Project Awaysis Frequently Asked Questions

1) How do I benefit from Project AWAYSIS?

The most important thing to remember is that if the city doesn’t grow and prosper, every business and institution within the community will struggle to meet its financial goals and dreams. Every community needs to find ways to grow, create new jobs, enhance economic activity, attract new people and businesses and create a positive business environment. Project AWAYSIS can do all of that for Storm Lake and Buena Vista County.

Business owners will be able to create more sales opportunities, have the potential to expand their business and boost their bottom line and better enable themselves to attract quality employees with the increased traffic from the lake visitors, vacationers and conference goers.

The retired person can offer a great place for their children and grandchildren to stay and play on when visiting home, as well as the opportunity to recreate the image of Storm Lake as a wonderful place to have fun.

Entrepreneurs will have a great place to start their new business.

Families will be able to enjoy a new beach, the Great Lawn for fun, the family playground, the observation deck in the lighthouse and a unique indoor/outdoor waterpark. Many features will be available free of charge.

Campers will be able to use enlarged and modernized camper spaces; an enlarged campground; rustic cabins.

Younger people can enjoy the beach, the Great Lawn, the waterpark, the renovated golf course and hopefully the skate park.

The Governor, the Vision Iowa Board, the County Board of Supervisors, and the Federal Government have all said they believe in the promise of Project AWAYSIS for the future of Storm Lake and Buena Vista County.

2) What is the timeline for this project?

Click here for a complete timeline of Project AWAYSIS.
Site preparation work began about October 1, 2005. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2005 are the removal of Sunrise Road, moving the golf cart storage buildings, moving the Historical Society buildings, placement and grading of about 83,000 cubic yards of fill in the Lodge and water park areas and grading of the new Sunrise Road and new golf course parking. The paving of Sunrise Road and the golf course parking was completed in July 2006.

In the spring of 2006, construction of the Lodge and waterparks began. June 2007 is the expected opening date for the Lodge and waterparks. We hope to have the beach, playground and Great Lawn completed by opening date. The golf course renovation project will be complete in the fall of 2006; the campground renovation will likely be in the fall of 2007.

3) Who designed the Lodge?

The City has contracted with Beringer, Ciaccio, Dennell and Mabry (www.bcdm.net) to provide design services for the Lodge and most of the other major components of the Project. (bcdm is the same firm that prepared the conceptual design). BCDM will collaborate with Dana, Larson and Roubal (www.dlrgroup.com) which has extensive experience in designing hospitality facilities.

4) Will the lodge run the other hotels out of business?

We anticipate just the opposite to happen. The expected overflow from the Lodge will be able to use existing motels; also many visitors may desire more economical accommodations that can be provided by the existing hotels. According to the feasibility study, Project AWAYSIS will attract more visitors to town, therefore creating a need for additional hotel space. The Economic Impact Report projects an increase of $3.5 million in lodging expense spent by the increased flow of visitors to the area. The lodge will generate about one half of that amount; the balance would go to existing facilities.

5) Why does the City have to own the lodge?

The Project planners believe that in order to establish Storm Lake as a destination for visitors, travelers and conferences, all the amenities, including the lodge and waterpark need to be unique and first class. In addition, Vision Iowa requires that all grant funds be invested in publicly owned developments, which precludes using grant funds to partially fund a privately owned lodge. Essentially, the requirements of the Vision Iowa funding require the City to own the lodge.

By using the Vision Iowa grant funds to ‘buy down’ the City’s investment in the lodge and waterpark, a truly unique lodge and waterpark can be built that will be cost effective and profitable for the City and create the drawing power necessary to make the Project AWAYSIS successful.

6) Who will manage the Lodge and water parks?

The City has hired Leisure Hotels, LLC (www.leisurehotel.com) to manage the Lodge and water parks. Leisure will be paid a base fee and an incentive fee based upon the financial performance of the Lodge and Indoor water park. Leisure will also manage the outdoor water park and beach concession stand under a separate contract with the City. Leisure intends to have the indoor facility open to the public during all normal operating hours when it is not fully occupied by lodge guests. The City will set the hours of operation and the usage fees for the outdoor facility.

