Colonial Beach Boardwalk Development

I wrote a blog under the election results that said that it’s time to change the town’s focus from Boardwalk Development to concentrating on fixing the streets and repairing the water and sewer systems. A writer asked the question of who will pay for these improvements if we don’t have another source of income (tourism).

For background, the town was a resort community from the 1890s to the early 1960s. Between 1890 and 1928, steamboats brought huge crowds down from Washington and it was a booming resort. The introduction of the automobile in the 1920s made it irrelevant until gas shortages during WW II kept people close to home and caused it to boom again. This was followed in 1948 by the introduction of slot machines on piers in Maryland waters that could be accessed from Colonial Beach. The slot machines were removed by Maryland in 1958 and the beach diminished as a resort economy. The emergence of interstate highways and air travel opened the World to travel and people no longer were constrained to resorts near their home. Changes in family values and the emerge of a new type of youth further eroded the attraction of small resort towns.

The Colonial Beach town council embarked on an ambitious program of Boardwalk and downtown Development during the late 1980s, purchasing private property on the Boardwalk and a few properties in the downtown area. This placed the town over two million dollars in debt and removed properties from the tax rolls, depriving the town of needed revenues and taxes. After they purchased the old buildings, they tore them down; not realizing that the cost of new construction was so prohibitive and the town’s sixteen week tourism season was so short that it would never allow any business to recover their investment. The result was the “death” of the Boardwalk and those buildings would never be replaced. The destruction of the buildings thus ended the possibility of revitalizing the Boardwalk.

Despite the obvious, the town council stuck to the premise that Boardwalk Development was the town’s future. In retrospect, the money that has been spent on Boardwalk properties, studies and promotions wasn’t spent on our roads, streets and water and sewer distribution systems.

As a vital part of the Boardwalk Development dream, even more funds were spent to maintain the beach and parks for the tourists that were certain to come here. Unfortunately, this effort only attracted the poor that can’t afford the other beaches and attractions that charge a fee. This general class of patron has driven off the class of tourist that has money, further complicating the problem.

The town council has attempted to sell the Boardwalk properties, but no investor can visualize any use for them other than to build apartments or condominiums. The Potomac River is so contaminated most tourists wouldn’t set foot in the water for health reasons and there is nothing you can do with the property that will make money.

Despite the obvious, there are still people that believe the impossible development dream can come true and want to continue investing our money in the Boardwalk at the expense of making repairs to the town.

To answer the question of where the money will come from to make these repairs, it’s going to come from the same place all the Boardwalk Development funds came from! Taxes!!! And the sooner we begin to make the repairs and stop dreaming about the Boardwalk, the better off we are going to be. As I said, the steamboats aren’t coming back!

It’s time to realize Colonial Beach is a beautiful little bedroom and retirement community and stop being a dreamer of it’s past.

"It’s time to realize Colonial Beach is a beautiful little bedroom and retirement community and stop being a dreamer of it’s past."

I take offense to this statement. This town cannot survive as a retirement community,the taxes would make it unaffordable for people on fixed incomes. It needs to be a mixtured: familes,people who have retired and it DOES need the tourist. I am one who hibernates in the summer due to all the tourist but I do realize that they do bring some income into town.

It would be great to see the council do a study on that instead of what to do with the building on Colonial Ave., the boardwalk and any of the other studies they have spent thousands of dollars on and they talk about the school spending.
As for the roads 90% of the roads belong to VDOT until 2010. We need to make sure that they are up to par before we take them over from the state. It seems I read that the council borrowed money to replace the water lines that are bad in sections of town. Money the citizens will have to pay back in taxes or water sewer increases.
I did read your other post and I want you to know that every one in my home that could vote did vote all 3 of us! Only 2 candidates we supported won, so I feel that I can complain. For those that didn't bother to vote don't complain!

CB, and Cloudy, I dont know who you are but you sure have all the facts straight. The glory days are gone.
It will be a long time before they come back. Its already been 40 years and nothing has happen.
Every administration wants to tell us they have the solution. What can we offer a business to come here???
No more money for studies, we have lots of them already. Spend the money on making Colonial Beach a beautiful bedroom community. The Potomac is poluted.
We need a community swimming pool and club house.
Our kids need a swim team and diving team.
Spend the money for those of us here, and the rest will follow. Town Hill would be the perfect place for it or the parking lot.

