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At least 200 people came to a community meeting at Virginia's Explore Park on Wednesday evening with questions, suggestions and concerns about what's to become of the park. Larry Vander Maten, president of the Missouri nonprofit that wants to lease the park for a half century, told them that he couldn't tell them much. "I can't give you some specific answers on a lot of things that you would probably want to know," Vander Maten said in his opening remarks. The park's governing board, the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority, is expected to approve the lease tonight, but Vander Maten said that's just the beginning of the process. It's a first step that must be taken before his company, Virginia Living Histories, spends any money on the marketing studies that will determine the park's future. "The reason I have a lot of money and I can make a big contribution is I don't throw it away," Vander Maten said. The citizens' opinions ranged from enthusiastic support to cautious hopefulness to resolute opposition. Tom Brock and Stan Lanford, speaking for the park's management, said the lease is virtually the park's last, best hope. That lease calls for the "development and operation of a destination resort, theme park or other attraction." The list of potential uses includes hotels, restaurants, amphitheaters, stores and water parks. None of those things is allowed under the park's current zoning, which is guided by the park's development plan. Until the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors lifted restrictions in June, most of the park was off-limits to virtually all development. More than 700 of the park's 1,155 acres lay within one of six natural areas, where development was limited to foot and horse trails, hiking shelters, first aid stations and "minor support centers for the aforementioned." Brock said the VRFA didn't know the restrictions - which the VRFA created in 1993 - existed until talks with Vander Maten began. "He was the trigger," Brock said. "But he wasn't the reason." Mike Altizer, chairman of Roanoke County's board of supervisors, told the group that the county has no legal interest in the park and has no part in the decision-making process. But Pete Haislip, director of the county's parks, recreation and tourism department, was among the people who flew to Florida to meet with Vander Maten. Brock, Lanford and Vander Maten all said their negotiations began in earnest in November. Before then, Vander Maten said, he was considering sites in West Virginia and North Carolina as well as Explore Park. But Vander Maten's nonprofit corporation changed its name to Virginia Living Histories in October. The VRFA is turning to Vander Maten because the River Foundation's efforts haven't raised the money the park needs, state funding has dwindled and Roanoke County's agreement to support the park will expire in June 2006. "Everyone loves what we've got. It doesn't pay for itself," Brock said. "We basically came to the conclusion that we know what we need to do but we don't have the wherewithal to do it." Altizer said that, while the county's agreement to continue funding the park ends in June 2006, he thinks it's important for the county and the state to keep the park operating while VLH is conducting its pre-development studies. "I think it would be ill conceived and bad business to pull the plug while this process is going on," Altizer said. "I can tell you, if Roanoke County pulls out, it will be padlocked." |
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