Lodge guests will have use of the indoor water park, included in the cost of the room, but will have to pay a fee to use the outdoor water park; the public will pay a usage fee to use the indoor water park.

7) The pool sounds great; do you think it will bring families to Storm Lake? Will all our citizens be able to afford to use the pool and the water park? When do you think that will be finished?

Many people currently travel out of town for this type of activity. We hope that this facility will encourage those people to stay here as well as attract families from all over the region. We expect related economic benefits from those visitors.

The cost to use the outdoor water park will be set by the City and will likely be slightly higher than the cost to use the previous pool. However, the intent of the City is to ensure that the Outdoor Waterpark Facility is accessible to all Storm Lake residents. Leisure Hotels will set the fees to use the indoor water park, with input from the City.

They intend to price this competitively with other similar facilities.
For the waterpark we are targeting June 2007 as the completion date.

8) Is the DNR supportive of the plan?

Yes, very much so. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has committed to upgrade Casino Beach Marina; as a first step in that project the City managed the island removal project under a 28E Agreement with the IDNR, in the fall of 2005. The IDNR financed that project. In addition, the IDNR commissioned a survey of lake visitors in 2002-2003 to provide baseline information used in the Economic Impact Study.

9) Will trees planted along the Hwy 7 entrance to the city block the view?

Hopefully not; it is our wish that the trees will add beauty to the area without blocking the view. The landscaping committee is sensitive to this issue and plans to use the type of tree, that when properly spaced, will not block the view of the lake.

10) I live in Albert City – why should I support this plan? I’ve heard about the driving trail – what exactly is it?

The development will spur more retail and commercial development in Storm Lake, which will increase the sales tax revenues for all cities in the county as well as the county. New commercial development will increase Storm Lake’s tax base, thereby increasing County property tax revenue. As a result, all communities and rural residents will benefit from the Project’s success. Local Option Sales taxes are projected to increase by $144,000, 43% of which goes to Storm Lake, 57% of which goes to other communities in the County. In addition, SILO taxes for the school districts is projected to increase by $144,000, half of which goes to Storm Lake and half of which goes to other districts in the County. See the Economic Impact Study page for more details.

Another benefit to citizens of the surrounding communities is the first class facilities that are within easy access for their family outings.

11) What is an ‘interpretive center’? What is its purpose? Who will own it? Will it be open year round? Will it ruin little Storm Lake?
The Environmental Interpretive Center is a hands-on interactive learning experience for all ages. It will focus on environmental stewardship through interactive exhibits on wind power, the habitats of animals native to the region, water quality and other environmental or historical themes. Open all year long, the center’s observation areas, built to blend into the environment while allowing visitors to experience a unique ecosystem first hand, will enable visitors to experience all four seasons of nature. The center will also provide classes in an environment for school-aged children and adults on environmental topics.
The center will be owned by the City of Storm Lake and operated as an enterprise (meaning no tax dollars will fund the operation or construction of the facility), which will be overseen by a board.

The planning committee’s number one goal is to preserve, maintain and enhance the habitat of Little Storm Lake for future generations.

12) Will I still be able to hunt in the Little Storm Lake area if they build the Interpretive Center?

The DNR will decide if people will still be able to hunt in Little Storm Lake. As of right now the City is not aware of any plans to change the hunting rules at Little Storm Lake.

13) Will this Project increase the traffic on the lake to the point of it becoming a problem?

Most often, there are not many boats on the lake. While there will likely be increased lake traffic, we would not envision problematic consequences. The additional amenities created as part of this Project will benefit all boaters. The upgrade of Casino Beach Marina will provide much improved facilities for accessing the lake.

14) How will the marina be able to handle the increased number of boats? Will the City be buying the Marina?

The Marina property is owned by the State of Iowa and is leased to a private operator. The Marina upgrade plan includes increasing the size of the boat ramp, adding more boat slips and additional parking.

The City has managed the project removal of the island in the fall of 2005, under reimbursement from the IDNR. The marina harbor was dredged in the spring of 2006. Additionally, the IDNR has unveiled the plans for the renovation of the marina.

15) Will the fishing be ruined by all the traffic on the lake?

