Chincoteague waterpark closer to becoming reality

In a close vote, Chincoteague’s planning commission recommended the town council approve plans to construct a waterpark on the island.

The park proposed by Berlin, Maryland-based, Blue Water Development Corporation has drawn heated debate in recent months as local politicians and residents weighed its pros and cons.

Even with some new stipulations, however, not all commissioners approved the vote favoring the waterpark that would occupy 2.5 acres within Maddox Family Campground.

“I have no doubt this waterpark would attract some tourism to our community, but I also think it could well cause us to lose some tourists who come here because this is not Ocean City, this is not Rehoboth,” Commissioner Ben Ellis said.

But, in a 3-2 vote late Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, the planning commission approved passing a recommendation to the town council that the park obtain a conditional use permit from the town.

“I’m in the amusement business and the biggest complaint I get on this island… is there’s not enough things for people to do around here, especially young kids,” Commissioner Steve Katsetos said. “This would give us something else to attract more people here.”

BACKGROUND: Chincoteague waterpark plan sparks public outcry

Blue Water Development Corporation purchased Maddox Family Campground early last year and came to Chincoteague with plans for a waterpark on the campground that summer.

The proposed project is within Chincoteague’s C-4 Resort Commercial zoning district, geared toward encouraging resort commercial uses, campground facilities and projects that would promote improvements to the local economy, according to the town’s zoning ordinance.

Opening the park to the public, however, requires developers to obtain a conditional use permit from the town, according to a letter from attorney John P. Custis to Chincoteague Building and Zoning Administrator Kenny Lewis.

Because of this conditional use permit, the waterpark has been under tough scrutiny, from the height of its waterslides to the permeability of its parking lots.

Todd Burbage, co-owner of Blue Water Development, said last year the company’s decision to build a waterpark follows suit with a nationwide trend in the campground industry.

The real estate company owns properties up and down the Delmarva Peninsula, including the Commander Hotel in Ocean City, Sunset Beach Resort in Cape Charles, Bethany Beach Ocean Suites in Bethany and recently acquired Pine Shores Golf Course on Route 611 in Berlin, which it intends to convert into a campground and waterpark, too.

RELATED: Proposed campsite on Route 611 faces pushback

The company also owns the Fairfield Inn and Suites and The Jackspot restaurant on Chincoteague.

If approved, the waterpark would occupy several acres near the entrance to the Maddox Family Campground, parallel to Maddox Boulevard.

During its workshop, the planning commission refined several points of the park’s proposed plan, including the scope of its three clusters of waterslides.

Though freestanding trees would help obscure outsiders’ view of the slides, commissioners voted to limit their height to 36 feet, which is congruent with the town’s zoning ordinance.

The slides’ color scheme also raised concern and commissioners decided that the waterpark’s developers and town council should reach an agreement on colors that resemble the island’s natural blues, greens and sandy hues before construction.

READ MORE: Chincoteague hears details of proposed waterpark

Finally, commissioners requested that developers build an additional 50 parking spaces on top of the proposed 156 at the waterpark.

Even with these stipulations, however, some did not feel a waterpark belongs on Chincoteague Island.

“I do not see how this park could be considered consistent with the quality and character that exists on Chincoteague,” Ellis said, citing the town’s comprehensive plan.

The plan calls for development that promotes “more year-round economic activity that takes advantage of the unique historic and cultural character of the town” while “providing protections from developments that may cause irreversible damage.”

Building a large waterpark “flies in the face of what’s in the comprehensive plan,” Ellis said.

READ MORE: Upscale resort takes shape near Bridge-Tunnel​

Chincoteague residents are also divided on the waterpark, with many speaking out both for and against the project during the planning commission’s regular meeting Jan. 10.

Despite no opportunity for public comment, nearly 30 attended the Jan. 17 workshop on the project.

Burbage said his company worked to minimize the impact on the surrounding area when designing the waterpark, leaving wetlands undisturbed and only planning to fell 12 trees during construction.

“I’m happy to go through this process and do whatever it takes,” he said during a meeting last year. “The town of Chincoteague is very important to me. We can go somewhere else and invest our money, but we like Chincoteague."

Learn more about Blue Water Development Corporation and its projects at www.bluewaterdevelopmentcorp.com.