, 08:14 AM

That could makes sense, since some of the SoWal GEC on 331 is wet and would have to be mitigated to build there.

**beachmouse** · 04-02-2005, 09:23 AM

I'm not usually one to wade into the townies v. tourists debate, but the whole opposition to the Boys & Girls club was disgraceful. God forbid we let the kids of the people who live and work here actually have a safe, supervised place to play. They might play loudly and disturb the tourists in their convertibles driving down to their beach houses.

Never mind that the original site was across the street from an elementary school and a neighborhood that for a long time was one of the more affordable family-friendly places for locals to live in South Walton. But then there's probably a group that wants to relocate the elementary school too because the land's too valuable to let working class kids go to school there.

**reedtsu** · 04-17-2005, 08:54 PM

Isn't it something. My family has lived in this area for over a century and I am a realtor......It is hard to decide which way to turn when it comes to the tourist VS. local issue.

**FoX** · 04-17-2005, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by beachmouse

I'm not usually one to wade into the townies v. tourists debate, but the whole opposition to the Boys & Girls club was disgraceful. God forbid we let the kids of the people who live and work here actually have a safe, supervised place to play. They might play loudly and disturb the tourists in their convertibles driving down to their beach houses.

Never mind that the original site was across the street from an elementary school and a neighborhood that for a long time was one of the more affordable family-friendly places for locals to live in South Walton. But then there's probably a group that wants to relocate the elementary school too because the land's too valuable to let working class kids go to school there.

As far as I know, there weren't any tourists at the commission meetings complaining about noisy kids.

Sounds like you have some issues. Just about every local here was a tourist.

**FoX** · 04-17-2005, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by reedtsu

Isn't it something. My family has lived in this area for over a century and I am a realtor......It is hard to decide which way to turn when it comes to the tourist VS. local issue.

Sounds like you mean to say that you see both sides of the "issue". Except there is no "issue" as far as I'm aware. Care to educate?

**Smiling JOe** · 04-18-2005, 06:55 AM

I thought the Boys and Girls Club was local vs. local issue. I, too, am unaware of any "tourists" in the picture at all. Perhaps you will fill us in?

**beachmouse** · 04-18-2005, 09:11 AM

A misstatement on my part re:tourists, but there was what seemed to be a weird and ugly subtext going on with the whole situation.

Signed,

Generally appreciates the tourists, but wishes that they could get to and from the beach using some sort of Star Trek-like teleportation device because of the traffic they cause on roads that have no practical way to add capacity.

**kurt** · 04-18-2005, 09:28 AM

There was opponsition from surrounding neighbors with concerns about light and noise pollution coming from lighted ballfields and such. There may have been deeper issues I don't know about.

As for traffic, don't blame visitors, blame those that allow overdvelopment without adequate infrastructure. Or those that ignore the sensible option of controlling and/or limiting development in order to limit impacts.
If you think it's bad now you should consider moving immediately. The coming years of increased traffic might create an uncontrollable road rage inside yourself.
I'm sure there's a couple of million city dwellers with hour-long, bumper to bumper commutes that would gladly trade places with you. I hope a little traffic is all the bother you have in life.

**lenzoe** · 04-18-2005, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by kurt

As for traffic, don't blame visitors, blame those that allow overdvelopment without adequate infrastructure. Or those that ignore the sensible option of controlling and/or limiting development in order to limit impacts.

I Agree.

Before we bought in 2000, we heard from a number of sources (a couple of contractors and realtors) that Walton County was one of the most anti-development places in Florida, and I considered that a real bonus. Since then, I haven't seen a lot of evidence to support that view, and much more to support the contrary view. The lots are getting smaller, the setbacks are getting narrower, and guidelines in the comprehensive development plan are either being ignored or somehow sidestepped.

I think one of the problems with most of the tourists -- aka absentee owners -- is that we have no official vote in what goes on in SoWal. I wish we did have a vote in things like the development of boys and girls clubs, controlling development, and protecting the quality of life in SoWal for future generations. Unfortunately, we don't.

**kurt** · 04-18-2005, 02:40 PM

You have a voice on this board and I know of 3 County Commisioners that read this board regularly, and 1 that posts. I suspect the other two read the board also. There are also other officials and TDC members here.

There are also several organizations you may want to join/contribute to, that help out those who don't live here.

**Smiling JOe** · 04-18-2005, 06:00 PM

I think one of the problems with most of the tourists -- aka absentee owners -- is that we have no official vote in what goes on in SoWal. I wish we did have a vote in things like the development of boys and girls clubs, controlling development, and protecting the quality of life in SoWal for future generations. Unfortunately, we don't.

I beg to differ. As an absentee owner, you are a local taxpayer, and do have a say in local gov't if you choose to speak. Whether or not someone listens is still questionable, but you do have the right to speak and be heard at public forums on all local projects. Unfortunately, no absentee owners, or very few, who truely care about the issues, have the ability to attend the meetings on a regular basis. Heck, it sounds like you guys don't even have much time to get down here and enjoy the Beach, much less get involved in politics.

**lenzoe** · 04-18-2005, 08:19 PM

One of the reasons I frequent this board is because I find it's the best interactive communication channel on all things South Walton. However, I did not know there was any representation or monitoring of the board by county officials. If that's true, I'd like to say a couple of things:

1) If commisioners and county officials post to and read this board, that is encouraging.

2) Is there any chance of making that a little more official? How about a forum specifically to support public dialogs between owners, residents, and county officials? I don't know if there'd be anyone to post besides me, but I strongly suspect there might be. Walton County should post links to this board on their sites.

3) I cannot do a 6-hour drive to attend public forums and meetings in SoWal, though I've often wanted to, but that doesn't mean that I and others like me don't have something to say. I monitor those meetings as best I can by reading summaries in the Walton Sun, but it would be helpful to have an interactive forum to provide input and read responses -- something like this bulletin board.

4) I wonder who is the commisioner that posts? Hmmm. It's not Kurt 'cause you keep shooting down my suggestion to run for office.

**kurt** · 04-18-2005, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by lenzoe

2) Is there any chance of making that a little more official? How about a forum specifically to support public dialogs between owners, residents, and county officials? I don't know if there'd be anyone to post besides me, but I strongly suspect there might be. Walton County should post links to this board on their sites.

There are laws against conferring directly with elected officials on certain issues under review, as absurd as that sounds. Also, you're unlikely to have officials brave enough (or stupid enough) to post under their real name. Too much margin for error in a public forum. Like e-mail, the written word is not always the best means of communication with the general public. Things are often misinterpreted, unless they are strictly facts. E-mail can be effective when combined with phone and/or face to face, but can be dangerous.

3) I cannot do a 6-hour drive to attend public forums and meetings in SoWal, though I've often wanted to, but that doesn't mean that I and others like me don't have something to say. I monitor those meetings as best I can by reading summaries in the Walton Sun, but it would be helpful to have an interactive forum to provide input and read responses -- something like this bulletin board.

We could set up a forum for politics. I can also add private forums for organizations, clubs, etc. if situations warrant.

4) I wonder who is the commisioner that posts? Hmmm. It's not Kurt 'cause you keep shooting down my suggestion to run for office.

**lenzoe** · 04-23-2005, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by kurt

We could set up a forum for politics. I can also add private forums for organizations, clubs, etc. if situations warrant.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a politics forum. There's plenty of grist for discussion, and I believe politics and its influence on local real estate is a big enough topic that there would be plenty of threads to warrant it's own forum.