We don’t anticipate excessive boat traffic. We are working to improve the fishing on the lake through the dredging and watershed work. We work closely with DNR fisheries personnel to be sure to not damage important walleye spawning grounds.

16) Why are we thinking of putting the beach so close to where the storm sewers from manufacturing runs into the lake?

This site was chosen for several reasons. The area is adjacent to the great lawn, playground, and pool, which provides for shared parking. This area is protected from wind and waves, which helps to maintain the sandy beach bottom and the area has a natural slope.

Filtering the effluent from the storm sewers (whether the beach is there or not) is being addressed. Engineers are designing a system to filter debris from the water before it gets to the lake. Three of the outlets will be combined into one and the other outlet will be rerouted to another location. The one remaining outlet will not dump directly in the beach area.

17) Will the ecosystem be harmed by changing the shoreline along the north side?

No, because the shoreline is only being changed in the respect of removing the old concrete riprap and replacing it with natural boulders. Clearing the scrub/underbrush and planting native plants to open the view should have no effect on the ecosystem. The IDNR is fully aware of and supportive of all the plans related to the lakeshore. With all the time, effort and money that has been expended over the past several years to improve lake water quality you can be assured that we will be very conscious of any potential adverse effects from the Project.

In conjunction with Project AWAYSIS, the City is working on plans for four different Storm Water Facility Plan to address run off from the Flindt Drive watershed, East Lakeshore Drive, the Project roofs and parking, and the relocated Sunrise Road to improve the quality of storm water run off before it gets to the lake.

18) Will the Municipal golf course be closed down during construction of golf course improvements?

The golf course will be closed July 16, 2006. Closing the course is necessary for construction to be completed and it needs to be done at this time in order for seeding and growing to finish this year so the course can be ready as soon as possible next year.

19) How will building condos along the side of the golf course be a benefit? How many are you planning to build? Will they block the view?

The sale of the land will provide funding for Project AWAYSIS. They also provide additional housing and tax base for Storm Lake. The current developer has plans which include three buildings and as many as 100 units. Final development will of course depend on what the buyers want and how many of the condos can be sold. A unique feature of these condos will be the spectacular views of both the lake and the golf course.

20) Will the retail and food businesses benefit from this Project? How are they involved with this effort?

We would expect all retail businesses to benefit from the increased traffic. A committee, made up of business owners, managers and community members has stated it is their opinion that Project AWAYSIS, along with a strong connection to the Business District, will benefit all retail and food businesses in the area. Increasing numbers of visitors coming into our area also brings increased local spending and sales tax revenue. Over time, this increase in business will create additional employment opportunities, attract new businesses to town, and possibly bring wage increases due to the increase in demand for workers.

The Economic Impact Study projects a total increase in spending as a result of building AWAYSIS to be $28.4 million, 27 new businesses and 490 new full time equivalent jobs. It is clear that this Project will have a dramatic and lasting effect on economic activity in Storm Lake and Buena Vista County.

21) How many people do we think will come to Storm Lake as a result of this Project?

The initial feasibility studies strongly support the economic viability of the lodge. The Economic Impact Study projects a 55% increase in summer visitation rates and a 27.5% increase in winter visitation rates. See the Economic Impact Study page for more details.

22) Will the cabins be part of the lodge or will they be owned by the City of Storm Lake? Will they be year round cabins? How many will there be?

The City will own the cabins. Yes, some will be available for use all year. The plans are to have 8 cabins: 4 primitive, 2 moderate and 2 with additional conveniences. These cabins will be part of the campground complex, not a part of the lodge.

23) What does Buena Vista University think about having conference facilities in the lodge? Isn’t that direct competition with them?

The leadership of BVU is very supportive of the entire plan since they recognize that the fortunes and futures of Storm Lake and BVU are intertwined. While new conference facilities may provide some competition for conferencing, BVU understands that the long-range benefits of the Project far outweigh any potential negatives.

24) Must the City sell or lease public land and do the citizens get to vote on that issue?

The City Council is always reluctant to sell public property, but the Council felt that selling the land for the condos to provide funds for the renovation of the golf course was a reasonable trade-off. In fact, doing so creates a win-win situation: the golf course gets a much needed refurbishing, new attractive housing options are developed and additional property tax revenue will be generated. While the Council has the authority to take this action without a public vote, it has absolutely no intention of selling any other public land, including all existing park space.

