Florida National Guard Briefs Palm Coast City Council on New Reserve Center
The Guard’s planned new building will be on County property but adjacent to city residents. Today’s briefing was a prelude to upcoming community meetings.
Palm Coast, FL – July 13, 2010 – In a workshop this morning, a Florida National Guard Colonel briefed Palm Coast City Councilors on upcoming plans for a National Guard Reserve Center to be erected on County-owned land north of Laguna Forest Trail, adjacent to the Flagler County Airport. Since the facility will be adjacent to city residents, the Guard and the City are planning community meetings to ensure public support for the project.The current timeline for funding for Congressional fundig for the $20.8 million project is 2013. Construction of the 80,000+ square foot building will take approximately 12 to 18 months once funding is secured. Engineering and design should be completed by the end of the year. The facility will host an air defense artillery battalion of 247 citizen soldiers and an Army Reserve attachment of 21 soldiers.
The facility will be used primarily on weekends. Parts of the facility will be available for local use on a rental basis. Site plans indicate an area abutting Belle Terre that could be developed into a public park.
The location adjoining the airport is ideal. The airport could function as logistics staging area in the event of a local disaster.
Only two items that might interfere with the timetable were raised. First, under present economic circumstances, Congressional funding is not a certainty. However, the Flagler facility is ranked #1 on the general’s long range construction priority list.
The second potential issue is Palm Coast’s requirement that provision of water and sewer services requires annexation into the city; a long-standing point of controversy between the City and County. City Manager Jim Landon assured Council members and the audience that the annexation hurdle would be resolved.
View Florida National Guard Reserve Center in Flagler County in a larger map
Nat’l Guard Facility
For a long time now we’ve had planes cicling the Flagler Beach bridge almost at treetop height in a constant stream from early morning (6 AM until after midnight) and we’ve not been able to get any information about what’s going on.
What we don’t need is more flying especially on the weekends. Can’t elected officials understand that we residents and taxpayers LIVE here for the peace and quiet and stop bringing in more and more annoying new facilities.
Welcome National Guard
As a 26 year miitary veteran I welcome this facility to the county. We shouls take pride i the fact we wil have a military presence here.
National Gurad
Why would the County even consider this, we have been stung by every other Airport Development activity. Why would the Feds build a $20,000,000. facility on land they don’t own. I think this whole things smells like some sort of a "finacially engineered" hair brained scheme that will screw city, county state and federal taxpayers. Is Goldman Sachs behind this?
National Guard
Why was the area north of Gore lake not selected or the area due west of the airport not selected. Both areas provide better access to a major thoroughfare, and not placed directly on top of residential housing. The National Guard is not just a weekend endeavor as there are full time workers (recruiters, training nco’s and other title 10 service personnel) and being air defense they have to go some place to train.
Having served 21 years in the service with 3 combat campaigns, my final duties required training guard and reserve units to actually train on combat skills and not do weenie roasts as some were prone to do. So now, the guard and reserve have more requirements to fulfill to be able to deploy to war regions.
I wish I could take the time off to attend one of the meetings to explain that the guard center will be busy and active 7 days a week.
Anyone can go to Crystal River and see the guard armory there and it is right next to the airport and at the end of one of the runways, so airplane flight path has no detriment….
Reply to Evelyn
The National Guard Reserve Center should not have any impact on air traffic at the Flagler County Airport. It’s a ground-based unit.
Besides, it will bring much needed economic vitality to the area.
Reply to John Boy
John Boy – You are way off base with your comments. The National Guard is building on land they have leased. It’s called a ground lease. The lease is for 40 years with a 10 year extension. When the lease expires, they leave and the county gets a 40 or 50 year old building.
Building on a ground lease is very common. Businesses do it all the time.
The Guard is a welcome addition to the county for many reasons. I see no down side – construction jobs, purchases from local businesses, some new residents, etc.
National Guard Briefs
From the story title, ‘National Guard Briefs’ are not camouflaged underwear. Thanks to sharp readers who noticed.