Rv Parks North Florida

Orange City RV park sold for $6.5M

A recreational vehicle park in Orange City has been sold to a national real estate investment trust for nearly $6.5 million in cash.

Sun Communities Inc., a Southfield, Mich.-based publicly traded REIT that owns 136 mobile home communities and RV parks throughout the country, announced this week its purchase of the 517-unit Orange City RV Resort at 2300 E. Graves Ave. from a limited partnership known as NHC-FL7 L.P.

County records indicate the limited partnership was formed by Newby Management of Ellenton, just north of Bradenton. Newby, according to records, acquired the RV park property in September 1998 in two transactions totaling $4.3 million.

County records show that most of the buildings on the property were first created as a campground in 1966. Additional buildings were added in the early 1980s.

Jim Kerr, the city planner for Orange City, said the property has been an RV park since he moved to the area 28 years ago.

"I remember Alex Chumley -- the former mayor (of Orange City) -- used to take his kids over there," Kerr said of when the property was a campground. "His kids are in their 40s now."

The property was valued last year at almost $4.4 million, property records show.

Orange City RV Resort is Sun's fourth acquisition in Volusia County. In 1994, it bought King's Lake, a DeBary manufactured home community for people aged 55 and up, as well as a mobile home communty called Orange Tree Village in Orange City. In 1997, it acquired Holly Forest, a mobile home community in Holly Hill.

Sun operated 19 communities in Florida as of March 31, according to its first-quarter earnings report.

Before it acquired Orange City RV Resort, Sun provided management services to the community "and has good working knowledge of the property," the company stated in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Sun was established in 1975 and went public with 31 communities in December 1993. It has more than 700 employees, according to Yahoo Finance.

State budget cuts slash into summer fun | 5 Star Campgrounds | RV ...

Budget cuts have forced many state and local parks and recreation programs to scale back or find creative ways to maintain services, even as advocates say more cash-strapped families are seeking cheap ways to enjoy the outdoors this summer.

Since 2009, Massachusetts has closed at least seven state parks, including Ashland State Park, and swimming areas, which may face further cuts in next fiscal year’s budget.

“We definitely miss not having the state park open,” Ashland Recreation Director Kelly Rund said. “It is really a big setback for us.”

Facing financial pressures of their own, towns and cities have often trimmed parks and recreation funding, turning to everything from fees to fundraising to restructuring departments to keep programs afloat.

Wayland and Sudbury, for example, are approaching their second year sharing a parks and recreation director. Several towns have consolidated parks departments with public works. Arlington voters this month approved a $6.5 million override to maintain town services, which will in part stave off cuts in park maintenance and higher field-use fees.

“We’re having to charge people to use our services now,” said Nancy McShea, parks and recreation director for Wayland and Sudbury and president of the Massachusetts Recreation and Parks Association. “For many communities, that’s the only way (parks and recreation programs) survive.”

The Holliston Recreation Department increased the price of Lake Winthrop beach stickers this year for residents and non-residents to help pay for more lifeguard coverage there on the weekends. Resident stickers now cost $40, up from $30. And non-residents will have to pay $80.

“Last year was really tough because we could not have lifeguards on the weekends,” Assistant Recreation Director Kristen Hedrick said. “Most of our programs have stayed the same price because we are trying to be conscious of parents.”

While neither the Milford nor Hopkinton Parks Departments have needed to make any drastic cuts or changes in the last few years, both chose to close local swimming areas an hour early last year as a cost-saving measure.

The timing for budget cuts and higher fees is poor, say environmental groups calling on the state to better fund the Department of Conservation and Recreation. In an economic downturn, more residents are looking for places to spend the summer closer to home, including state and local parks, they said.

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