Environmental Features and Benefits
In addition to the many amenities guests will enjoy, the project’s design also addresses environmental, water quality and access.
Buffering
A landscaped earthen berm about eight feet in height and forty-eight feet in width, landscaped on the top and side slopes with primarily Florida native tree and plant species, will be constructed along Lake Iola Road. This buffer will be located within the 83 feet between the new right-of-way line and the first RV spaces. This will not only create a visual and auditory buffer but will also create an attractive gateway element to the rural character of the Lake Iola Road corridor west of I-75.
Lush landscaping: will seamlessly be added to existing vegetation and will include Florida-friendly, native, drought-tolerant plantings, including canopy trees, flowering trees, understory trees, palm trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. Much of the existing native trees and associated native understory will be preserved along Lake Iola Road, I-75 and the residences to the northwest of the project site.
Environmentally Sensitive Grading Design: our innovative grading plan for the property will address historic water quality and erosion concerns in and along the banks of Lake Moody.
Energy-efficient LED lighting and cutoff illumination: will ensure there is minimum sky glow, glare and prevent light pollution to neighboring properties and skyward.
State-of-the-Art Wastewater Treatment: a 4,400-square-foot maintenance building will include an on-site wastewater treatment plant that will remove wastewater from RV sites and amenity areas. The plant will use a cutting-edge, carbon filtration, gravity-fed system to treat effluent and transport it from the lowest points on site (at about 7 feet near Lake Moody), to one of the highest areas on property (about 210 feet) to the south - furthest away from Lake Moody – where it will be treated and then used for irrigation.
The plant can treat up to 50,000 gallons per day, or about 75 gallons of wastewater per day, per RV site. Redundancy measures, coupled with back-up power generation, will ensure the reliability of the plant.
Other Benefits
Gateway to the resort will improve traffic mobility and safety.
Using digital technology, guests arriving at the resort will be able to quickly check in and drive through, preventing any queuing or traffic overflow onto Lake Iola Road.
While there is plenty of capacity on Lake Iola Road, our roadway improvements plans include adding a right-hand turn lane out of the resort as well as a left-hand turn lane into the resort. This will improve safety and enhance traffic flow.
Annual Recurring Economic Impact
- About $15.7 million a year will be infused into the local economy. The typical RV customer/family spends an average of $120 a day per camping trip. These ancillary expenditures include accommodations, food, entertainment, gas, clothing, souvenirs, sightseeing and more. This benefits local restaurants, grocery stores and retail shops, attractions, sporting and entertainment venues, theaters and more.
- About $7.8 million in annual taxable revenue. This is a conservative number based on 65% occupancy and a nightly rate of $60 for an RV space.
- Estimated real estate taxes of $65,000 a year upon completions of the project. This doesn’t include additional sales tax revenue that will be generated from our sundry shop, commercial electricity usage and non-ad valorem assessments.
Source: Florida Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds, Economic Impact study