28 November, 2022
To the Massanutten Community:
In this post, we’d like to share some thoughts about envisioning Massanutten’s possible future.
Many area residents are aware that much of Massanutten was originally developed by Del Webb, a partnership that started in late 1971. Del Webb gained national attention for developing retirement communities in Arizona and Florida. When Webb’s company became involved in Massanutten, the community was primarily envisioned as a second-home/vacation development. It became that, but it also became a year-round community over the next decade, as employees of nearby companies that were creating jobs in Rockingham County bought homesites on the mountain due to the beauty of the land and increasing resort amenities.
We now want to build on that legacy by improving the year-round livability of our mountain community. We’re considering ways to further enhance the quality of life and outdoor lifestyle that so many now enjoy. We’re looking for ways to create long-lasting, sustainable additions to our community that will engage residents and guests alike for years to come. This could include more trails for walking, biking, or hiking; new venues to support local artisans and farmers; new places and features for shopping, entertainment, play and social activity, and improved internal traffic flow and walkability around the central Woodstone area. It could also mean something we haven’t thought of – something that you might bring to the table!
We also want to give new focus to residential living. Although the Resort has, in the past, been oriented towards amenities and timeshare, we’re thinking about new, high-quality residential development to provide year-round living for active adults who are nearing or in retirement. We envision a variety of potential housing options from single family to attached villas and condominiums on the land behind the Woodstone Meadows stables. We are also considering a mix of village-style residential and commercial development on the corner of Spotswood Trail and Resort Drive, and are considering the inclusion of a retirement community featuring independent and assisted living and memory care as part of the village. Adding such a component could also bring more healthcare options to the site.
We believe that these concepts could offer significant benefits to the region. In addition to providing quality of life improvements and much-needed housing–including integrated housing options for our own employees. Our focus on people aged 55+ could expand the area’s tax base with minimal impact on County services such as public schools, while creating slightly less traffic than other options and, critical to everyone, a way for longtime area residents to retire and age in place.
We now hope to engage current residents who now live on the mountain, as well as surrounding residents and businesses, in this conversation. We’ve engaged one of the nation’s top community planning firms to help ensure that our projects are livable, sustainable, and reflective of the distinctive character and beauty of the Shenandoah Valley.
Consider this our invitation to join us in an informal discussion of our initial ideas, and a request for your feedback. Based on your location, please click or paste the appropriate link below to reserve a spot in either an afternoon (4:00-5:30 p.m.) or evening (6:30-8:00 p.m.) session:
December 5: For area residents and businesses in the greater McGaheysville area
December 6: For members of Massanutten Property Owner’s Association
Our conversations will be led by Valley native and Virginia Tech graduate architect Rob Robinson, and will take place in community meetings held over two days in our Campfire Grill restaurant. Don’t worry if you can’t join us for these two dates. This process is in its preliminary stages, and nothing is decided. Our goal is to listen to you. More meetings will follow in the future as we learn from you and others, and we will keep you updated.
Cordially,
Matthias Smith, VP and General Manager, Massanutten Resort
Steve Krohn, EVP and CEO, The Resorts Companies
Hello Matthias
We are very excited to learn some of the preliminary plans for our mountain.
Thanks for the inclusion.
Just a reminder that the hopkins park aboretum area is a beautiful area (or once was) but has been forgotten in recent years. I know it is owned by MPOA, but many guests visit the park. It would be nice to a combined effort bt both GE and MPOA to restore it to its once inviting ambiance. It would not take much but a clearing of dead and diseased trees as a start.
I am sad everytime I walk thru it as somehow the serenity and peacefulness is now marred by its visual condition.
Thank you
Pat and Lud
Thanks, Pat and Lud! Arboretum cleanups have historically been managed by jointly by MPOA and the Resort – but your point is well taken.
I have lived and truly enjoyed 23 years here on the mountain. However within the past 3 years I have been sandwiched in between Airbnbs. I hope if the development is truly full time residents you place some rules of not allowing Airbnbs to come and buy up all the properties. It really has caused our family so much unwanted stress living next to them.
Thanks, Jody. Great Eastern/Massanutten Resort is aware of the concerns many local property owners have with regard to vacation home rentals, and the goal with this project is year-round residences, not adding more vacation rentals (which the Resort already manages through timeshare management). It’s still way early in this process, so the types of use limitations aren’t likely to be defined for a while yet. Please feel free to attend one of the meetings and make your thoughts about that known.
I just now received this. I am coming Dec. 7-10. Could you please record the session and let us watch it on Utube?
Thanks for the query, Sandra. The format of these gatherings probably won’t lend themselves to that – and as noted in the post, this is all very preliminary. But your query will be forwarded to the team.
I applaud your forward thinking to approach future development of where we live and must coexist to be sustainable as well as your outreach to solicit feedback and ideas. Granted, this is in the very early preliminary stages but it’s important to get it right.
Living and enjoying Massanutten for the past 35 years, I agree a retirement community is a great and progressive plan. It will provide many of us the opportunity to continue to live in the community that we love.
I realize that many complain about all the Airb&b’s but the original plan for Massanutten was to be a vacation resort. Think of it this way, the vacationers come into our community and spend money, they do not use any services that are tax supported, and then they leave. Without vacationers and tourism our Property Taxes would double or triple.