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Officials: Marina possible by spring
Friday, July 6, 2012
By DEBBIE HALL - Bulletin Staff Writer
Philpott Lake visitors may not have to wait much longer for a marina and other amenities.
A marina to be built at the lake could open as early as next spring, according to Tim Pace, the county’s engineer; Roger Adams, director of the Parks and Recreation department; and Craig “Rocky” Rockwell, operations manager at the lake that is overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The three presented a recent update on the project to the Henry County Board of Supervisors. Last week, that board approved $768,000 from various funding sources to help further the project that Pace said will include two main components, or phases.
The marina itself is included in the first component, Pace said. The floating marina will be built at the existing Boat Ramp 1.
Another site originally was selected for the project, but the access road needed for that site “would have blown the budget before we ever got started on the marina,” Pace said.
The marina will provide general boat docking, a floating general store, a multi-use area with picnic tables, fueling station, inland rest room facilities and 40 rental boat slips along the shoreline, Pace said.
Adams, who will oversee management and maintenance of the facility, said 38 people have asked to have their names included on a reservation list for the boat slips.
“I have personally talked to all of them, and each (person) has a strong desire to have a slip,” Adams said. He added annual rental will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,200 each.
When the slips are ready to be occupied, he will mail application packages to the first 40 names on the reservation list. Those people then will have a certain amount of time to respond, Adams said.
If they do not, he will move to other names on the list until all of the slips are rented.
“I will continue to maintain a waiting list” even after the slips are full, with the names used as needed when slips become vacant, Adams said.
The second component of the marina project will include improving existing campsites in a group campground, Pace said.
That campground only allows for tent camping, and it serves groups such as Scout troops or church groups. It will be upgraded to supply water, electricity and sewer to each campsite, Pace said.
“This will be the only campground at Philpott Lake to have all three utilities” available at each site, Pace said.
Rockwell said the facility will remain a group campground even after the upgrades.
There also is a potential to add boat equipment/storage, possibly expand the campground and potentially add more boat slips as needed, Pace said.
Some of the marina and its facilities will be open year-round, with hours adjusted as needed, Adams said.
Permanent and part-time employees will manage the day-to-day operations, Adams said, and staff from his department will maintain the facilities.
Documents for the county to lease the property have been prepared and submitted to the corps, Pace said.
“We expect to have” them completed and returned by Dec. 1, and “hopefully we also will have the design completed for both components” in the same time frame, Pace said.
“The projected opening date, if the lease is signed on time and construction begins on time,” is the spring of 2013, Adams said.
