Holiday Island getting to work on marketing

No one in Holiday Island likes to see their assessments increase, and a number of groups are forming a coalition to do something about it.

The Holiday Island Suburban Improvement District (HISID) called a meeting together Monday afternoon with community groups to discuss a marketing plan to get more people to buy property in Holiday Island and increase the assessment base.

Representatives of the Board of Commissioners, Holiday Island Chamber of Commerce, real estate agencies, the developer, builders, the Planning Commission, the Homeowners Association and the banks attended the meeting to bat around ideas.

Attendees established early in the meeting that none of their organizations has the kind of capital it will take to really advertise Holiday Island in the venues that will bring in likely buyers.

Developer Tom Dees recounted his advertising efforts over the last year.

"We're spending about $20,000 a month, running 100 TV spots a day in 100,000 homes," he said.

"Are you willing to work together to develop a plan?" asked District Manager Kevin Crosson. "Before I can ever get a Board commitment to spend $10,000, $20,000, or $50,000, we have to have a plan behind it."

The group acknowledged there is a contingency of property owners in Holiday Island who don't want it to grow. They like things the way they are.

"How you fix that is everyone here buy another lot, and you can keep it like it is," Dees said.

Later he added, "If you don't want this place to grow, then be willing to pay a $1,000 assessment to be left alone. If you want to keep your assessment around $385, you have to get some more people in here."

Real estate agent Diane Paulsen noted she has been trying to get property owners to buy a second lot.

"But they don't want that second assessment," she said. She suggested the possibility of offering a reduced assessment on a second lot.

While keeping noncommittal on that issue, Crosson said the district is willing to look at incentives to increase sales. A handout in the meeting mentions the possibility of offering a free first-year activity card to purchasers of inventory lots.

Crosson acknowledged the day is coming - sooner than people think - when the developer will retire and the community will be responsible for advertising itself.

He said he expects the district will fund the lion's share of advertising.

"We can meet until dawn and kick around marketing ideas," said Crosson. "But we have to come up with a comprehensive, community-wide plan for the district to fund this."

He called for a committee to work on the plan and asked that each group appoint a representative to be on it. Several said they were willing to participate.

The group will meet again in the near future.

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Holiday Island getting to work on marketing

No one in Holiday Island likes to see their assessments increase, and a number of groups are forming a coalition to do something about it.