District 5 County Commissioner Lane Lynchard is ready to act on the public input he’s been receiving about the need for a public meeting facility in the south end of Santa Rosa County.

Tuesday night, Lynchard announced his proposal for a $1.2 million public meeting space in Tiger Point Park during a meeting of the United Peninsula Association (UPA).

“I’ve been working on making the idea a reality since the Tiger Point Park Board made improving recreational facilities in the south end a priority,” Lynchard said. “Even our neighborhood community parks have been improved.

“This is a big move, and it is the rational next step. We’ve had a lot of issues that have been specific to the south end of our county – like the oil spill, redistricting, moving to a single garbage hauler. It would be nice if we could have the facility to afford access and also recordability.”

For years there has been a public outcry in the south end for the Commission to stage quarterly – or at least annual – meetings in south Santa Rosa County. Lynchard, the Commission Chairman, said there also has been a long-time need for such a facility to be available for groups, governmental meetings and community events.

“This serves a public need,” he said. “I’ve met numerous times with the Tiger Point Sports Association and other local groups, and a universal request has been for a multipurpose facility on park grounds at Tiger Point Park.

“The sports association does not have a permanent facility, and District 5 is the only district in the county that does not have one. A multi-purpose facility would service the needs of TPSA and the whole community. When we’ve had town hall meetings in the past, we’ve had to utilize local churches, Oriole Beach Elementary School, the Navarre Visitors Center or even the Comfort Inn, but the county has no facility centrally located.”

Don Richards, President of UPA, is excited about the proposal.

“Commissioner Lynchard announcing his intent to recommend a south Santa Rosa multipurpose meeting facility with technological support is a very welcome idea,” Richards said. “I know a lot of people have been asking for a long time for the scheduling of County Commission meetings occasionally in the south end. We generate 62 percent of the revenues from assessments, and we need more access.”

Lynchard will present the concept to the County Commission in October.

“I’m going to propose that we build one with (the same) audio/visual capabilities of our commission building in Milton,” he said. “Our District 5 Recreation Fund currently holds about $1.2 million. We have the funds available, and I think right now is the right time.”

The proposal is in preliminary stages, according to Lynchard, and there are no specific designs for the facility.

“The process as I see it is that I will continue to meet with TPSA and members of the community to try and determine the best fit. I’d like to have it built within two years,” he said.

“This was one of the top needs recognized by the District 5 Advisory Committee,” Lynchard added. “Speaking with community members and groups, more and more want a meeting place. We have nowhere in the south end of the county where we can host meetings. Gulf Breeze has one, but not the county.

“The time is right.”