25) How will the school system benefit from the project?

We expect the school systems of Buena Vista County to enjoy several direct and indirect benefits from Project AWAYSIS.

As retail sales increase, so will the revenue from the School Infrastructure Local Option tax. The Economic impact study estimates an increase of $14 million in taxable retail sales; if this occurs, an additional $140,000 in SILO tax will be generated. Roughly half of this goes to the Storm Lake District with the other half being shared by the other Districts in the County.

Enhancing the quality of life in Storm Lake by creating these amenities will be a recruiting benefit when attracting new teachers and administrators.
Anything that can be done to stabilize or grow enrollment is a benefit to the Districts. With funding for schools primarily based on enrollment numbers, the ability of the District to fulfill its mission is directly tied to enrollment.

26) How do I get more information about booking a wedding or conference at the Lodge?

Please contact Stacey Eddie, Director of Sales for King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort. Special event and group bookings are now available. Individual guest room reservations begin January 2007. Contact Stacey by calling (712) 213-4500 or e-mailing her at seddie@kingspointeresort.com. Additional information is available at www.kingspointeresort.com.

27) Can I reserve a room at the Lodge?

Currently rooms can be reserved by groups in blocks of ten or more. Individual reservations will begin January 2007. Please visit www.kingspointeresort.com for more information or call 712-213-4500.

28) Why are the competition lanes 25 yards rather than 25 meters?

This decision goes back several years to when the City first began to consider building a new pool. At that time it was thought best to remain at 25 yards to be consistent with other area pools. Since that time other new pools have been built in the area that are 25 meters. In hindsight, the decision probably should have been to build it to 25 meters. That being said, we don’t fell that creates a major problem: the swim team can still hold practices and meets in the new pool just as they always have; the high school swim team will not be using the outdoor pool for meets or practice—they will continue to use the University facilities; most parents involved with the swim team that we have spoken to consider it a ‘non-issue’; being 25 yards will probably not reduce the amount of fun kids will have in this great new facility. There simply is nothing like anywhere nearby.

