Zipline business gets OK from the Grayson Planning Commission

Could create 12-15 jobs in Whitetop

 

 

By Amy Boucher

 

INDEPENDENCE – A new tourism business that could employ 12-15 people seasonally in Whitetop got a green light from Grayson County’s zoning authorities Tuesday night.

Hawksnest zipline operator Lenny Cottom got unanimous approval from the county planning commission for a zipline operation near the start of the Virginia Creeper Trail on a Christmas tree farm owned by Doyle Hensley.

The special use permit still must be approved by the Grayson Board of Supervisors.

Only Cottom spoke at a public hearing on the matter.

He said he has operated Hawksnest Zipline near Boone for five years. The Whitetop zipline will have four legs and be about .75 mile long, with the ride lasting 20-25 minutes. The platforms for each leg will be staffed with employees who fasten the harnesses. He said the operation will have “minimal impact” on the site. “We’ll maybe take down a few trees,” but trees are part of the attraction. “The views up there are great,” he said.

The businesses will likely operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from May through October. He hopes to capitalize on the estimated 250,000 people who ride the Creeper Trail annually. The cost for the ride will be $30-$35, he said. The zipline will be open to customers 5 years old and older.

Cottom has a 10-year contract with Hensley and said his investment in the zipline will be “in the high five figures.”

Zoning Administrator Elaine Holeton said Cottom would have a utility trailer office and portable toilets and wash stations, but would need to build permanent restrooms after the first year due to health department regulations. She said the business is in accord with Grayson’s Comprehensive Plan, which calls for tourism promotion.

Commission Member Brian Walls was concerned about medical attention for any injuries.

Cottom said he has never had any serious injuries in his five years of operation. He handles 80,000 customers per year in a variety of adventure sports and has injuries requiring an ambulance about once to twice a year. He said his staff has rudimentary first aid training but strives to make an injured person comfortable until professional help arrives. Most injuries result from customers disobeying instructions, he said. “It’s a lot safer than people riding on bicycles, for sure.”

Walls wanted to require the business to have two employees trained in first aid and CPR on duty at all times, but the commission did not make this a requirement of the special use permit. The commission encouraged Cottom to hire employees with first aid training and he said he would make an effort to do so. The site is a mile from the Mount Rogers Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department.