Chincoteague water park proposed, then withdrawn
The company that purchased Maddox Family Campground on Chincoteague earlier this year had proposed to build a water park on part of the property, but withdrew an application for it hours after a town official discussed it at a town council meeting.
Oceanside Resort LLC of Berlin, Maryland, submitted the conditional use permit application to the town on May 24 — the application said the owners wanted the water park to be open to the public as well as to campers.
The use is permitted by right in the zoning district, but opening the park to the public triggers the requirement to obtain a conditional use permit, according to a letter from attorney John P. Custis to Chincoteague Building and Zoning Administrator Kenny Lewis.
Custis in a letter dated June 6 and received by the town Tuesday morning said his client wished to withdraw the application "effective immediately." He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
"No indication as to the future of the property or the possibility of re-submittal has been given to the town at this time," Chincoteague Planning Director Ron Marney said in an email Tuesday.
The proposed water park would have included a lazy river, an interactive play structure, a "thrill slide with whizzard, drop slide and flume," a teen activity pool with a swim-up bar, a waterfall feature and other amenities, according to a site plan submitted with the now-withdrawn application.
"The owner intends to continue the tradition of operating a first-class campground at this location, just as the Maddox family has accomplished for decades," the application stated.
Water parks are a typical amenity at many Virginia campgrounds according to the application, which mentions as examples of campgrounds with water parks Bethpage Camp-Resort in Urbanna and Lake Ridge RV Resort in Hillsville.
"As the industry grows, individual campgrounds are required to meet the changing demands of their customers. More and more amenities are required to keep visitors coming back," the application stated.
The owners anticipated the water park could create up to 50 additional seasonal jobs, with planned operating hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seasonally.
The application also noted the water park would increase the real estate value of the property, thereby increasing tax revenue to the town.
BACKGROUND: Learn more about the new owners of the Maddox Family Campground
Additionally, the owners said they were committed to partnering with local nonprofit organizations to hold fundraising events at the water park.
The park was situated so as not to impact wetlands, and wastewater and stormwater plans had been developed to mitigate any impact, according to the document.
The owner also intended to add an additional entrance lane to accommodate water park traffic.
"Overall, the positive impact of the amenity to the Maddox Family Campground will assist in maintaining a healthy occupancy rate at the campground, and opening the amenity to the public will do nothing but help the local economy directly through an increased tax base and increased economic activity and indirectly through supporting the local community," the application said.
Chincoteague Planning Director Ron Marney in his report to the Chincoteague Town Council Monday said the application had been submitted, but said additional information has been requested of the owners.
"We have requested significantly more detail than what was provided," he said.
The water park application was to have been discussed at the July 12 Planning Commission meeting if the additional information requested had been submitted by then, Marney said.
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