Walton to proceed with study for sports, arts complexes

SANTA ROSA BEACH — Walton County will proceed with a feasibility study for a sports complex and an arts complex at the urging of residents.

Commissioner Kenneth Pridgen wanted to reconsider a bid awarded Feb. 23 to Crossroads Consulting Services and Tomlinson Graham Group to do the study for $97,000.

“I know we’ve had a lot of workshops held and a lot of time spent, and times were good and we had plenty of revenue sources,” Pridgen told Commissioners Cecilia Jones and Sara Comander at a meeting earlier this week.

Commissioners Scott Brannon and Larry Jones were absent.

The commissioners who were present took no action to delay the study.

“I think we need to back up and look at this, since we don’t have any funds to build any of this,” Pridgen said. “If we do the feasibility study and five years from now we decide to build, we’ll have to do another study. Then you’ve got two times you’ve got to do that, and it’s just a lot of taxpayers’ money. We need to direct staff to hold off. We need to be careful what we do in here.”

However, several residents urged commissioners to move ahead with the study.

“I’m the father of athletic children,” Dale Vermillion said. “This study is for our youth, for the future of this county. I really want to encourage you to move forward with it.”

Bart Schnell, a founder of the 30A Songwriters Festival, spoke in favor of the arts complex.

“I really support the feasibility plan,” Schnell said. “There are a lot of positive effects that will happen if we allow the arts to grow in this way with this complex.”

The Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council will pay for the study. Sonny Mares, the TDC’s executive director, also encouraged commissioners to move forward.

“Let’s don’t fear what we don’t know and move ahead,” Mares said.