NEW HOPE, Tenn. — The developer proposing a 250-400 space recreational vehicle resort in New Hope played to a tough crowd Monday night as he presented early details on a possible luxury campground on the Tennessee River.
Aaron Hillman, an Arizona-based Red Moon Development architect, told the standing-room-only crowd at the New Hope Fire Hall nothing was set in stone while contending the company wouldn't propose investing an estimated $30 million in a resort if it was expected to fail or hurt the community.
New Hope residents at Monday's meeting appeared to be a mix of many stalwart RV resort opponents, a few curious residents who seemed undecided and a small contingent of mostly quiet supporters. Mayor Mark Myers said the presentation was simply to allow the developer to provide details and for residents to ask questions. No decisions were on the table because the developer hadn't purchased the property yet or submitted anything for the town panel to address, Myers said.
The New Hope community heard about the speculative RV park almost as soon as Red Moon began looking at the property. Rumors swirled and sparked a petition in opposition, tallying almost 200 signatures from New Hope residents, Jasen King told elected officials Monday night. King launched the petition in March.
(READ MORE: Petition seeks to keep possible 400-space RV park out of New Hope, Tennessee)
Hillman said if the project moves forward — which requires a number of steps, including approval by the town's Board of Mayor and Aldermen — it would most likely be a 250-space layout on the front portion of the property nearest the river. The resort, he said, targets luxury RV owners who invest up to $1 million or more in their high-end RV rides.
The family who owns the property was represented by sisters Amy Turner Burns and Betty Turner, and their brother, Paul Turner. They make up three of the five siblings who own the property jointly. The siblings are looking to sell the land, a 110-acre parcel just off state Route 156 near the Shelby T. Rhinehart Bridge, to the Red Moon Development for the riverside RV resort the company is proposing.
Amy Burns told New Hope residents she and her four siblings found themselves in a position where they had to sell the land their father, Paul Turner, bought in 1970 because no one sibling could afford to buy out the others' interest in the property. Turner said their father only wanted the best for New Hope, South Pittsburg and Marion County, and she and her siblings didn't want to harm New Hope.
"We've had our farm on the market for two years. We've had a good bit of interest in it from all sectors for all kinds of things, and the one that we got in contact with and we have been trying to move forward on and bring to Marion County is the upscale RV park," she said as she introduced Hillman. "We're looking at doing something like that in the RV industry because RVs during COVID — they particularly went way up in demand. It's become a way of life for many people."
Hillman first made it clear Red Moon's idea for the park was at the formative stage and was no certainty. The property purchase hasn't been finalized, according to Hillman and the family.
"This is truly just an idea. We have not submitted anything to the city or county or anybody," Hillman said. "All we've done is come to view the property. We really like what we saw here. We feel it fits a lot of our checklist of what we look for in a high-end RV resort."
Hillman said Red Moon's RV resorts are rented nightly or for stays of no longer than 14 to 21 days.
"You cannot live there full-time. We cater to a higher-end price point. There are no owned slips in any of our developments so far," he said, unfurling an early, unofficial drawing of the proposed RV resort. "This layout here is typical of a lot of our parks. It's focused around a central clubhouse, which is further down toward the water, an access road, a check-in store and sundries. We'll have a soda fountain, small sundries area to buy supplies and things like that."
He said the resort would feature different sizes and types of RV spaces and would include amenities such as dog parks, pools and pickleball among recreational activities, and certain areas of the clubhouse would have multiple hot tubs. There would be no kitchen facilities, but facilities for use by catering companies would be available. The entrance to the resort would probably be positioned across from the entrance to the Lodge Manufacturing Distribution Center on state Route 156, and the company would bear the cost of any work such as turn lanes to accommodate RV traffic.
Hillman said anticipated revenue from the resort was estimated at about $2.6 million per year with 250 spaces. The estimated hospitality tax, which he said averages about 3% at Red Moon's other developments, would amount to about $80,000 per year. He said the previously noted $60 per night rental was the lowest end of rates in the offseason, but in-season rates could top $120 per night or more, depending on amenities, space size and location.
Myers noted the town of New Hope would get a fraction of the $80,000 figure after it was divvied up with the county.
Questions answered, unanswered
Residents questioned Hillman about the RV park's effect on traffic, New Hope's small fire and police departments and its nearest neighbors. Several residents noted the property frequently floods, and one man said he believed construction of the development would push flood water onto his property.
It is so early in the process the company had not reviewed Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps or performed any surveys yet, Hillman said. He and Turner noted any shoreline work would have to pass muster with TVA. He also said the crime rate in Red Moon's developments, a concern raised by several residents at the town's March meeting, was almost zero, so far, and he expected the proposed one in New Hope to be the same.
Residents also asked what RV resort users would want to see in New Hope, which they contended offered little in the way of attractions. Hillman pointed to the adjacent Tennessee River, the Lodge Manufacturing Museum across the river in South Pittsburg, nearby attractions in Chattanooga and historic sites and the natural beauty of the Sequatchie Valley and Cumberland Plateau as powerful draws.
Hillman said an estimated 30 jobs would be produced by the development, adding in his experience the impact a Red Moon development on local property values was positive.
Some residents weren't convinced.
Resident Helen Rector wanted to know the age of Red Moon's oldest park and what assurances the developer can provide that it won't be sold to someone else who doesn't share the developer's grand vision of a resort.
Hillman said Red Moon hasn't sold a development yet and doesn't intend to.
Vocal RV resort opponent Rhonda Lawson said she believes the development offers little and will actually end up burdening the town and its residents.
"I'm always going to be against it," Lawson said.
But if the development goes forward, Lawson wants tangible benefits for New Hope, such as a waste convenience center. She said the nearest center was miles away from most New Hope residents, who could save gas if they could dispose of trash and other waste at a convenience center in town.
King, who launched the petition, said the RV resort targets people "in a different tax bracket."
"It's not going to trickle down to New Hope, but yet we're going to take the brunt of everything," King said of the negative effect he believes the development would have. "I'm scared it might turn into a FEMA camp."
King told Myers and the aldermen the city shouldn't entertain the idea at all.
Myers said the family has a right to sell their property, and the purchaser has a right to seek rezoning as the new owner. He said the development can't go forward until it goes through the public process of rezoning the land from agricultural to commercial use. Those steps come after the developers submit something to the city for its approval and New Hope residents weigh in during public hearings, he said.
Mike Langley, a retired New Hope resident and RV enthusiast, said RV resorts are a much different operation than a simple campground.
"My wife and I travel the country. We've been to campgrounds, and we've been to resorts, and there's no comparison," Langley said, noting he stays extra nights at the nicest resorts. "Marion County Park over here is a great campground, and there are a couple more around here that are great campgrounds, but they're not at this level. Resorts are a step forward. A lot of people won't go to a campground, but they'll go to a resort because they have a million-dollar bus. They always carry cars with them when they're traveling."
Chattanooga is a popular destination for RVers, Langley said. He said he has paid as much as $180 per night or more to stay in an RV resort.
"They're secure. They're fenced in. Don't let an RV campground get in the way of what these resorts are because they are really high-end," he said.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.