BRISTOL, Va. — Many residents voiced opposition Tuesday to a proposed RV park development, prompting the Bristol Virginia City Council to delay action until they could gather additional information.
Property owners Paul and Lisa Moss are seeking to rezone about five acres off Stagecoach Road from R-1 residential to B-3 general business. That parcel would then be combined with five acres already zoned B-3 to create a 10-acre park, with spaces for about 20 large recreational vehicles and 10 small cabins for overnight stays.
The site overlooks Interstate 81 and is adjacent to Exit 7, near the Ernie Sullins Clothing store.
However, everyone who spoke during Tuesday’s nearly hour-long public hearing, except the parcel owners, expressed concern about the potential impacts the proposed park could have on their neighborhood and well-being.
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Ultimately the council voted unanimously to table any action at the present time.
“A lot of citizens came to express their genuine concerns and had valid questions about what kind of effect this development would have on their properties and property values,” Councilman Neal Osborne said after the meeting.
It was Osborne who made the motion to table action on the matter until the council’s Aug. 12 meeting.
“I think it’s important for us to have all the information we can possibly get before we make a decision like this,” Osborne said. “We were very careful in our decision-making against an RV park a few years ago. We should be just as deliberate with this one.”
Vice Mayor Jake Holmes said he has unanswered questions.
“We definitely wanted to make sure we had all the facts. We wanted to make sure we had more information than we had tonight – traffic, the flow of things, larger vehicles on a smaller road. We want to really vet that,” Holmes said.
“I came tonight supportive of the project. I’m still supportive of the idea; I just want to see what it translates to,” Holmes said. “I’m definitely wary of the concerns that were brought up. I want to make sure we take that into account, if we can.”
A parade of residents expressed concerns about the roadway in front of the proposed entrance, what would happen if an RV driver missed the entrance and had to turn around on the steep, narrow road, plus safety concerns about stacking multiple RV’s in the turn lane on a busy Old Airport Road to access Stagecoach Road.
Others worried about how the park would impact their property values, as many houses adjoin the property on two sides, primarily including the Hassan Heights subdivision.
Some residents also expressed concerns about personal safety because the business would cater to out-of-town visitors. They also talked about excessive light and noise pollution, campfires and whether or not the development might attract the homeless.
Multiple residents challenged the council that they wouldn’t want such a development in their backyards.
The city planning department report, which recommends approving the rezoning, notes that Stagecoach Road should be widened by two feet or modified to better accommodate the large vehicles.
Resident Ronald Cameron was among those who suggested the park could negatively impact Sugar Hollow Park.
“We’re going to have to spend some money to get this road [Stagecoach] where we need it,” Cameron said. “I know the city doesn’t have a lot of money. It makes more sense to take that money for roads, infrastructure, recreation, trails — everything going on at Sugar Hollow [Park]. It’s right there. The city owns it. It just makes more sense to put our resources in what we own.”
City Manager Randy Eads estimated it might cost $750,000 to widen Stagecoach Road to better accommodate large RVs, in response to a council question.
The property owners said they plan to cater to owners of larger RVs traveling on I-81, many that cannot access Sugar Hollow’s hilly campground. Most, Moss said, would likely just stay one night and then be on their way.