Halifax Town Eyes New RV Park

Toot’s Creek Antique Mall (Virginia) is one of the first attractions that welcome people who visit the town of Halifax at the southern end on the well-traveled highway 501.

According to a report, that town entrance could become the site of a recreational vehicle park soon. 

Toot’s Creek owner Dean Jones has filed a rezoning request for the RV park located adjacent to his antique mall. The land is currently zoned C-1 for commercial use.

At its November 9 meeting, Halifax Town Council decided to hold a hearing for the next Town of Halifax Planning Commission meeting scheduled for 7. p.m. Wednesday, November 17  to gather feedback regarding the proposed RV park.

The commission will make a recommendation on the rezoning application after the hearing.

“I would like to construct a high-end RV park consisting of approximately 30 RV sites that will be located to the rear and up the hill from Toots Creek Antique Mall,” Jones stated in his proposal.

After the planning commission meeting, the town council will hold another public hearing on Jones’ rezoning request for the park before taking a final vote on the application. The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. December 14.

Jones has modeled the plan for Toots Creek RV park after an RV park located in North Carolina. The proposal includes men’s and women’s bath and shower houses, a laundry area, a playground area, a dumpster site, and RV sites with water, sewer, and electric hookups.

Jones added the signatures of approval from multiple adjacent property owners to his rezoning application. 

Halifax vice-mayor Gail Bosiger commented at the November 9 council meeting that, “It really looks like Mr. Jones has given due diligence to what he is planning.”

A downtown Halifax proprietor of a restaurant, Karen Schopen of Molasses Grill, probed the Council at the council meeting regarding Jones’ preliminary work on the proposed site for the RV park before the approval of the rezoning plan.

“He’s provided preliminary plans, and he’s cleared a site. He still has to get permission to construct what he’s anticipating constructing,” town manager Carl Espy replied.

It’s just the conflict of seeing the development already occurring,” Schopen reaffirmed.

Jones also obtained a verbal agreement with The Virginia Department of Transportation for an entryway for the planned RV park in and out of Highway 501. However, Espy stated that it’s merely a verbal agreement at the moment.

If the rezoning request for the RV Park is granted, this would be Jones’ third business to be located in Halifax. Alongside Toots Creek Antique Mall, Jones plans to start Toots Creek Mini Storage on the lower floor of Toots Creek Antique Mall in the spring of 2022.

Jones stated in his proposal for the RV park that Toots Creek Antique Mall attracts shoppers across the country. Jones views the RV park as a chance to generate more income for Halifax town.

“Just like Toots Creek Antique Mall, Toots Creek RV Park will be a destination for guests to stay, shop, and spend money in the town of Halifax instead of going elsewhere,” Jones states in his rezoning application.

In addition to the business discussed at last month’s meeting, the town council unanimously approved the appointment of Frank Carr to the town of Halifax Planning Commission for a term through January 2025. The council also voted unanimously to ratify the appointment of Phillip Daniel Lloyd to the Halifax County Service Authority board of directors to complete Kelly Phillips’ term through 2022. Halifax police chief Stuart Comer also presented his department’s report for October.