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1) How do I benefit from Project AWAYSIS? The most important thing to remember is that if the city doesn’t grow and prosper, every business and institution within the community will struggle to meet its financial goals and dreams. Every community needs to find ways to grow, create new jobs, enhance economic activity, attract new people and businesses and create a positive business environment. Project AWAYSIS can do all of that for Storm Lake and Buena Vista County. Business owners will be able to create more sales opportunities, have the potential to expand their business and boost their bottom line and better enable themselves to attract quality employees with the increased traffic from the lake visitors, vacationers and conference goers. The retired person can offer a great place for their children and grandchildren to stay and play on when visiting home, as well as the opportunity to recreate the image of Storm Lake as a wonderful place to have fun. Entrepreneurs will have a great place to start their new business. Families will be able to enjoy a new beach, the Great Lawn for fun, the family playground, the observation deck in the lighthouse and a unique indoor/outdoor waterpark. Many features will be available free of charge. Campers will be able to use enlarged and modernized camper spaces; an enlarged campground; rustic cabins. Younger people can enjoy the beach, the Great Lawn, the waterpark, the renovated golf course and hopefully the skate park. The Governor, the Vision Iowa Board, the County Board of Supervisors, and the Federal Government have all said they believe in the promise of Project AWAYSIS for the future of Storm Lake and Buena Vista County. 2) What is the timeline for this project? Click here for a complete timeline of Project AWAYSIS. Site preparation work began about October 1, 2005. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2005 are the removal of Sunrise Road, moving the golf cart storage buildings, moving the Historical Society buildings, placement and grading of about 83,000 cubic yards of fill in the Lodge and water park areas and grading of the new Sunrise Road and new golf course parking. The paving of Sunrise Road and the golf course parking was completed in July 2006. In the spring of 2006, construction of the Lodge and waterparks began. June 2007 is the expected opening date for the Lodge and waterparks. We hope to have the beach, playground and Great Lawn completed by opening date. The golf course renovation project will be complete in the fall of 2006; the campground renovation will likely be in the fall of 2007. 3) Who designed the Lodge? The City has contracted with Beringer, Ciaccio, Dennell and Mabry (www.bcdm.net) to provide design services for the Lodge and most of the other major components of the Project. (bcdm is the same firm that prepared the conceptual design). BCDM will collaborate with Dana, Larson and Roubal (www.dlrgroup.com) which has extensive experience in designing hospitality facilities. 4) Will the lodge run the other hotels out of business? We anticipate just the opposite to happen. The expected overflow from the Lodge will be able to use existing motels; also many visitors may desire more economical accommodations that can be provided by the existing hotels. According to the feasibility study, Project AWAYSIS will attract more visitors to town, therefore creating a need for additional hotel space. The Economic Impact Report projects an increase of $3.5 million in lodging expense spent by the increased flow of visitors to the area. The lodge will generate about one half of that amount; the balance would go to existing facilities. 5) Why does the City have to own the lodge? The Project planners believe that in order to establish Storm Lake as a destination for visitors, travelers and conferences, all the amenities, including the lodge and waterpark need to be unique and first class. In addition, Vision Iowa requires that all grant funds be invested in publicly owned developments, which precludes using grant funds to partially fund a privately owned lodge. Essentially, the requirements of the Vision Iowa funding require the City to own the lodge. By using the Vision Iowa grant funds to ‘buy down’ the City’s investment in the lodge and waterpark, a truly unique lodge and waterpark can be built that will be cost effective and profitable for the City and create the drawing power necessary to make the Project AWAYSIS successful. 6) Who will manage the Lodge and water parks? The City has hired Leisure Hotels, LLC (www.leisurehotel.com) to manage the Lodge and water parks. Leisure will be paid a base fee and an incentive fee based upon the financial performance of the Lodge and Indoor water park. Leisure will also manage the outdoor water park and beach concession stand under a separate contract with the City. Leisure intends to have the indoor facility open to the public during all normal operating hours when it is not fully occupied by lodge guests. The City will set the hours of operation and the usage fees for the outdoor facility. Lodge guests will have use of the indoor water park, included in the cost of the room, but will have to pay a fee to use the outdoor water park; the public will pay a usage fee to use the indoor water park. 7) The pool sounds great; do you think it will bring families to Storm Lake? Will all our citizens be able to afford to use the pool and the water park? When do you think that will be finished? Many people currently travel out of town for this type of activity. We hope that this facility will encourage those people to stay here as well as attract families from all over the region. We expect related economic benefits from those visitors. The cost to use the outdoor water park will be set by the City and will likely be slightly higher than the cost to use the previous pool. However, the intent of the City is to ensure that the Outdoor Waterpark Facility is accessible to all Storm Lake residents. Leisure Hotels will set the fees to use the indoor water park, with input from the City. They intend to price this competitively with other similar facilities. For the waterpark we are targeting June 2007 as the completion date. 8) Is the DNR supportive of the plan? Yes, very much so. