Fairhope, Alabama
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| May Recreation Board meeting. |
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| CR 13 at CR 32 land. |
FOCUS SHOULD BE ON LOCAL NEEDS
Based on sports consultant Victus Advisors report presented last March, the city's recreational advisory board decided to advise the city council to focus on local recreational needs for the city's 113 acre CR 13 property -- but left the door open a crack to the possibility of limited sports tourism someday: track/field, equestrian-related, baseball, and pickleball were some of the possibilities mentioned.
Nearby cities like Foley and Gulf Shores already have extensive sports
tourism programs in place for most traditional sports, according to the board's
discussion about the issue.
Chairman Baugh summed up the board's position: "Consensus of Board recommends to focus on heavy recreational for residents of city of Fairhope ... with a smaller emphasis on sports tourism as it makes sense in the future ... (if justifiable financially)."
Some sports tourism could help the city fund any new facilities to be built there according to one board member; but additional lodging space of some sort would be needed there too.
MASTER PLAN COMING NEXT
The consultant team has reached the point for their landscape architect Robin Gregory to develop a more-detailed master plan for the property, so it may be incorporated into municipal budgets in years to come (5 year plans).
The city purchased the land in 2019 for $2.6 million and has been leasing it to local farmers since then.