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YMCA giveaway threatens
athletic clubs
Former co-owner of FAC says YMCAs often force private clubs to close
By Susan Garretson
Flagstaff Resident
Many
are excited about the possibility of a YMCA coming to Flagstaff. But
at the risk of being labeled as opposed to providing health and
fitness opportunities to our low-income population, I would like to
point out a few things.
Old-fashioned
YMCAs are what most of us are familiar with. The mission is
admirable — providing fitness, sports and social opportunities for
low-income individuals. However, in the last 10-15 years, YMCA has
been straying from its mission. They have been building high-end,
state-of-the-art athletic facilities in affluent and middle income
neighborhoods, directly competing for the clients of privately owned
athletic clubs. YMCAs have driven many privately owned clubs out of
business.
As the former co-owner of
Flagstaff Athletic Club (from 1978-2001) the proposed YMCA is of
great concern to me. During the last 20 years,
probably the biggest problem the fitness industry has faced
is the competition of YMCAs. Ys have the advantage of not paying the
same taxes private businesses pay. Normally, a private club would
have no problem with that, assuming the YMCA is specifically
marketing to the low-income population that normally could not
afford a private club. However, that is not the case with the
Flagstaff’s proposed YMCA.
Flagstaff Athletic Club pays an
average of about $300,000 — $400,000 a year in federal, state,
county, school and city taxes. The YMCA will pay none of these
taxes. Yet, their membership rates are very close to FAC’s rates.
Where will that extra money go? I hear that the extra money will
enable the YMCA to provide the free services they will provide to
the City.
Well, guess what? FAC already
provides some of these same services for many entities around
Flagstaff. You just do not hear a lot about it. FAC provides these
services without showing it as a deduction.
The total net worth of FAC’s two
buildings, 8 ½ acres, and equipment is approximately $6 million. I
understand YMCA is planning on one building valued at between $4
million and $6 million (no cost for land). This is a high-end
state-of-the-art athletic club being planned here, not just a simple
facility for those who can’t afford a private club. It’s not
just the low-income people who will want to join the YMCA. The YMCA
will be directly competing for FAC members.
What about the implications if
YMCA competes for FAC members? Will FAC go out of business? Will
Flagstaff, Coconino County and Arizona lose that tax revenue?
The Flagstaff Athletic Club paid
market price for all of its building and lands. The YMCA is asking
the City to give them land. Do the other nonprofits in Flagstaff ask
for free land from the city? No. They realize that while Flagstaff
values all of its nonprofits, we simply can’t give land to every
nonprofit. I am afraid that if the City gives away that land, it
will set a precedent for giving away land to other nonprofits. I
know the argument that the Y will provide services to the City.
Don’t most local nonprofits provide services to residents?
The trend in education and other
family services is toward smaller facilities in neighborhoods, so
families can access them easily. At the 1998 Arizona Town Hall I
attended, one of the main outcomes was the need for services to be
located near low-income families, not across town.
What YMCA has been doing in
Flagstaff so far is wonderful. They have provided activities at
various schools and locations already in existence. My point here is
that in order to truly serve low-income families, the YMCA should
continue running programs at existing public buildings during the
many hours when those buildings would normally be closed or build
smaller, less elaborate buildings right in the low-income
neighborhoods scattered around Flagstaff. Flagstaff has several
low-income neighborhoods; the corner of Turquoise and Forest is not
one of them.
If the only choice is to build one
building, I suggest something on Fourth Street, such as the old Flag
East Theatre, the old McMahons Furniture store or vacant land north
of the Community College. Better yet, take the current Boy’s and
Girl’s Club on Izabel Street and improve it. The Boy’s and
Girl’s Club is close to one of Flagstaff’s largest low-income
neighborhoods — a neighborhood that has been struggling to
revitalize itself. The Club has already been developed and has the
infrastructure to support a new building and lots of usage.
Turquoise is an inappropriate
location for several reasons. One is that it is raw land. Once
it’s developed, it’s gone forever. We need to make thoughtful
land-use decisions regarding our very scarce remaining resources.
Piecemeal planning leads to a city devoid of character, such as
Phoenix.
Also, getting to the Turquoise
location requires transportation for most low-income people of
Flagstaff, promoting more traffic and more difficulty for people who
can’t afford cars.
Of course, the Turquoise location
is conveniently located near our growing medical complex. Are the
people who work at the medical complex low-income people?
I have noticed a few of
Flagstaff’s leading citizens, whom I admire and respect, getting
on the Y bandwagon. Probably they are only remembering those good,
old-fashioned Ys. I am hoping it is not too late for them to jump
off that bandwagon when they realize the implications. I wonder how
the mayoral candidates who have gone on record as supporting the
proposed Y will react, when that beautiful piece of property on
Turquoise is gone and FAC has gone the way of McGaugh’s Newsstand?
I understand the
weight equipment the Y usually purchases is by Bodymaster. This is
the very same expensive, state-of-the-art weight system that FAC
owns. Should taxpayers be supporting this? At least one proponent
I’ve talked to says yes. He feels low-income people deserve to use
the same equipment private club members can afford. Would he then
agree that the taxpayers should be subsidizing the same level of
housing and transportation? In that case, the City could start
buying up available Fairfield, University Heights, Forest Highlands,
and Cheshire properties to give to low-income families.
I hope other business owners will
try to imagine what they would do if a nonprofit in their field were
to come to town asking for free land from the City at a prime
location.
Am I opposed to a Y? No. I
completely support the YMCA mission and feel Flagstaff needs
something like a Y.
Am I afraid of competition for FAC?
No, not if the competition is playing on the same ball field. The Y
is not.
I
do not own FAC anymore, but I believe Flagstaff Athletic Club has
helped to make Flagstaff a special place. Am I concerned that the
proposed YMCA at Turquoise and Forest will have a negative effect on
FAC and Flagstaff? Yes. I am extremely concerned.
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