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has committed to upgrade Casino Beach Marina; as a first step in that project the City managed the island removal project under a 28E Agreement with the IDNR, in the fall of 2005. The IDNR financed that project. In addition, the IDNR commissioned a survey of lake visitors in 2002-2003 to provide baseline information used in the Economic Impact Study. 9) Will trees planted along the Hwy 7 entrance to the city block the view? Hopefully not; it is our wish that the trees will add beauty to the area without blocking the view. The landscaping committee is sensitive to this issue and plans to use the type of tree, that when properly spaced, will not block the view of the lake. 10) I live in Albert City – why should I support this plan? I’ve heard about the driving trail – what exactly is it? The development will spur more retail and commercial development in Storm Lake, which will increase the sales tax revenues for all cities in the county as well as the county. New commercial development will increase Storm Lake’s tax base, thereby increasing County property tax revenue. As a result, all communities and rural residents will benefit from the Project’s success. Local Option Sales taxes are projected to increase by $144,000, 43% of which goes to Storm Lake, 57% of which goes to other communities in the County. In addition, SILO taxes for the school districts is projected to increase by $144,000, half of which goes to Storm Lake and half of which goes to other districts in the County. See the Economic Impact Study page for more details. Another benefit to citizens of the surrounding communities is the first class facilities that are within easy access for their family outings. 11) What is an ‘interpretive center’? What is its purpose? Who will own it? Will it be open year round? Will it ruin little Storm Lake? The Environmental Interpretive Center is a hands-on interactive learning experience for all ages. It will focus on environmental stewardship through interactive exhibits on wind power, the habitats of animals native to the region, water quality and other environmental or historical themes. Open all year long, the center’s observation areas, built to blend into the environment while allowing visitors to experience a unique ecosystem first hand, will enable visitors to experience all four seasons of nature. The center will also provide classes in an environment for school-aged children and adults on environmental topics. The center will be owned by the City of Storm Lake and operated as an enterprise (meaning no tax dollars will fund the operation or construction of the facility), which will be overseen by a board. The planning committee’s number one goal is to preserve, maintain and enhance the habitat of Little Storm Lake for future generations. 12) Will I still be able to hunt in the Little Storm Lake area if they build the Interpretive Center? The DNR will decide if people will still be able to hunt in Little Storm Lake. As of right now the City is not aware of any plans to change the hunting rules at Little Storm Lake. 13) Will this Project increase the traffic on the lake to the point of it becoming a problem? Most often, there are not many boats on the lake. While there will likely be increased lake traffic, we would not envision problematic consequences. The additional amenities created as part of this Project will benefit all boaters. The upgrade of Casino Beach Marina will provide much improved facilities for accessing the lake. 14) How will the marina be able to handle the increased number of boats? Will the City be buying the Marina? The Marina property is owned by the State of Iowa and is leased to a private operator. The Marina upgrade plan includes increasing the size of the boat ramp, adding more boat slips and additional parking. The City has managed the project removal of the island in the fall of 2005, under reimbursement from the IDNR. The marina harbor was dredged in the spring of 2006. Additionally, the IDNR has unveiled the plans for the renovation of the marina. 15) Will the fishing be ruined by all the traffic on the lake? We don’t anticipate excessive boat traffic. We are working to improve the fishing on the lake through the dredging and watershed work. We work closely with DNR fisheries personnel to be sure to not damage important walleye spawning grounds. 16) Why are we thinking of putting the beach so close to where the storm sewers from manufacturing runs into the lake? This site was chosen for several reasons. The area is adjacent to the great lawn, playground, and pool, which provides for shared parking. This area is protected from wind and waves, which helps to maintain the sandy beach bottom and the area has a natural slope. Filtering the effluent from the storm sewers (whether the beach is there or not) is being addressed. Engineers are designing a system to filter debris from the water before it gets to the lake. Three of the outlets will be combined into one and the other outlet will be rerouted to another location. The one remaining outlet will not dump directly in the beach area. 17) Will the ecosystem be harmed by changing the shoreline along the north side? No, because the shoreline is only being changed in the respect of removing the old concrete riprap and replacing it with natural boulders. Clearing the scrub/underbrush and planting native plants to open the view should have no effect on the ecosystem. The IDNR is fully aware of and supportive of all the plans related to the lakeshore. With all the time, effort and money that has been expended over the past several years to improve lake water quality you can be assured that we will be very conscious of any potential adverse effects from the Project. In conjunction with Project AWAYSIS, the City is working on plans for four different Storm Water Facility Plan to address run off from the Flindt Drive watershed, East Lakeshore Drive, the Project roofs and parking, and the relocated Sunrise Road to improve the quality of storm water run off before it gets to the lake. 18) Will the Municipal golf course be closed down during construction of golf course improvements? The golf course will be closed July 16, 2006. Closing the course is necessary for construction to be completed and it needs to be done at this time in order for seeding and growing to finish this year so the course can be ready as soon as possible next year. 19) How will building condos along the side of the golf course be a benefit? How many are you planning to build? Will they block the view? The sale of the land will provide funding for Project AWAYSIS. They also provide additional housing and tax base for Storm Lake. The current developer has plans which include three buildings and as many as 100 units. Final development will of course depend on what the buyers want and how many of the condos can be sold. A unique feature of these condos will be the spectacular views of both the lake and the golf course. 