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Panel hears proposal for 453-acre Throttle Therapy outdoor-recreation lodge in Madison County
Summary
Owners of Throttle Therapy presented an exploratory plan to develop a 453-acre Madison County property as an inn with accessory off‑road motorsports, river access and camping; county staff said the use likely fits as an Inn/Lodge and the committee voted to forward a recommendation to the planning commission if the applicants go under contract.
Owners of Throttle Therapy described plans on July 7 to establish a professionally managed outdoor recreation destination on a 453-acre Madison County parcel, combining lodging, guided ATV/UTV tours, single‑track trails, limited shooting, river access and occasional events. The applicants, Alex Kruthap and Scott McAdoo, said the concept would be similar to their Lake Anna operation in Orange County but larger and with on‑site water and additional lodging.
"Our plan was just to tell you who we are, what we currently have, and kind of our vision for Madison County," Alex said, describing a business that now draws guests from as far away as New England and Georgia and has hosted roughly 3,000 visitors at their Orange site. Scott, who identified himself as a police officer, said riding became a form of therapy for participants and stressed safety and family orientation.
Alan Nichols, county planning staff, told the committee he believes the proposal would fall under Madison County’s ordinance as an Inn or Lodge with motorsports activities treated as accessory uses. "You're establishing a place for people to go, and then under that umbrella you just have the other activities that exist underneath of that," Nichols said, noting camping could be phased in or reviewed separately depending on the final plan.
Panel members and residents focused on potential noise, shooting-range hours and neighbor outreach. Applicants said they have experience managing complaints at their Orange site, noting they now limit shooting to daytime hours and prohibit night riding and excessively loud, modified exhausts. "If someone showed up with that really loud bike, that's just not for us," Scott said, describing rules and physical buffers the business uses to reduce off‑site impacts.
County stakeholders on site urged early coordination on permitting needs. A VDOT/health representative noted septic and food‑service permitting will require attention; DEQ staff flagged sediment/runoff controls and encouraged minimizing land disturbance. Applicants said they would avoid heavy clearing where possible, use sediment ponds and design trails to reduce erosion.
After discussion, the committee voted to recommend that, should the applicants secure a contract on the property, they submit a special‑use permit application for an Inn/Lodge and the county forward that application to the planning commission for formal review. The motion, made by Alan Nichols and seconded by the chair, passed unanimously.
The committee emphasized that the recommendation is contingent on the applicants obtaining a land contract; no binding approvals were issued at the exploratory meeting. The applicants said they will continue neighbor outreach and technical coordination with county staff if a property contract moves forward.