Cloudy Skies wrote:

"I did read your other post and I want you to know that every one in my home that could vote did vote all 3 of us! Only 2 candidates we supported won, so I feel that I can complain. For those that didn't bother to vote don't complain!

I didn’t write the post on not voting so you need to direct your comments to that writer. You did ask how the town could survive without the income from tourism? I can answer that easily…“Taxes,” the same way the town has survived since the 1960s when the Colonial Beach tourism era ended. You stated that 90% of the roads are owned by VDOT. True, but I’m talking about the 10% the town owns that have never been finished, are in disrepair and that the state will not accept because they fail to meet their minimum standards. We have citizens that are driving on gravel and dirt roads, because we have spent millions on Boardwalk Development and have never fixed our roads. Furthermore, VDOT doesn’t own the potholes caused by our Public Works Department’s “temporary” waterline repairs. Unfortunately, VDOT isn’t going to fix them because it’s the town’s responsibility to fix the hundreds of cuts in the roads that it creates, to make temporary repairs to its water and sewer lines. And VDOT will only pay for a portion of the gutter and storm water repairs because the major portion of the water comes from private property run-off and not their roads. And so our basic infrastructure is in disrepair because we have spent millions on Boardwalk Development and our Public Works Department is so busy maintaining the beach and parks for the tourists that have no money, that they don’t have the resources to make basic repairs to the potholes and water and sewer distribution system. When is it going to sink in that there is nothing this town can do to revive the tourism industry? Who in their right mind would make a major investment in a beach that has contaminated water? It’s so dirty the crabs are dying and the watermen are threatening a lawsuit. And what businesses will investors start? Everyone that has attempted to start a tourism business on the beach is gone, with the exception of the Beach Shop, Riverboat and the High Tides restaurant. If we would have spent the $3 million dollars on the town’s infrastructure that I estimate that we have wasted on Boardwalk development since 1988, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Every dollar we divert from our roads, water and sewer distribution system to Boardwalk Development puts us further in the hole. I think the important thing to note is we have attempted to force-feed Board Development for 20 years without any results. It’s time to repair the town’s infrastructure and wait for Boardwalk Development to come to us. In my opinion, that will never happen and the tourism industry is never coming back. None of the conditions that would support successful Boardwalk Development exist in Colonial Beach. Common sense dictates that it’s time to stop throwing good money after “bad money” and apply our resources to repairing our basic infrastructure. Other small towns can manage their resources and balance their budgets without the dream of “tourism dollars,” why can’t we? Let’s get realistic, the steamboats are gone and they aren’t coming back!

Your comments are well taken. The town's 10% of roads, most not all are in Riverside Meadows. The town took over these roads because the developer went bankrupt. Now we as tax payers have to pay for this. Currently we could have avoided some of the cost for maintaining these roads if the current developers had been enforced to make the roads to VDOT's standards. Seems like we were too busy seeing tax $$$ or zoning let us down.

Water line maintenace comes out of the water and sewer bills. Let see the town currently borrowed money to start replacing lines that have little pressure and that have numerous breaks. More tax dollars that will have to be paid back with interest. I have seen the cuts that have been paved and some of these have sunk, but for the most part it looks like the cuts get some type of tar put on them. Who is to blame if the patch sinks?

As for the Potomac River, I agree that it is dirty. I will not let my children swim in it. But believe it or not tourist still come here to lay on the beach and swim in the water. Yes, it is usally the ones with limited income but the town advertises its self as the second largest beach in Virginia. I agree we spend too much money and time maintaining that area.

Boardwalk development is an issue and has been an issue since my parents started living here. Yes, the good old days are gone, Steamboats aren't coming back. One of the people that wanted to buy one of the parcels for sale the last time the town did this wanted to put up a hotel/conference center. His bid was too low according to council. This would have been an ideal way of getting some much needed funding into the town's budget, without depending on tourism.

