FELLSMERE — An obstacle course befitting Army training will be coming to the City of Fellsmere not far from where an observation tower and rock climbing wall currently sit off County Road 512 and Interstate 95. The $400,000 asset is being funded through a grant provided by the US Army.
The course would be something “Fort Knox would give its eye teeth for,” said Frank Kinney, vice president of research at the Florida Institute of Technology, whose ROTC cadets would use the course.
Though preference would be given to the Army and ROTC to reserve use of the obstacle course, the general public, corporate groups and organizations, too, would get the opportunity to also use it.
City Manager Jason Nunemaker told the Fellsmere City Council that certain months would be reserved for the ROTC’s use while the other months would have open reservations – all would have an equal opportunity to reserve time at the course.
Non-ROTC reservations would pay to use the obstacle course, which would generate revenue for both FIT and the city to maintain the facility.
The Fellsmere City Council unanimously approved the agreement with FIT for the course and is expected to review a follow-up agreement that would clarify the public’s access to the course as well as the revenue share between the city and the university.
The easement agreement with FIT for the course’s location will be in 5-year increments, to ensure the land will continue to be available for the course.
“There’s a lot of money being spent,” City Attorney Warren Dill said, referring to the Army’s $400,000 grant. Neither the school nor the Army would want to invest the funds to build a facility if the city were not interested in keeping it at its proposed site.
“I think this is good,” said Councilman Joel Tyson, who has visited the site when an ROTC group were using the tower and rock climbing wall for training.
Tyson said that it has bothered him in the past that governments purchase property for conservation and yet don’t do anything to the site to provide public access. He added that the Fellsmere-FIT partnership with the course would ensure access and use of government-owned property.
Mayor Susan Adams agreed, noting that a similar project left for a state up north and this would fill a need locally.
“I think it’s great it’s going to be in Fellsmere,” she said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
