MinnieMom Campground

The Carolina Camping Club facebook event notice went out at 6am this morning. This will be a joint event with the CCC for a working weekend so that select SC campers can enjoy a preview of Standing Pines Resort while it is under construction. We marketed this as a free camping event with many CCC activities with a request for social media sharing and participation in simple work projects during the weekend.

It's been a very active morning of sign ups and chat for a working weekend at Standing Pines Resort for May 17-20! In just a few hours, we have 18 signed up to participate with an additional 27 maybes. With an anticipated hard limit of 50 families for this weekend, we are going to fill up months in advance. This should be fantastic for marketing, communication and building an early sense of community/ownership.

This should be a great deal of fun!

Just in case that link does not work, here's the text for the event page:

Special Carolina Camping Club Event at Standing Pines Resort

Welcome friends! We're thrilled to invite you to an exclusive opportunity to be a part of the beginner with Standing Pines Resort. From May 17-20, 2024, the Carolina Camping Club is hosting a unique camping weekend where members can experience resort construction firsthand.

While the exact amenities available during this construction phase are still in flux, our commitment to ensuring a memorable experience remains unwavering. Because utility access will depend on the construction schedule, it is best to plan for a primitive camping experience. Every guest will have a private designated camping spot and access to over 40 acres of lush woodland for exploration and relaxation. If utilities do become available prior to the event, we will message all registered guests.

During your stay, you will be welcome to join development projects such as painting signs, assembling outdoor furniture, planting seedlings, and more. These engaging, voluntary projects are designed to build both the resort and connections within our camping community.

Your participation matters, and your contribution will be invaluable in shaping the future of Standing Pines Resort. Connect with nature, forge new friendships, and leave your mark on our beautiful grounds!

Be part of history in the making! At this time, participation will be limited to the first 50 families to sign up. Please review the FAQ for more information. If this is for you, please sign up using this link!



Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Is this a family-friendly event? Absolutely! This event is designed for families. Children are welcome, but they must be accompanied by a responsible adult throughout the event. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are also welcome on the property. Please note, however, that this is an active construction site, so all participants assume any associated risks.

Will there be electricity? Water? Sewer? Utility availability will depend on the construction timeline. Further details will be shared when we know which, if any, utilities will be accessible during the event.

What can I do during this working weekend? There's plenty to enjoy! The Carolina Camping Club (CCC) will organize engaging events, while Standing Pines Resort (SPR) will coordinate various projects and preview tours. Additionally, take time to have fun, play, and explore the beautiful surroundings. Spectacular sunsets and family-favorite stargazing sessions can be experienced by a cozy campfire or along the enchanting forest walking paths.

Will there be any fees for participating in the event? No, this is a special event organized by the Carolina Camping Club, and there won't be any participation fees. It's an opportunity for our community members to enjoy a unique camping experience while contributing to the resort's development.

Can I bring my own tools or equipment for the activities? Absolutely! While we'll provide necessary tools for the planned activities, bringing your own equipment can be helpful. We recommend basic tools such as gloves, small gardening tools, and any specific equipment you prefer using.

What should I bring for the camping weekend? Please bring your camping gear, including tents, sleeping bags, cooking utensils, and personal items. Additionally, consider bringing appropriate clothing for outdoor work and sturdy footwear.

What happens if there's inclement weather during the weekend? The event will proceed rain or shine, but in case of severe weather conditions, some activities might be rescheduled or adjusted for safety reasons. We'll keep attendees informed of any changes.

Will meals be provided during the event? Meals are not included as part of the event. We plan to provide designated spots for outdoor cooking if preferred. A local cafeteria style restaurant is less than 1 mile from the resort property and many excellent restaurants are available within a 15 minute drive.

Will there be parking available for RVs or trailers? Yes, we plan to have designated parking areas suitable for RVs and trailers. The reservation link requests information on your rig to help designate spaces.

Can attendees arrive before the event or stay after it concludes? Unfortunately, due to ongoing construction activities, early arrival or extended stays before or after the event may not be possible. The designated event dates are specified to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.

Will there be Wi-Fi or cellular service available on-site? While we cannot guarantee Wi-Fi or cellular service due to the remote location and ongoing construction, some carriers might have limited reception. We encourage attendees to plan accordingly for connectivity needs.

After lots of spreadsheet work yesterday, I've crossed my fingers and sent the updated costs and prepaids over to the bank team this morning. I am proposing we move the cost of paving the roads out of the construction loan altogether. That change, along with the other cost management that has resulted in every single early construction activity so far coming in below budget, gets us to the numbers and percentages explained to me as required to close the construction loan. Now, the key question is whether the bank will consider paved versus gravel roads a substantial enough change to the commercial valuation in the appraisal to deny this proposal.

That email to the bank highlighted the announced CCC work weekend and high level of participation as an example of creative problem solving and cost management. I also included a reference to on-going investor outreach, as we do believe we will continue to see additional investors come on board. The issue is timing, so getting the construction loan approved now essentially buys us the 6-8 months to secure investor funds to pay for paving the roads while we build.

The fun thing from yesterday was checking out all the construction changes from last week. WOW! The construction entrance is complete from the public road, allowing that last little stretch of silt fencing connecting to it to be finished as well. The spot for the Welcome Center has been marked by the surveyors. Excavation for the pond has started, with the beginnings of that soil moving to some valleys in the amenity/phase II area as planned to level out that part of the park.