I feel that the town is in for a rough time with the current financial conditions through out the country. We will continue to get tourist with little money and who use the town's facilities to make a mess. Some will even try to camp out on the beach, happened last year at the point. I find that you and I agree on a lot of the different issues, we just have different views on how to overcome them. Interestingly I'm a life resident and by your name your a comehere. We are managing to have a debate without being rude. I like that, look forward to your reply. C.S.

I think it’s excellent that we can discuss this and get these important issues out in the open. In the past they have only been discussed in council subcommittee meetings and often behind closed doors. You are correct in that water and sewer repairs are supposed to be funded from the Town’s Utility Fund. Unfortunately, mismanagement has impacted that. All of the town’s utility workers are funded in the Public Works Department. It appears this was done to make it easier for the Director of Public Works to do his time sheets and payroll, but the real impact is that employees that should be dedicating their time to water, sewer and related street repairs are siphoned off and given other assignments. The fact that our utility employees aren’t assigned and funded in the Utility Fund and dedicated to its maintenance and repair is the primary reason we have so many potholes in town. When a line leaks, they finally get around to digging up the street, putting a “clamp” on the leak, and not repairing the hole in the street with a “hot patch.” The reason they don’t use a “hot patch” is they know the “clamp” isn’t going to hold and they will be back. Instead of cutting out a section of the bad pipe and never having to return to the leak, they are so pressed for time maintaining the Boardwalk and parks that they use a temporary repair. This is most evident on Colonial Ave and Monroe Bay Ave, although it’s true all over town. The potholes are just one example of the cost of investing $3 million dollars in Boardwalk Development over the past twenty years at the expense of not completing necessary repairs. It is true that when the town council attempted to sell the Boardwalk properties, one developer said he wanted to build a conference center, pool and movie theater. In my most honest opinion, I don’t think he intended to do any of that and was using this as “bait” to get the property at a good price because he knew that’s what the Council wanted. Fortunately, enough members of the town council appear to have doubted this as well and disapproved the sale. Those that practice “Boardwalk Development” as a religion dream about a conference center coming to town. There are so many economic and investment barriers precluding this that there isn’t room to list them here, but I’ll name a few. Conference centers must be near a major transportation hub and airport. We are too distant from the airports. They must also be in an area where there are numerous attractions and shops within walking distance or accessible by taxi. We have neither of these. Finally, they must achieve a year-around occupancy rate of between 65 and 85% to break-even or make money. Colonial Beach’s short 16 week tourism season prevents this. In addition, we are surrounded by successful conference centers that are well established, have good reputations and far exceed anything we could ever hope to offer. Breaking into that market is impossible and the town council spent $50,000 or more in 2000 and 2001 attempting to find someone that was interested in building a conference center in Colonial Beach. They had over one-hundred contacts with investors and only managed to get a handful of them to visit the beach. The result was the town council spent over $50,000 to achieve the “impossible dream” with absolutely no results. This is why I feel so strongly that the town needs to turn away from Boardwalk Development expenditures and focus its attention on managing the town’s limited resources. In any event, it is a pleasure to have this discussion in an unemotional and professional manner. You are correct in that I am a “come-here” and only have about 15 years under my belt. I came from the urban north, but for some reason didn’t graduate with a “degree in development.” It seems that every urban “come-here” wants to immediately press for development of the beach. Perhaps they forget why they came here in the first place.

CB, are you and I the only two sane people in this town.
What has been done in the last 40 years?
What makes the new Mayor and Council think they can make a difference, The boat has sailed, get over the ole days. I know the sale of Town Hill was a slicker who wanted to take advantage of desperate people. We wanted a convention hotel, with a community center for teens. Yea, I wanted my daughter going to the teen club at a convention center.LOL

You are right about the Hotels, No one will build here, there is no advantage for them. People will only open a business here if they think they can make money. We have no money....
Let fix our sewers, roads, water and schools. We will attract real people who want to live in a beautiful community, with friendly people. And when we get a decent population, business will come.
Before you hire someone to promote business in town, talk to Buzz, he worked his bottom off for a year to no avail. If they cant make a living, they are not coming here.
There are small towns in existance who are not in a panic about getting tourist, hotels etc.
Lets create a beautiful safe community for our families, reitrees, and anyone who wants to have a nice life.

