JAMES CITY COUNTY — The James City County Planning Commission has approved an application for a special use permit, which will allow Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) to erect a new building on its property.
On Tuesday, Sept. 14, the Planning Commission approved the special use permit application submitted by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, LLC, the parent company of BGW, to construct a new building on the park’s property.
The new building is slated to be approximately 32,500 square feet and be used as a special events and storage facility. In approved minutes from the Sept. 14 Planning Commission meeting, it stated that the building would be located to the rear of the property on the land used currently for the park’s nursery. The location is just south of the former location for the park’s defunct roller coaster, Drachen Fire.
Terry Costello, Deputy Zoning Administrator, stated that the area is screened by mature trees and a large wooden fence. As a result, this new building would not be visible from the Busch Service Road.
According to the minutes from the Planning Commission, forty-three percent of the building will be designated for special events while the remainder will be used for storage.