August eNewsletter

4 Key Considerations for RV Resort Design

BY DENNIS TONSOR

For many outdoor enthusiasts, the sights and sounds of a good camping trip are nostalgic and universal: a crackling campfire, the smell of woodsmoke and roasting marshmallows, the sense of being disconnected from stress and surrounded by nature. The whole experience of camping may as well be an antidote specifically designed to counteract the maladies of modern life – whether it be technology, current events, a hectic schedule, a sedentary lifestyle, or all of the above; camping offers an opportunity to disconnect from the bad and reconnect with the good. As life gets ever more stressful, it is no surprise that camping is rising in popularity in the United States. According to the 2019 North American Camping Report, the number of camper households in the U.S. has increased by 7 million since 2014, and the percentage who camp three or more times annually has increased by 72%.¹

Likewise, the RV industry has grown significantly over the past decade, contributing a $50 billion annual economic impact in the U.S. alone.² Here at RVi we have noticed a corresponding uptick in RV resort development and are excited to be involved in this growing market sector. Since 2016 we have provided planning & landscape architecture services for multiple clients for more than two dozen RV Resort Communities. These efforts have taken us from the Carolina Coast to the Cascade Mountains and numerous places in between.

Our approach to designing RV Resorts is intimately intertwined with our firm’s purpose – to inspire people to be outside and engage in the community around them. With creative planning and design, these destinations have the opportunity to connect people with nature and with one another in a way that few other vacation options can offer. The following four ingredients are important to consider when developing successful destination RV Resorts.

Surprise City Council Approves Annexation and Rezoning for Marisol Ranch

In late June, the Surprise City Council members unanimously approved annexation and zoning changes of approximately 634 acres for Marisol Ranch, a residential master planned community designed to promote an environmentally sensitive approach to development by preserving and enhancing significant portions of this pristine desert property.

This is significant for the City of Surprise because it provides a level of control for creating quality growth that was not there when the project was not annexed and under the County’s sole jurisdiction. The project will contribute a significant amount of funding to pay for extending new City infrastructure in this portion of Surprise through a signed development agreement as well as new residential property and commercial sales taxes when constructed. The project will also tie into the City’s planned trails, open space and circulation elements of their development vision.

Landscape Architecture Meets Industrial Design: A Peek Behind the Curtain at Landscape Forms 

Close your eyes and imagine your favorite park. What memories do you have from this special place? Perhaps as a child you spun happily for hours on the merry go round with your best friend. Or, maybe as a parent you sweated through many a soccer match while cheering on your kids. Our memories of outdoor spaces are generally colored by the experiences we’ve had in them. Rarely do we notice or remember the details – the tread on the merry go round that helped keep us from slipping, the light poles that illuminated an evening soccer match.

As designers, it is our job to consider all of these details that go into creating positive outdoor experiences for the end user. On this note, RVi recently had the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the site furnishing manufacturing process at the Landscape Forms facilities in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The tour chronicled the development of products from conception through design, engineering, manufacturing, finishing, and ultimately shipping to the site.

In Other News

Welcome to RVi!

Byron Easton has joined the Tempe office as a Land Planner.
Shawn Byron has joined the Tempe office as a Project Manager.

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