Sherman Soccer Complex fee proposal raises concern for youth sports families

GATEWAY, Fla. — A proposed fee increase at the Sherman Soccer Complex has youth sports leaders worried families could soon pay more to play, while district leaders say Gateway homeowners are already covering most of the cost to keep the facility running.

The Gateway Services Community Development District is considering raising field rental rates at the complex from $67 an hour to $134 an hour. The district has also approved a parking fee for non-Gateway residents, which would charge $2 an hour to park at the complex.

Gateway Flag Football Commissioner Timothy Miller said the increases would likely be passed on to families.

“That's gonna make most of our parents at a price point over $300 a season. My estimate is that we're gonna lose about 40% of the league, if that all goes through as advertised,” Miller said.

Miller said Gateway Flag Football has about 500 players this season and averages about 1,500 players a year across three seasons. He said other groups use the fields too, including Gateway Soccer, adult leagues and smaller soccer organizations.

Miller said he understands costs are rising, but said a 100% jump in field rental rates in one year is difficult for youth leagues to absorb.

“I would like to see a more measured increase, over time, and hopefully make it so that people aren't priced out in one season,” Miller said.

The district says the issue comes down to who pays for the complex.

Gateway is a special district, not Lee County or the city of Fort Myers. District leaders say about 10,000 Gateway property owners help pay for facilities and infrastructure through non-ad valorem assessments on their tax bills.

According to district numbers, the Sherman Soccer Complex will cost about $574,000 this year to operate, maintain and for capital expenses, while field rentals bring in about $167,000. That means leagues and users cover roughly a quarter of the cost, with Gateway homeowners covering much of the rest.

Flavia Walsh, chair of the Gateway Services CDD Board, said the board is trying to make that split more fair.

“Our goal is between 25 to 50% of those costs for parks and rights to be covered by the leagues,” Walsh said.

Walsh said the complex is used by families across East Lee County, not just Gateway residents.

“We're not here to say, ‘this is for gateway residents only’. We're welcoming to all the communities. However, we don't want to pick up the bill for everybody else using it and enjoying our facilities,” Walsh said.

The district says costs have gone up for lighting, electricity, water, irrigation, maintenance, bathrooms, parking, concessions and field improvements. The district has also pointed to future capital needs, including parking lot expansion, sod replacement, irrigation upgrades and upgraded field lighting.

Eddie Parisi, a flag football coach and parent, said the parking fee alone could become a burden for families who are at the complex multiple times a week.

“It’s absurd, it's ridiculous, you’re spending at least three, four hours here off the bat. Now, times that by five or six. That's where it gets crazy,” Parisi said.

The district says it is also looking at other ways to raise money, including sponsorships, naming rights and concession revenue. Walsh said the district has also asked Lee County about taking over or helping fund the complex, but said the county has not shown interest.

The field rental increase has not been finalized and is expected to continue being discussed through the district’s budget process. The parking fee for non-Gateway residents has already been approved.