Averill Hospitality supports RV park workshop

Averill Hospitality would like to express our full support for the city of Sandpoint’s upcoming community workshop to explore the future of the City Beach RV Park. We appreciate the city’s leadership in creating a public process where residents can share their vision for how this vital waterfront parcel can best serve the community today and in the future.

We are genuinely excited to hear what Sandpoint residents want for this area of City Beach. This property represents a unique opportunity to improve public access, strengthen recreational amenities, and enhance year-round use for families, local organizations, and visitors alike. Your voice matters in shaping what this space can become. We would like to clarify our intentions. We have no desire to own or lease city land. We want to be part of the solution in creating an even more accessible City Beach. We are in full support of the community to ensure City Beach remains a vital community asset and gathering place for current and future generations to enjoy.

We also want to acknowledge that the RV Park generates revenue for the city and that this is an important consideration for many community members. Averill Hospitality is committed to being a responsible partner and is willing to work with the City to establish a Community Enhancement Fund to offset any revenue lost should the City and community ultimately choose a different use for the site. This funding would come from the new Edgewater Resort and would be dedicated specifically to maintenance and improvements at City Beach, ensuring that the park remains a vibrant and well-maintained public asset.

We have operated the current Edgewater Resort for a few years now. Our experience is that the park is highly desirable for both locals and visitors. However, the lack of parking negatively impacts access to the park, and vehicles using the public boat launch often park in the lot and take up two or more spaces, further straining the existing supply. We understand there are many potential uses for this land, and we believe that expanded parking should be part of the community discussion.

The Cox family, longtime community members, established the RV site to work in conjunction with their neighboring hotel as a revenue source. The RV site worked well for that purpose, but because it was privately developed, it did not consider broader community needs or long-term public benefit. This is reflected in multiple community studies focused on the City Beach area, none of which identified an RV park as the best use for the site. As a result, the RV park is not included in the 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the 2023 Downtown Design Plan, or the 2024 Comprehensive Plan.

We are honored to invest in Sandpoint’s future and to partner with the city and community as we collectively envision what’s next for City Beach. We hope every resident will participate by submitting

feedback through the city’s survey or by attending the workshop, and we look forward to listening, learning, and contributing constructively to this important conversation.

BRIAN AVERILL

Whitefish, Mont.

Owner

Averill Hospitality