Palm Coast City Council Discuss Plans for Community Center(s) at Workshop
Everyone agrees there is no money to pay for a new center, but planning goes forward nonetheless.
Palm Coast, FL – March 29, 2011 – The Palm Coast City Council heard a "Community Center Concept Plan" presentation from its Parks and Recreation Department at the today’s workshop. The presentation envisioned a 40,000 square foot building as a main Community Center with smaller satellite centers in each section of the city.
A new Community Center is part of the City’s long-range plan. Council members agreed that there is no money for the project at this time, but that it was fruitful to work toward some solid plans for when funding becomes available.
Today’s discussion comes at a time when there is disagreement between the city and local homebuilders about the appropriateness of current parks and recreation impact fees. Homebuilders claim the fee is not necessary because the city already has enough park land to satisfy several years of projected residential growth under the city’s own guidelines. My guess is that the impact fees will continue and be earmarked for construction of a community center.
Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
I love this plan! But then again I loved Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio . . . when I was seven years old!!
What the heck are these guys smoking?
Community Centers
What part of No do these fools not understand? Crooks need to be run out of palm Coast once and for all.
Palm Coast Community Center A
( We thought some may enjoy reading about Palm Coast Community Center)
….This marks the first time in the YMCA’s more than 130 years of operation that it has opened a YMCA in a developing comunity….according to Dr. Robert Harlan, Executive Director of the National Board of the YMCA, …it is customary to open a Y in an already developed community of about 50,000…’
PALM COAST YMCA FULL OF ACTIVITY
For the Palm Coast YMCA, there aren’t enough days in the month, nor hours in the day to provide time for all its activities. The YMCA has a variety of programs for the area residents from oil painting to weight lifting.
A typical Monday morning at the YMCA begins at nine when the three and four year olds arrive for preschool classes. In another section of the YMCA building Jarly Jackson, a 70 year old former acrobat, is teaching exercise class. After a lunch break, it is "children’s fun time." During this time there are also weight lifting classes in the next room taught by Tim Shanahan.
From 4-5 p.m. there is after school play hour for the school age children.
After dinner activities begin again with square dancing at 6:30. The evening ends with a youth rap session from 7:30 until 9 for the teenagers, and German lessons taught in the next room by Anne Russell.
All day people are in and out of the YMCA building, coming also to watch television, play billiards or ping pong. Also, many organizations hold their meetings in the large multi-purpose room of the Y. In other words, the YMCA has been going non-stop since its doors opened on December 11th.
The YMCA has various special events planned for the furure. One event will be a disco dance for teenagers. Plans are also underway for a spring softball team.
There are currently 352 YMCA members and the number is growing. Family memberships are $50. a year, husband and wife memberships $40 a year, single adult memberships are $25. yearly, and youth memberships are $10. Membership at the Y entitles the member the use of the facilities as well as free participation in the many classes and activities held there. Non-member must pay a fee.
This marks the first time in the Y::MCA’s more than 130 years of operation that it has opened a YMCA in a developing community. According to Dr. Robert Harlan, Executive Director of the National Board of the YMCA, it is customary to open a Y in an already developed community of about 50,000 but "so far the experiment appears to be a big success."
The beautiful YMCA building and the grounds on Palm Coast Parkway were donated by the ITT Community Development Corporation, which is also underwriting the expenses of the Y: for the next several years.
So if you’re loking for something to do, stop by the YMCA and discover the many interesting programs it has to offer. You can see for yourself why it’s a big success.
Excerpt from: ‘The Palm Coaster’, published by the Corporate Communications Department of ITT Community Development Corporation for Palm Coast property owners, purchasers and homeowners, as well as their families and friends. Vol 7, Number 2, Summer 1978, p. 8.
Palm Coast Community Center B
( For those interested in how it came into being )
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Chuddy
28 Lake Drive
Darien,Connecticut 006820
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Chuddy:
Because you have made a commitment in Palm Coast by establishing your home here, we believe you should be aware of an agreement that we recently reached with the Federal Trade Commission.
ITT Community Development Corporation ( ICDC) has signed a Consent Agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concerning the furture development of Palm Coast. Signing the agreement does not constitute an admission that any law has been violated, as the agreement itself states. We feel the agreement is important in order to attain our primary goal — the development of Palm Coast as a balanced, well-rounded community.
An important part of the Consent Agreement calls for the execution of plans, within six years, which we believe, in the long run, will be good for Palm Coast. In brief, among other things , we have agreed to the following:
1. A shopping center with at least 400,000 square feet of floor space will be provided.We are already in contact with prospective developers of individual stores, including a supermarket.
2. With appropriate governmental agreement, a traffic interchange on Interstate Highway 95 will be constructed to serve Palm Coast according to plans we submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation in August 1972. ICDC will pay for the interchange as originally designed.
3. An office and research park area will be developed with appropriate roads and utilities to serve it and landscaping to make it an attractive part of Palm Coast. Planning for this already is under way.
4. A multi-purpose office building, with at least 5,000 square feet of floor space, will be constructed for tenants in the office and research park. This structure, also, is under planning.
