Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
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Martinsville, Virginia 24115
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering options for a proposed marina on Philpott Lake, including the possibility of a lease agreement with the Friends of Philpott, which would raise funds to build and help oversee operations.
Craig “Rocky” Rockwell, operations manager at Philpott, said the marina project remains in a “research mode.”
However, “I’m not seeing any downside” to what he called a cooperative lease agreement that would allow the corps to enter into a pact with the Friends of Philpott, a nonprofit organization that already partners with the corps to expand recreational opportunities while maintaining the pristine area.
If the agreement becomes a reality, Friends of Philpott could seek grant funds and hold fundraising activities, with the proceeds used to build a marina, Rockwell said.
The organization would hire a professional manager to operate the marina, he said.
The corps, which owns the lake, and the Friends of Philpott would jointly oversee the marina, Rockwell said, and profits would be reinvested at Philpott.
The agreement “would allow us to keep control of how it operates within the hands of the people who answer to the public” and also will afford more safeguards against overdevelopment of the lake area, Rockwell said. “It would keep us in the driver’s seat.”
Linda Drage, president of the nonprofit group, said a marina is needed, “but not a huge marina.”
Her vision of the project includes “a small building and a front porch with rocking chairs” to house a restaurant and sell prepared food as well as fuel, bait and other supplies, she said.
The organization plans to make no profit on fuel sales. “We don’t want a rich man’s club,” she said.
The 97-member organization would have to vote before undertaking the venture, she added.
Any profits generated by the marina would be reinvested into projects at the park that will benefit the public, according to Rockwell and Drage.
The corps has had success with cooperative lease projects in other areas, including W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, also in the Wilmington District, and a facility in the Ft. Worth District in Texas, he said.
In both cases, the cooperative partnership was used for parks that already were established, Rockwell said, adding that the Philpott project is bigger because it requires new facilities to be constructed.
While he has seen none, Rockwell said the cooperative concept “has good and bad aspects.” Both the corps and Friends of Philpott want to identify those aspects before moving forward.
As a result, Rockwell and Drage, along with several others, plan to visit the Scott facility and talk to staff at both locations as soon as possible to gain insight and “make sure we’re not stepping off a cliff,” Rockwell said.
“There may be no stumbling blocks, but we need to look into it and make sure it’s a fit for” the nonprofit agency, Drage said.
Two other funding options also remain on the table: working with a public or a private entity to build and manage a marina, Rockwell said.
“We haven’t ruled out anything yet,” he said, and officials are continuing to examine all options.
Rockwell said a timeline for advancing the marina has not been developed. Although much effort has been expended to move “to the next step, we want to be certain it is the right step,” he said.
Discussions about building a marina have been ongoing for years. Proponents say it will lure tourists and provide necessary amenities, while opponents argue it may spoil the pristine nature of the lake.
Funding sources and whether a public or private entity would be best suited to build and manage a marina also have been debated.
Also, certain infrastructure, mainly sewer, was not in place to support a marina.
In March 2005, the project seemed to be stalled for good when Henry County voted to suspend further discussion.
But that changed in April when county officials approved a letter of intent with the corps in which the county agreed to pay $500,000 to build a sewer line along Virginia 57 to Philpott property to allow the park access to public sewer.
The corps will pay to build lines from its property to hook up to the PSA lines.
Federal stimulus funds were tapped for the corps’ $1.2 million share of the sewer project, Rockwell said. He expects construction may begin sometime after Labor Day. |
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