We had about 4" of rain on Sunday from the east cost storm. Happily, the sand here drained all of that water quickly. The only place we had any standing water was in the pond. While that is frustrating for our GC as he wanted his crew to continue to dig out the area of the pond where the water sat, it was fantastic to see that part of the pond holding water. One concern from the soil analysis is that while this is great soil for backfill and compaction, it is almost too good at drainage. It seemed very likely we would have to line the pond with clay to get it to hold water. That may still be the case, but at least now there is the possibility we can compact the floor of the pond enough to hold water without a clay lining. That is great from a budget and timeline perspective. However, perhaps the best part was seeing for the first time how that part of the park will look once we have the pond. Although less than 1/3 the total area planned for water held any water, it shows this is going to a lovely feature area for SPR when it is finished and landscaped.

Happy 2024!!

Craig and I celebrated yesterday by walking the land where the Welcome Center will be. We used the floorplan to roughly draw out the lines of the future walls. That was a fun way to start the new year!



It also turned out to be very timely, as the crew was back at work today. I'll do another video for an update later, showing the loads of dirt from the pond excavation being used to grade out the building site. At this point, I expect the foundation work to be completed by the middle of February for the Welcome Center, while work excavating the pond and moving that dirt to backfill some parts of the property to grade continues over the next couple of months.

We are off to a good start in the new year! Please cross your fingers for us that the bank accepts the proposal to close the construction loan this month. That's a Very Big Deal.

As excavation continues on the pond, I'm trying to really wrap my head around the size. Per the civil engineering drawings, it will be 3.05 acres (132,858 sq ft). I used google earth to do some rough comparisons with bodies of water at WDW to try to visualize what this could look like once it is completed.

3 acres is basically the size of the river surrounding the main part of Tom Sawyer Island in the Magic Kingdom. This is the most helpful to me, as I've spent a fair amount of time over the years looking from the haunted mansion wait line or the Lilly Belle boarding area towards Thunder Mountain at different points along that waterline.  Our pond will not have a big island in the middle of it, but the size is about right. 


Or about the size of the water used for the old Rivers of Light night show in Animal Kingdom.


Of course, this google screenshot is from before we started excavation. As soon as we have a calm (non-windy) day, DH will take some more drone footage and it will be easier to see the footprint for our pond.


This is back to the forefront, as DH Craig had a brilliant idea Thursday. Originally, the pond was going to be 6' deep. While the DHEC permit only requires 4', going the two extra feet is likely to make future pond maintenance easier. Evidently, emergent vegetation is much more of a problem with a 4 foot pond than a 6 foot pond. But digging another 2 feet down over 3 acres and moving that dirt is not cheap, so some time ago we reluctantly accepted the financial need and went with the 4 feet deep plan. On our daily drive inspecting the construction silt fence line and progress, we stopped to watch some pond excavation in progress and how it would look once complete with the berms blocking the public road. This triggered a new thought and Craig speculated out loud about the possibility of using some of the excavated pond dirt to build another berm along the perimeter of the pond to build it up to the total 6 feet depth.

Intriguing. Very intriguing. We talked to my Dad about it that night, as he was in construction for decades. Dad said that might work, then told us about another project near the coast in SC that used this berm method to build up a stormwater pond. So yesterday, I talked to our GC. His initial reaction was very positive, although he was clear this was a significantly large change that it would have to approved by the civil engineer for the project. I called and emailed our civil engineer yesterday. No response yet, but I'll probably hear from him next week. I suspect he will support this direction, but most likely will spec it for wide berms that essentially extend to include the planned walking path around the pond. That's fine. It might actually be helpful for moving all that dirt.

More generally, Clemson University is a great source of info. They published this handy guide to stormwater ponds. This was the best resource I found for breaking this project down into something I could understand easily. hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/stormwater-ponds-inspection-and-maintenance-considerations/ I think it may be close to time to reach out to the Clemson extension group to see if they can help us with more granular planning such as recommended aquatic plants and fish. This is getting a little ahead, as the first step is digging the pond and second step is ensuring it holds water. But clearly the time is coming when we will need to have a detailed plan for this pond. I'd like to make sure we maximize it for beauty and recreation.

And yes, this did in fact take all day yesterday just to communicate and get the wheels turning for this possibility. The idea is the easy part. Implementation is the work.

I did not hear from the bank by 4:30, so I followed up. I'll spare everyone the specifics, but it was another encouraging conversation without a commitment. Yesterday's guy said he need today's guy to be on board; today's guy said he needs another team member to be on board. I pushed pretty hard on this call, sharing some timeline concerns and the reason we need to press ahead now (open by Sept 1 to book Darlington NASCAR race fans for our grand opening weekend).

At least there seems to be good consistency with the two different bank agents I talked to yesterday and today. Albeit with some caveats, they both seemed to indicate they were going to move ahead with my proposal to close the loan now, without requiring additional investors.

I have not told the bank we are putting in a little bit more money of our own. So if some new cost or fee or interest rate assumption changes the math, we have a tiny ace up the sleeve to use. Fingers crossed.

In addition to the good news, yesterday's local community update meeting at the chamber also went very well. Lots of interest, lots of participation and lots of follow up afterwards already. Below are the slides from that update deck.