Hopes to extend utilities to Caney
BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court continues to move forward in developing a campground and events venue on the Caney Shaft site. The court is applying for two grants to help extend utilities to the location.
“We’re looking at one through the Appalachian Regional Commission and one through Economic Development,” Judge/Executive Colby Kirk told magistrates in a meeting April 21.
Martin County is partnering with The Appalachian Renewal Project LLC, which acquired about 7,500 acres surrounding the Caney Shaft, land formerly owned by the Lauren Land Company, and is developing “The Wilds of Emily Creek.” ARP manager Clifford Smith of Sunapee, N.H., was at the April 21 fiscal court meeting to discuss the project.
“The economic development grant would really take the site to the ready-for-action campground, whereas the ARC grant would just get that project to the point where it’s designed,” Smith said. “The big focus of the grant is to make a community area where events could be held, like farmers markets, craft fairs and that sort of thing.”
District 5 Magistrate Mark Blackburn asked about the grant timeline.
“The turnaround time for being notified about awards typically is three months,” said Smith. “Once a grant is accepted, there is a period of negotiation and coordination because the federal government has a lot of requirements, especially in relation to any earth-moving project. There are environmental reviews and so forth that need to be completed before a project can start. That could be another three to six months before we really start to do anything in terms of earth-moving.”
Martin County resident Joey Robinson asked who would profit. Robinson stated that when Father Ralph Beiting deeded the land to the county, he stipulated that “no one person would profit.”
“The county would have to make some money,” Blackburn told Robinson. “We would have to charge for people to go up there and set up booths and stuff of that nature. And I think the ultimate goal is to get it with our trails/ATV system that we’re trying to implement and that’s the big draw for us.”
Smith stated all the grants emphasize the community service aspect that this site would provide to Martin and surrounding counties.
“Any events would be events that local people could either attend or participate in a way to benefit from tourism,” said Smith. “If you look at the Hatfield-McCoy Trail, the benefits, the most advantaged people as it relates to Hatfield-McCoy tourism are the people who happen to own property next to the trail because they can build cabins, but the other people in the community have a much more difficult time interfacing with that tourist population.”
Smith said the campsite would provide the opportunity for others in the community to engage with tourists.
“There isn’t really anything in Appalachia like what we have proposed,” he said. “There are plenty of women’s quilting clubs in the area. That would be an opportunity for ladies who enjoy that craft to be able to have commerce with the tourists in the area. There could be someone who is a woodworker here in this community. This would give them a chance to sell their product. It’s a chance to intersect the natural aspect of Appalachia with the cultural aspect of Appalachia and highlight both at an events setting like we have planned.”
As it relates to the intent of Father Beiting’s donation, Smith said he could not imagine any other development on that property that would meet that intent.
“But I think that’s obviously something for the community to discuss,” added Smith. “The sole major thrust of this project is to have the benefits spread across the entire community.”
Blackburn said the project would not make money off the citizens of Martin County.
“We’re going to make our money off the people coming into Martin County,” said Blackburn.
District 2 Magistrate Roger Preece said tourists would spend money at local businesses.
“It’s not the hub that’s going to make the money,” said Preece. “It’s going to be all the spokes. We need new money.”
District 3 Magistrate Derrick Stepp said he believes it would work.
“When I was cleaning windows and would go to Logan County, W.Va., it wasn’t nothing to see 10, 12, 15 three-quarter-ton trucks hauling 10 or 15 four-wheelers on trailers longer than this building,” Stepp said. “And you know they were spending that money left and right.”
Stepp said those vehicles displayed license plates “from Colorado, Pennsylvania and all over the country.”
The county also voted to advertise for proposals to operate the Caney site as a campground.