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View Full Version : Grand plans for Afton Mountain still on hold



johnnybgood
11-07-2010, 14:02
Sen. Emmit Hanger has a vision for developing a hotel/convention center and Artisans center at the Afton Mountain entrance to Shenandoah Nat'l Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway ,as part of his "grand entrance" to the Shenandoah Valley.
The owner of the property which hosts a collection of rundown vacant buildings that sit adjacent to the unattractive Rockfish Gap Visitors Center is still hesitant of selling the nine acre plot which sits off us 250 and I-64.

The project Sen. Hanger proposed more than 2 years ago would still need state and federal funds to get it done , but now will not be in place -as hoped by the 75th year anniversary festivities for Shenandoah Nat'l Park.

The local economy of Waynesboro , a trail town located 3 miles down Rt.250 from the entrance, would certainly also benefit from this ,as park tourists would have hotel accommodations where only an aging Afton Inn now exists.

The idea has local politicians and state officials in full support and hopefully it won't be abandoned like so many of the buildings in question.

mad4scrapping
11-07-2010, 16:41
this would be a wonderful at the entrance. It really looks tacky now. Plus, why did they relocate the visitor center so far up the hill? The last thing a tired hiker wants to do after leaving the rail is climb another hill!

Ol Mole
11-07-2010, 18:46
I hope it will work out as the buildings there are really serving little good. I have mixed feelings though about bring even more crowds to the gap. Some days it is hard to work your way through the crowd.

It is a beautiful place with good potential.