Where will kids play soccer? That question was mulled by the City Commission last Tuesday.
The future of the Ybor-Alvarez Sports Complex located on Fernandina Beach Airport property currently has no long term plan to accommodate city and county residents who play soccer and softball.
The future of the soccer fields and softball fields are in doubt because a developer is proposing to build airplane hangars and storage units on the 20 acres where the fields exist.
The Federal Aviation Administration gives first priority for airport land use for aviation related use. That means the soccer and softball fields may have to relocate.
"At Ybor-Alvarez, we have 750 kids who want a place to play soccer and there are basically seven options. None of them are great options, they're all expensive," said City Commissioner Chip Ross. He said he wanted to know the process for the long term future of soccer and softball.
Ross outlined the following options for commissioners:
Do nothing and hope it goes away.
Keep it the same as a lease.
Spend $4 million to buy the land.
Move one soccer field to the baseball fields at a cost $2 million.
A cut down the tree plan on Simmons Road (six acres on the golf course)
Buy the land next door
In a report to the city, the Parks and Recreation Department suggested the fields be moved to a heavily wooded, pristine six acre parcel on the city golf course near Simmons Road.
"I believe the right approach for this and it might not be the most fun approach is to cut the trees down. It's property we already own. It's the easiest property to convert. And from what I've heard is that the county is not in the process of building any soccer facilities in the next 10 years," said Vice Mayor David Sturges. "Maybe we can talk to the county about helping us out in some manner or form. Whatever we have to do to keep the soccer facilities there temporarily until we decide to build a soccer complex on Simmons Road."
Interim City Manager Charlie George said the City is waiting for the appraisals on the property where the soccer fields are currently located.
Ross said the city is putting a "$400,000 marker" in the 2023-24 budget for the soccer fields and wanted to know what the money would be used for.
"(We need the property value) to determine which way we want to go. Staff is waiting for direction from the Commission which way you want to go and once that is done we will work out a way to implement that," George said.
Mayor Bradley Bean asked about meetings with the county regarding the soccer fields.
"There's a short term option and then we have to figure out the long term," said City Attorney Tammi Bach. "What the city and county have agreed too is if we can get a ground lease approved by the FAA, (for five years) that already is in the works."
Bach said in the meetings between city and county administrators, the city would pay $200,000 and the county $200,000 on an annual basis for the 20 acres at the airport.
"But what the county wanted to know before they even voted to pay for even one year, from the city, is what the long term plan was? What we would be pursuing and then have an inter-local agreement....so we know what we're doing in five years and what we're doing in 10 years," Bach said.
Bean said he favored the city pursuing purchasing the land from the FAA. "It's a permanent option that would take the FAA would be out of the airport property."
Ross circled back to what he termed "stinker" options. He said there is an upcoming budget and all the options carried expensive price tags.
"All I really want to know is how are we going to pay for it. All these options are big numbers," Ross said.
City staff are planning to examine what a soccer complex concept would look like at the various sites.
"That way we can estimate the construction costs that would give you more information to make your decision," George said.
Sturges closed the discussion stating that Parks and Recreation impact fees, which are at $3 million-plus, could be used to build a new soccer and softball complex.
The City will discuss the long term soccer field plan at its June City Commission workshop.
Like Bradley says, let's research buying the property. With development eating everything up, we need greenspace- for mental health, physical health, plus it helps to mitigate the urban heat island effect. No one in their right mind should want to see that area built up with airplane hangers and more concrete. Including greenspace in cities is the first step in making urban areas more healthy. We actually have it and should work hard not to lose it.
What are the FACTS about who uses the existing soccer fields. Is this County residents?? or city? How can our small city have 650 kids who play soccer. Is that actually true?