The lease for Eco Discovery Park near Jamestown Settlement will expire at the end of the year, creating a situation where the park will likely close unless the nonprofit is able to purchase the land from James City County.
The park’s president, Steve Rose, said the nonprofit needs to acquire the land in order to apply for grant funding and establish partnerships with other companies — something he cannot do with a short-term lease.
That means he needs the county to sell him the land or else he will have to pull the plug on his vision for a place where the public can go to learn about the environment and how to preserve it.
“That’s not a threat; it’s just a reality statement,” Rose said.
The park is located at the Jamestown Yacht Basin, a parcel of land along the Back River. It is across the street from the Jamestown Settlement and faces the Colonial Parkway. At present, it consists of a marina and a building where the public can rent bicycles and kayaks. There are also boat and kayak tours available through other companies operating out of the park.
James City County earlier this year sought proposals from people or groups interested in purchasing the property where the park is situated. A $250,000 proposal from Rose represented the only proposal the county received; however, that amount is a far cry from the $3,540,400 the land is said to be worth by county assessors.
Assistant County Administrator Adam Kinsman said the county did not accept Rose’s proposal due to the discrepancy between the offer and the assessed value. In July, when the county announced the request for proposals from potential buyers, acting County Administrator Doug Powell said the county could end up keeping the marina.
The park opened a few months after Rose started a lease on the former Jamestown Yacht Basin in 2012, about six years after the county purchased it and the nearby Jamestown Beach Campground. Along with docking services at the marina, the park currently offers bike and kayak rentals for visitors to explore the numerous attractions in the area.
But Rose wants to do more with the park. He envisions a trail system that winds through a nearby wooded area, where hikers would find 10 to 12 exhibits detailing recycling, sustainable living, composting and issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
“I’ve had a plan for a lot of years to create something that educates people not just about the environment but about the outdoors and nature,” he said. “To get kids outside and stop sitting in front of computer screens and playing on their phones. Most of the activities are very simple, but a lot of them have been lost in this technical world we live in.”
To make that happen, he needs funding from outside sources. For the recycling exhibit, for example, he could try to partner with a recycling company as a sponsor. He could also apply for grant funding from nonprofits and governmental agencies.
“We basically need to own the property so we can get grant money and corporate sponsorships,” he said.
Rose said the community and tourists have helped make the park a success thus far. He said about 1,600 people rented bikes or kayaks from the park in 2013, while the Jamestown Chowder Fest attracted 600 people and the James RiverFest brought in 250.
“That’s with very little advertising,” Rose said of the visitation numbers. “It’s very much been word-of-mouth because we don’t have much budget.”
The county purchased the Jamestown Yacht Basin, the Jamestown Beach Campground and the Chickahominy Riverfront park to provide open space for county citizens and tourists and maximize their access to waterfront parks, according to a 2009 master plan for the sites.
In a letter to the park’s supporters, Rose wrote the park’s board of directors is encouraging them to contact the James City County Board of Supervisors and share their connection to the park and “why you believe it is a great asset for the community.”
The supervisors have the final say over any sale of the land.
“We have achieved a great deal in a short time with minimal funding,” Rose wrote. “This is due to thousands of volunteer hours, great support from County staff, and a true sense of community in the planning and execution of our projects.”
The property includes the marina, a wooded area and four buildings, along with a paved area for parking. Of the 37 acres associated with the land, Rose said only about seven acres are usable for development.
Rose, who owns Williamsburg Event Rentals, had been working for years to try to establish an eco-tourism park prior to the approval of his lease in 2011. Along with the park, the environmental education nonprofit Chesapeake Experience operates its headquarters on the property, and Jamestown Discovery Boat Tours uses the marina as its home port.
Correction: The article has been updated to reflect that Eco Discovery Park is a nonprofit organization.
