NEWS: Silver Springs may ditch Palace Entertainment

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.ocala.com/article/20120612/ARTICLES/120619914

 

Palace Entertainment's days as operator of Silver Springs attraction may be numbered.

 

Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard said this week that the agency has been talking with Palace about a deal that could bring the renowned attraction into the state park system or even turn it over to another private operator. "We think their performance in operating the park can be improved," Vinyard said during a visit to the Star-Banner on Monday. "It's high on my radar screen."

 

Vinyard described the details about the negotiations as "sketchy," adding that he was not personally involved in them. But at this point, he said, "The end goal is have that area become part of the Silver River State Park. Clearly we can't keep doing what we've been doing." "I'm not interested in taking over an amusement park," added Vinyard, saying concerns about both the water quantity and quality at Silver Springs are driving the effort. "It's an important jewel in the state park system's crown. It's also a cultural resource of old Florida."

 

On Tuesday, both the DEP's top land manager and a lawyer representing Palace Entertainment confirmed that the state was attempting to broker a deal to allow the company out of its lease, which expires at the end of 2029. "We are working on an appropriate exit strategy that's fair to the state, the company and the community," said Al Dougherty, the DEP's deputy secretary for land and recreation, who is leading the talks on the state's behalf.

 

Dougherty, who joined the DEP on April 2, said he was still learning the background of the state's deal with Palace Entertainment — which began in 2002, when the California-based theme-park company became the last in a trio of private operators seeking to capitalize on the mammoth, state-owned spring, whose standing as a tourist destination dates back almost 140 years.

 

Cementing Silver Springs with the adjacent state park, however, is just one option under consideration, according to Dougherty. It's possible that state environmental regulators also may turn to another private company to manage the 270-acre facility, he said. "I'm trying to keep an open mind," Dougherty said.

 

"Palace and DEP are looking at all the options at what can be done to improve what is happening at Silver Springs," said Jake Varn, a lawyer in Tallahassee who represents the company. "To me, all the options are on the table and we're trying to figure out what's in the best interest of each party, and find something that works for everybody," said Varn, himself a former DEP secretary.

 

A plan to replace Palace Entertainment at the attraction was floated in January 2011, when then-County Commission Chairman Stan McClain announced a deal was in the works for the county to run the site. That plan fizzled for a lack of majority support on the board. Some commissioners balked at the cost — estimated at $6 million over three years — to fix up the park.

 

Commissioners Mike Amsden and Carl Zalak also argued that the DEP should manage it since it was a state-owned facility.

 

While Commissioner Charlie Stone has backed McClain, the deadlock remains because Commissioner Kathy Bryant has declared a conflict of interest.

 

Not since last July, when the board was discussing its legislative priorities in Tallahassee and Washington, has the issue been a significant topic of discussion for the County Commission.

 

Although DEP officials had said in the past that the state was not interested in running Silver Springs as a state park, Dougherty said that once he came aboard he recognized a course change was necessary. That led him a few weeks ago to kick-start the idea of changing management, he said.

 

But there are sticking points in trying to reach a final agreement. Vinyard, in his comments, alluded to the animals at Silver Springs and said one detail is assuring they are properly cared for, should Palace Entertainment agree to go. The animals also have created an environmental problem.

 

The DEP has ordered Palace Entertainment to clean up the discharge of wastewater from some exhibits on Ross Allen Island that stem from 2008. The company was supposed to eliminate the run-off or contain it in a tank on the island and then install a wastewater treatment system to treat the discharge from the collection tank. Palace Entertainment has fully complied with the directive and the system is expected to be completed as mandated by DEP on Dec. 31, officials said.

 

There also might be a question of compensation for work done on the property — and who would pay for work still to be done. Critics have maintained that Palace Entertainment has allowed the grounds to lapse into disrepair during its tenure. Palace Entertainment executives have countered that they have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on upkeep — part of which was mandated by their lease. The state, for example, has directed the company to renovate restrooms, re-roof several buildings, replace air conditioning units, fix the seawall along the glass-bottom boat dock, add new pumps to the sewer system and repave the parking lot.

Edited June 13, 2012 by jedimaster1227

[chadster]

Wow, Palace Entertainment failing at something? Shocking.