20) Will the retail and food businesses benefit from this Project? How are they involved with this effort? We would expect all retail businesses to benefit from the increased traffic. A committee, made up of business owners, managers and community members has stated it is their opinion that Project AWAYSIS, along with a strong connection to the Business District, will benefit all retail and food businesses in the area. Increasing numbers of visitors coming into our area also brings increased local spending and sales tax revenue. Over time, this increase in business will create additional employment opportunities, attract new businesses to town, and possibly bring wage increases due to the increase in demand for workers. The Economic Impact Study projects a total increase in spending as a result of building AWAYSIS to be $28.4 million, 27 new businesses and 490 new full time equivalent jobs. It is clear that this Project will have a dramatic and lasting effect on economic activity in Storm Lake and Buena Vista County. 21) How many people do we think will come to Storm Lake as a result of this Project? The initial feasibility studies strongly support the economic viability of the lodge. The Economic Impact Study projects a 55% increase in summer visitation rates and a 27.5% increase in winter visitation rates. See the Economic Impact Study page for more details. 22) Will the cabins be part of the lodge or will they be owned by the City of Storm Lake? Will they be year round cabins? How many will there be? The City will own the cabins. Yes, some will be available for use all year. The plans are to have 8 cabins: 4 primitive, 2 moderate and 2 with additional conveniences. These cabins will be part of the campground complex, not a part of the lodge. 23) What does Buena Vista University think about having conference facilities in the lodge? Isn’t that direct competition with them? The leadership of BVU is very supportive of the entire plan since they recognize that the fortunes and futures of Storm Lake and BVU are intertwined. While new conference facilities may provide some competition for conferencing, BVU understands that the long-range benefits of the Project far outweigh any potential negatives. 24) Must the City sell or lease public land and do the citizens get to vote on that issue? The City Council is always reluctant to sell public property, but the Council felt that selling the land for the condos to provide funds for the renovation of the golf course was a reasonable trade-off. In fact, doing so creates a win-win situation: the golf course gets a much needed refurbishing, new attractive housing options are developed and additional property tax revenue will be generated. While the Council has the authority to take this action without a public vote, it has absolutely no intention of selling any other public land, including all existing park space. 25) How will the school system benefit from the project? We expect the school systems of Buena Vista County to enjoy several direct and indirect benefits from Project AWAYSIS. As retail sales increase, so will the revenue from the School Infrastructure Local Option tax. The Economic impact study estimates an increase of $14 million in taxable retail sales; if this occurs, an additional $140,000 in SILO tax will be generated. Roughly half of this goes to the Storm Lake District with the other half being shared by the other Districts in the County. Enhancing the quality of life in Storm Lake by creating these amenities will be a recruiting benefit when attracting new teachers and administrators. Anything that can be done to stabilize or grow enrollment is a benefit to the Districts. With funding for schools primarily based on enrollment numbers, the ability of the District to fulfill its mission is directly tied to enrollment. 26) How do I get more information about booking a wedding or conference at the Lodge? Please contact Stacey Eddie, Director of Sales for King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort. Special event and group bookings are now available. Individual guest room reservations begin January 2007. Contact Stacey by calling (712) 213-4500 or e-mailing her at seddie@kingspointeresort.com. Additional information is available at www.kingspointeresort.com. 27) Can I reserve a room at the Lodge? Currently rooms can be reserved by groups in blocks of ten or more. Individual reservations will begin January 2007. Please visit www.kingspointeresort.com for more information or call 712-213-4500. 28) Why are the competition lanes 25 yards rather than 25 meters? This decision goes back several years to when the City first began to consider building a new pool. At that time it was thought best to remain at 25 yards to be consistent with other area pools. Since that time other new pools have been built in the area that are 25 meters. In hindsight, the decision probably should have been to build it to 25 meters. That being said, we don’t fell that creates a major problem: the swim team can still hold practices and meets in the new pool just as they always have; the high school swim team will not be using the outdoor pool for meets or practice—they will continue to use the University facilities; most parents involved with the swim team that we have spoken to consider it a ‘non-issue’; being 25 yards will probably not reduce the amount of fun kids will have in this great new facility. There simply is nothing like anywhere nearby.
The Project \| Project Journal \| Photos \| News \| FAQ \| Donations \| History \| Links \| Contact \| Home