County financing

amusement park;
opinion mixed on

Tweetsie plan
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@wataugademocrat.com

Opinion was divided on the county’s decision to borrow money to provide economic incentives that will keep Tweetsie Railroad at its current home.

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing as required under its plan to borrow $2.6 million for the purchase of property in the theme park. The financing application is part of a package that helps promote the Wild West theme park and allow it to expand.

Karen Carter said Tweetsie Railroad was part of a pattern of agreements over the last five years that served special interests and said the public didn’t know enough about Tweetsie Railroad’s management.

“This proposal is another example of the failed policy of fascism,” Carter said.

She said Tweetsie Railroad had known of its problems for a decade and had failed to solve them and asked the commissioners to vote against the “bail out.”

Deborah Greene said the public hearing was “nothing more than going through the motions.”

She said the county would have opened its records and commissioned an independent economic-impact study if the commissioners wanted to know the public’s opinion.

She said the board was “hiding something” and was being irresponsible with the county’s money. She said the county now is $90 million in debt and facing a shrinking fund balance. “You’ve deceived the taxpayers by telling us you haven’t raised our taxes,” she said.

Dan Meyer, president of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, said the economic development package was a move to retain jobs and wasn’t bailing out a company; it was saving jobs.

He thanked the commissioners for their leadership. “It is not just Tweetsie, it’s not just ticket sales,” Meyer said. “It has far-reaching impacts on our economy.”

J.B. Lawrence, mayor of Blowing Rock, said his town’s council had unanimously supported the incentive package and pointed out the county would be repaid.

“We need to preserve our tourism dollars,” he said. “Please know the town of Blowing Rock supports you 100 percent.”

Tweetsie Railroad president Chris Robbins said he’d received an overwhelming amount of feedback and said his staff had resolved many of the lease issues, and the county’s contribution for land purchase was the “final piece.” “We all know this is in the best long-term interest of Watauga County,” Robbins said.

Tracy Brown, head of the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority, said he’d started out as a young man working for Tweetsie. He said he’d worked with members of the Robbins family and saw the theme park as “development” that preserved jobs.

Rob Holton, chairman of the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority, said the county would buy property and then get its money back in the future. He said Tweetsie was part of the fabric of the community and said the deal ensured the Robbins family would retain ownership. He said Tweetsie Railroad was family oriented and helped bring families to the area. He also pointed out Tweetsie was granting an easement for a greenway that would benefit the public.

Fowler Cooper, chairman of the county’s Economic Development Commission, said the decision protected “a very important asset” and economic generator that the EDC felt was important.

“We have been working on this idea for a long time,” commission chairman Jim Deal said, noting Tweetsie had originally asked for more support with no repayment obligation. He said it’s been the determination of the board to look at the long-term interest of the county in its policies.

“We are purchasing the land,” Deal said. “If the deal falls apart, we still own the land.”

He said the proposal would also allow Tweetsie to enhance the offerings already at the park, and it would expand and appeal to even more visitors. Deal said he’d heard from many people, some of whom were opposed to the plan.

“This is not a giveaway,” he said. “It’s a good investment of county funds.”

“I can’t imagine the county being without it,” said Commissioner Winston Kinsey, adding Appalachian State University and tourism had provided a good local economy.

Commissioner John Cooper said the Robbins family had worked with other local businesses and said other counties had strongly pursued Tweetsie. He said the county’s package helps put lease concerns to rest and said Tweetsie was a “viable organization and a strong member for economic development in the county.”

Commissioner Billy Ralph Winkler said the parties had worked cooperatively to keep the theme park “here where it belongs.”

Deal said when a business shut down, it had a wide impact, with many families having to move out of the area. Deal said he believed the package was an example of the county supporting business in a fiscally responsible way.

In May, the commissioners unanimously approved land purchases and promotional support for the theme park worth around around $4 million. A portion of the money will go for the purchase of two tracts that could have led to lease lapses in the next few years. The 300-acre park sits on several tracts, with about a third of the property owned by Tweetsie and the rest of the property owned by various landowner groups.

Under the incentive package, the county will purchase interest in a 46-acre tract and a 96-acre tract, with a total outlay of $3.15 million. The county’s Tourism Development Authority, using revenues collected through an occupancy tax, would provide $200,000. The county will then lease the property to Tweetsie at $1 a year for six years, at which time Tweetsie could purchase it at market rate, plus any expenses and interest.

The TDA will provide an annual grant of $150,000 for marketing and promotion over the next six years. Tweetsie will make $13 million in park improvements and commit to keeping the park where it opened in 1957.