All the things you have been talking about here cost money. Who is going to pay for it? What about that segment of the population here that is struggling to pay the taxes and fees now? How will they exist if the taxes and fees are raised to make the improvements? With the current housing market they can't sell and move and they can't afford to pay the increases. How does that segment of the population fit into your dream of the future?

Boardwalk Developement - What should the town do? They took the one thing I as a resident I used, the playground. Now that parcel is a parking spot for High Tides and the other 2 playgrounds in town cannot be used by town residents on weekends. Castlewood Park is over ran on weekends by out of towners, I tried several times last summer to take my children and could not even park in that area. Plus there seemed to be 2 groups who were having a contest on who's music would be heard! The playground by the hill has taken over by teens, there I had to deal with foul language! While I agree that the older children need a place to go, I also feel that they need to show some respect to adults. One called my mother a very foul name when she asked them to tone down their language. Calling the police department will do little good as they are busy dealing with all the problems associated with tourism.

I still feel something needs to be done on the boardwalk. The town should not be in the real estate business. Seeing the vacant lots are depressing as you walk down the boardwalk. Going out on the pier is depressing, dead fish and worms, no where to sit and enjoy the view. Here my tax dollars are bring paid for fishermen to have a place to fish.

I agree on conference centers now that I did some quick research and found that most businesses should plan on losing moeny during the first 5 years. I don't know many people who can afford to lose money! See I did look up what you had to say, why can't council check these things?

I also checked about the utility fund. Yes it is in the Public Works Director's budget, but it is listed separate from the tax dollar account. I also found out that it includes the plant. Aren't they up grading the plant? Where is this money coming from?

Aloha - As for the schools I will say this. I know that they did not make AYP last year. I also know that in the state this happened every where, including Northern Virginia. AYP and the No Child Left behind Act are not realistic. Imagine in your job if all the pay raises were determined on all the employees taking a test and having to increase their scores each year. It is impossible. The schools also have to go by state and federal rules and regulations. Go to the state board of education web site, it is very interesting. I have a feeling that some of our new school board members may be in for a shock. They may not be allow to get the kind of control that they want. They also could put are students at risks if they fail to follow these rules on federal and state funding. I will be reading more on that web site as I want to make sure my children's education doesn't get in the way of their agendas.

Curious - Our tax dollars will be paying for this. As a family we struggle just as much if not more as the people on fixed incomes. We have the same bills as they do only increase it by 2 or 3 depending on how large the family is. I know I struggle,this year my car,home & health insurance increased. It will be interesting to see what the next few months hold. Look forward to our continued discussions on these problems. C.S.

There was a petition signed by over 200 residents given to town council not long after the park was moved to put it back. But obviously they dont care what the residents think. It really is hard to enjoy the beach with children when you have to pack up your things leave the beach just so your children can enjoy a playground that was in a convienent place to begin with.

The town council and mayor have never cared about the children in this town. Not since the 'new' high school was built. And, even then it was an absolute necessity if the town wanted to continue to have its own school system.

Unfortunately, Colonial Beach (and westmoreland county) have nothing for kids to do. The only kid related place to go is the skating rink. Which is open limited hours, and too far for Beach kids to go, especially now as gas prices go higher and higher.

We need playgrounds, and places for teens, and our young adults. How many of the children who graduated from Colonial Beach HS have stayed in the area? Very few, as they do not want to raise families here, as we know what we all did as teenagers.

We absolutely need boardwalk development. If this town is to prosper in any capacity we need the tax dollars from every possible business prospect. With the current price of gas and the imminent prospect of families not traveling too far we have an amazing possibility of making our mark as a "beach community". The residential taxes will NOT support this town...we need businesses to do that. Many of you have been very outspoken against a raise in taxes...how else do you think we will survive? Get on board and realize the potential in this town and support it. There are good people who want just that--don't fight it. The town is changing--whether or not you like it--it will be much different in 10 years. There is too much land to be developed surronding us, and there are too many of us that want GREAT things for our community...Get on board.

Silver needs to come to Colonial Beach. That company knows something about growing a town. I know right now you all are screaming NO NO! And yes, the board walk should be developed. I believe it's the only way CB is going to survive, especially during these times. Where there is poverty, crime arrives. It happened once here, it can happen again.

