Get some help judging this sports park pitch

Pasco County commissioners are in the batter's box waiting to swing. ¶ The pitch is determining the validity of spending tourist money and possibly impact fees to build smaller, replica versions of historic baseball stadiums for youth sports teams. Unfortunately, the third base coach signaling to the commission wears the same uniform as the pitcher, not the county.

That is the scenario as commissioners move forward soliciting proposals from the private sector to operate a youth-oriented sports complex. It means the people providing key information to the commission will be the same people who will profit if the county builds the complex.

A set of impartial eyes would be welcome. The county's Tourist Development Council advisory board couldn't muster a quorum on two separate occasions to hear the proposal. Meanwhile, commissioners have shown no inclination to solicit a consultant's study to determine if it can afford to commit $3-million in unspent tourist dollars, raise the tourist tax on overnight accommodations from 2 to 3 percent, and/or commit park impact fee dollars to build the center.

We have encouraged the commission previously to consider tourism alternatives, but the pace here is unsettling. The county has yet to break ground on its first tourist project - the $7.9-million Pasco National Tennis Center stadium near the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel - and the price already increased 36 percent. Bonding long-term sales tax revenue for the recreational sports complex without knowing the county's share of potential cost overruns or long-term maintenance expenses at the tennis stadium is a risk.

That being said, the commission's enthusiasm for luring amateur sports tournaments to the county is understandable, particularly in light of Hillsborough County's decision to kill a potential competitor - the defunct $40-million Champion's Park idea.

Though any company can submit a proposal to Pasco, the frontrunner appears to be Big League Dreams of California, which made its presentation to the tourist board last month. It partners with local governments to build and operate replica historic baseball stadiums like Wrigley Field, Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. It operates a half dozen parks in California and Texas and plans to move into Arizona shortly.

A typical 25-acre complex includes three smaller-scale replica parks, a covered multisport pavilion, restaurant, batting cages, beach volleyball courts and a passive park. The company operates and maintains the facility - which means no annual subsidies from the government budget - and shares proceeds with the local municipality. It is an attractive feature in a time of state-mandated government spending limits.

Commissioners are eager to play ball and the commitment to youth sports is desirable, but they would be wise to seek a critical assessment of whether dressed-up baseball fields can be a long-term winner.

[Last modified November 6, 2007, 22:11:22]