Leaders decide fate of beloved parks, airport after tense debate in MS Coast city

A community center, airport and several parks that have long belonged to the Diamondhead Property Owners Association will soon become the city’s responsibility after POA leaders voted to donate them amid financial challenges.

The decision on Monday ended a tense debate between some POA leaders and residents about the future of the community amenities. Diamondhead City Manager Jon McCraw said he expects the transfer will become official in early November.

“We’ll do everything we can as a city to maintain these amenities for the residents,” he said.

The POA’s choice to give away several properties comes as Diamondhead confronts a dilemma.

For five decades, the Diamondhead POA was so influential that nearly everyone in the city was a member who paid dues to support the organization’s fairways, country club and other local landmarks. But many of the covenants that required members to pay began expiring in 2020.

POA General Manager Rick Goldstein said last week that about 4,700 covenants have expired in the last five years, which has dropped POA revenues by roughly $1.5 million. Now, the POA is facing new questions about its future.

POA leaders had debated for weeks whether to sell or donate several properties they could no longer afford, including athletic fields, playgrounds, the community center, a small airport and the Twin Lakes recreation area.

The discussion grew contentious at the POA Board meeting Monday night. Some leaders argued the POA could not afford to give amenities away for free. Others said transferring the properties to the city was the best solution to absolve the POA from costly maintenance.

City leaders said in recent weeks that they were willing to accept the properties but would not buy them because they argued residents’ dues have already funded them. McCraw also said the city would accept the amenities without raising taxes.

The future of the POA and its remaining amenities is still uncertain.

About 1,200 properties in Diamondhead are still bound by permanent covenants, which means owners must keep paying dues. But revenue from those members is not enough to sustain the POA’s future.

POA Board President Nancy Sislow said Tuesday that the organization’s leaders will next focus on devising a business plan to make the pools, golf courses and country club facilities successful.

“The bottom line is that there can no longer be an organization whose income is based on property ownership in Diamondhead,” she said.