5. We will move the headquarters of ICDC to Palm Coast. We plan to be substantial employer contributing much to the economy of Palm Coast and Flagler County.
The agreement also provides for us to restrict our developoment efforts to 42,000 acres for a period of 15 years ( with possible extension for another five years). This will allow appropriate construction in areas set aside for commercial establishments, light industry, recreation, preservation and conservation and other residential uses. Moreover, during this 15- or 20-year period, sales will be limited to 48,000 registered lots of which over 36,000 already have been sold.
The aforementioned are some of the most important points contained in the Consent Agreement as it affect you and the balanced development of Palm Coast. You will also be interested in knonwing of additional projects that we believe further enhance the community.. Here are some examples:
We have donated two acres of land, adjoining the furture Emergency Services Building site, to the Palm Coast branch of the YMCA to be used as the location of a Community Activities Center. We will bear the cost of constructing this facility for all community residents and for sharing in operational expenses during its first three years — a gift totalling more than $400,000.
We have provided as a gift a site of 57 acres to the Flagler County School Board for a junior-senior high school. The first class of proud seniors was graduated from Flagler-Palm Coast High School last spring.
We have designated a number of sites for recreation parks, preservation and conservation, and other public areas.
One site, in Section 1-A, now is being developed and a paved bicycle path has been constructed. Another bike path, starting near the Yacht Club, is in use.
We are working with the Palm Coast Civic Association so that Palm Coast residents can form a legal entity to which we can donate oa one-acre site and an Emergency Services Building to house fire and security forces, an ambulance, and facilities for community activities. A preliminary blueprint fo the structure has been approved by a committeee from the Community.
As you know, we donated a $36,000 pumper fire truck to the Palm Coast Volunteer Fire Department , which will be stationed in the Emergency Services Building..
Palm Coast’s first church building, St. Mark by the Sea Lutheran Church, ws dedicated on the morning of July 4. Catholic and Baptist church organizations have purchased sites for their proposed churches. And Temple Beth Shalom is considering building a Synagogue. We at ICDC are very pleased, as we know citizens of Palm Coast are, to witness this growth and progress in the vitally important religioius life of our community.
Palm Coast’s first financial institution, a branch of the Security First Federal Savings and Loan Association, recently opened for business. We believe others will follow with the growth of the community.
These and many other facilitites will be needed to serve Palm Coast’s growing population. And it is growing. During the last nine months, construction of over 200 homes began. We now have over 1,000 people living and enjoying the good life at Palm Coast.
In closing, let me assure you that the ITT Community Development Corporation believes very strongly in the future of Palm Coast and that we are determined that it will grow and progress in a balanced and healthy manner.
Sincerely yours,
Alan Smolen
President.
Was anything mentioned at the meeting about our Pa
Did anyone attend this meeting? Was anything mentioned about our first Neighborhood Park?
We ask because we ask, and ask, and ask , and ask the city..
So…
We had no option but to try this:
Honorable First Lady Michele Obama and Family::
Good Morning First Lady.
We write as Palm Coast Pioneers in the ‘..largest planned community in the Nation..’ and ‘..the largest "New Town" in the World..’ coming in at 93,000 acres – I.T.T. Levitts ‘Palm Coast’ in Flagler County, Florida.
We took the required official ‘Guided Tour’ showing us all the Amenities , Features, Acreage, and Improvement that were Inducements to Purchase. They all later became part of F.T.C. ‘Consent Agreement’ C-2854 with $ 30,000,000.00 REDRESS for us in 1975 Dollars U.S.
We write because one of these Inducements to purchase included a Neighborhood Park and parking area acreage. We enjoyed it for decades and had a View and Vista of it. It was just recently completely demolished so we, Palm Coast first Fourth Generation Familys Great Grandchildren, have no safe place to play anymore.
We have regularly and repeatedly asked the city of palm coast almost monthly, for months going on years to give it back to we 164 families living in the Levitts I.T.T. Palm Coast, Inc., ‘Showcase Golf Course Neighborhood’. The city has not answer us ; perhaps they are busy.
Can you please ask the city of Palm Coast to give us back what we paid for so that we in the ‘Showcase Neighborhood’ can become part of your ‘Lets Move’ Program.
Thank you very much.
Warm Regards,
Palm Coast Pioneers Family
****************************************************************
The reply back:
Thank You!
Thank you for contacting the White House.
$10,000,000 for Bull……
Dog gone money for private developement owned by Chamber Member,and window treatment for the Chamber building accross the road. That’s where all the tax payer money has gone. Over paying for property, is theft, and here again,the council lets it go on, as they are powerless, as is the mayor.
It’s going to be remamed by tax payer proclamation, "TAX PAYER SUCKER ROAD’.
$10,000,000 for Bull……
Dog gone money for private developement owned by Chamber Member,and window treatment for the Chamber building accross the road. That’s where all the tax payer money has gone. Over paying for property, is theft, and here again,the council lets it go on, as they are powerless, as is the mayor.
It’s going to be remamed by tax payer proclamation, "TAX PAYER SUCKER ROAD’.