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Neighbors and campers weigh in: mixed reactions on Camp Watermarks expansion
Summary
During the public hearing on Camp Watermarks, many neighbors and former campers spoke; several long-time neighbors supported the camp as a way to preserve farmland while others raised concerns about noise, traffic on James River Road and environmental pressure on nearby streams and septic capacity.
Public comment at the Aug. 11 planning commission meeting included both sustained support for Camp Watermarks and vocal concerns about the proposed expansion.
Supporters described generational ties and personal transformations from time at the camp. "My time at Watermarks was transformative," a former camper told the commission. Multiple neighbors said the camp is a good steward of its land and that buses and existing summer operations have not caused traffic problems.
Opponents and concerned neighbors emphasized potential impacts from larger and year‑round operations, particularly noise along the James River corridor and additional vehicle trips on a narrow rural road. One nearby resident said he had invested in protective buffers on his property and worried that broader changes in use could invite more intensive commercial or event activity in the future: "I spent $20,000 putting a buffer on," he said.
A farm manager speaking for neighbors asked commissioners to consider how expanding the SUP could change rural expectations for land use in the area and urged the commission to preserve the surrounding agricultural character. Commissioners acknowledged the comments and discussed tools — for example, hours of operation and conditions on amplified music — that can be used to manage noise and traffic as part of an SUP.