Being a mostly seasonal town it would be hard for most small buisnesses to survive. Why do you think most of the small shops here are closed during the week.Im sure the rent would be outrageous. We definitely dont need anymore condos that sit empty along with the retail space that is below them.

To: RU Serious: You obviously didn’t read my earlier comments about the business logic of why Boardwalk Development has been Colonial Beach’s “impossible dream” for over twenty years and doesn’t have a chance of success. I recommend you read all the comments again. You seem to believe that our tax dollars won’t support Colonial Beach without additional income from the Boardwalk. If so, then how do you explain the tens of thousands of small towns that balance their budgets and survive without income from a “Boardwalk” or “resort properties?” The logic of your argument cannot be substantiated, particularly in view of the fact that this town has invested over $3 million dollars in Boardwalk development over the past 20+ years and has nothing to show for it, except potholes and bond payments. The way we have shorted the town’s infrastructure is so pathetic that a few years ago many of the corner street signs in town were missing or on the ground and our Public Works Department didn’t have time to fix them because they were so busy maintaining the Boardwalk for our penniless tourists. The Boy Scouts saw this and volunteered to repair them if the town would provide the signs and posts. So our signs were magnificently repaired by the Boy Scouts. It’s a pity they weren’t qualified to do our water and sewer repairs or we may not have hundreds of potholes resulting from incomplete repairs. So you want me to “get on Board” and continue down the endless path of “Boardwalk Development?” OK, why don’t you convince me and the others that know this is an “impossible dream” that can’t come true? You seem to have all the answers, so why don’t you list five business ventures that you think would work on the Boardwalk. And be intellectually honest, and list those in which you would be willing to invest your money. There is no need to list any of the ones that have already failed… and leave out a “steamboat line,” because the steamboats aren’t coming back.

To: Our Town: Carl Silver did come to town in 2001 at the invitation of the town manager and looked at the Boardwalk, downtown area and town in general. He is a brilliant man that makes good investments and can make money on anything that has a chance of success. Unfortunately, he agreed with my prognosis and declined to invest in the Boardwalk or resort business. On the way out of town our police gave him a speeding ticket…smile. Oh well, we tried!

CB and All others: As I said in the pool and club blog. Make CB a beautiful bedroom community with something for the residents and other people will follow. When we get the people here, business will follow. Our Beach is rocks, no sand.
Cant wait to see what hairbrained scheme the new Mayor and Council come up with. Bone wanted everyone to come up with 3 things. or was it ideas, that would bring development to the Beach. What has the last several Mayor/s and Council done. Including Bone.
Check out the rent on available space, and figure out how much your gross sales would have to be to make a profit, to pay rent, utilities, phone, and your own living quarters, utilities, etc. Who is going to invest here until we become a year round town or city, with a much larger population.
This is meant to be realistic. Get your head out of the rocks.

AHHHH Dave Coombs is back to do some more damage like this boardwalk development his team did before.

Good discussion.

I agree with CB. Every jurisdiction needs to have a tax base sufficient to adequately maintain its infrastructure. Who wants to live in (or visit) a town where the streets are full of potholes and litter and the sidewalks are crumbling? Boardwalk development will take care of itself when there's money to be made. If the town wants to encourage that development, it should focus it's attention on making the town an attractive, clean and secure place to live and visit.

I am so glad someone is realizing that this "beach" is not a real beach! Okay, I love the water, love the river, but it is not the ocean and it will not attract tourists anymore! I have been poor for a long time and i know the only reason I ever take my kids to the beach in this town is when we can't afford to go anywhere else! Even then, Iam disgusted by the rude, unattended children there! Oh-and if you can get away from them, you haveto deal with jellyfish and worries about what you might catch from swimming in the water. This is not a vacation town! Why would anyone want to vacation in a place where there are no decent restaurants, no nice hotels, just a whole lot of drunks? I am being honest, I have lived here a long time!
then again, I have signed a lot of petitions and nothing changes. I have written letters and gone to meetings-nothing changes. When I can afford to, we will move away. so that's one opinion from the "working poor"!