Photo Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier
This area at the Race Day Center condominiums has been prepared complete with electric and sewer hookups. Bristol Motor Speedway is just across the street.
BRISTOL, Tenn. – A unique zoning law has opened the door for recreational vehicle parking near Bristol Motor Speedway and created financial opportunities for developers, the city and Sullivan County.
Bristol Tennessee City Council late Tuesday unanimously approved a Recreation Vehicle Development District to accommodate the influx of RVs near Bristol Motor Speedway during racing events.
A representative for one local developer tossed out a preliminary site proposal before council members had time to vote.
Mike Hamlin, attorney for Bristol’s Interstate Development Co., displayed a preliminary drawing of a lot that would be behind Race Day Center condominiums across Volunteer Parkway from BMS.
"Some have views of the speedway; others do not," Hamlin said of the lots. "But we expect a median price of about $75,000 given that we will have buyers with financial means.
"We expect these people will be downtown and at restaurants making a financial contribution to the city."
Interstate Development officials were not available for comment on Wednesday, and it is not known how many lots might be placed on the site.
Electric and sewer hookups already are installed, while marked, rectangle tracts are awaiting buyers.
Bob Icenhour, Sullivan County’s property assessor, said the company has planned an RV development at that location for some time. He also said the company stands to make "a bundle of money" when the land is subdivided.
"An acre is selling for more than $124,000 out there," he said. "So when you think about selling a piece of ground about the size of a motor home for $75,000 – yeah, they’ll be making out."
Icenhour said both the city and county also will benefit.
At a market value of $75,000, the county-assessed tax each year would be $474.38, and the city’s assessed tax would be $453.75. Combined, lot owners would pay $928.13 in property taxes. But such fees won’t unsettle RV owners, Icenhour said.
"The RV people [will] drive a half-million-dollar motor home up there," he said. "I don’t think they’re going to worry about the cost of a lot, and they’re only there a couple times a year."
Icenhour said RV owners are not necessarily getting special treatment.
"There’s no favoritism to it," he said. "If they [developers] can sell the lots instead of rent them, why not?"
For about two years, city staff looked at ways to develop regulations that would allow the sale of privately owned RV sites near the speedway.
"In this instance, all internal streets will be private, but each site, or lot, will have infrastructure hookups or access," said Mike Sparks, deputy city manager/development. "And the recreational vehicles must have full kitchen and bathroom facilities internal to the vehicle."
Sparks said he and his staff looked at a similar development near Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.
"We used ideas from there and from resorts in Asheville, N.C., and the Florida coastal area," he said.
After researching the issue, city staff decided to place some restrictions on the developments.
Occupancy of any individual lot in an RV development must be vacated each year for a minimum of 90 consecutive days. In addition, RVs cannot occupy the purchased lot for more than 30 consecutive days, according to the new zoning ordinance.
Similar districts are in place at NASCAR tracks in Richmond and Fort Worth, Texas, said Kevin Triplett, BMS vice president of public affairs.
"Given the parameters, this is not unusual," he said. "RV use varies from track to track. Most are similar, and they [tracks] are generally located miles outside the city, and we are too."
Bristol Mayor Jim Messimer said the city wanted to accommodate the RVs at racing events, but did not want to create a permanent campground.
"This is a first," he said. "There’s still a lot of land out there near the speedway, but the majority of that right now is for camping. They [RVs] have been parking at several locations. This is a step to make a place for them, but it also keeps them from having a permanent home. We don’t want to create trailer parks."
The lots fall under the city zoning ordinance’s special-use provision within general business and planned business districts.
The developments must be a minimum of two acres with a maximum density of 13 units per acre. It’s the same density permitted for multifamily residential development.
ggray@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2512
http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2007-06-21-0007.html
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