Times Observer file photo by Brian Ferry The first recommendation provided to the Kinzua Market Initiative proposes a “small scale resort” at Kinzua Beach. That would include cabins of varying sizes, RV sites and an outdoor event venue.

Last year, the Kinzua Marketing Initiative was born to try to develop a plan for the future of the area in and around Kinzua Beach.

The state-funded effort brought a consultant in to examine what might be possible in that area.

The first recommendation? A ‘small-scale’ resort.

Jim Decker, president/CEO of the Warren County Chamber of Business & Industry, said the proposed location is Kinzua Beach and would include “various levels and sizes of cabins” as well as RV sites and an expanded outdoor event venue.

This isn’t the first time a resort was proposed for Kinzua Beach.

The last time it prompted a visceral reaction in the community.

But the use of the term “resort” might have been part of the problem in fueling such a negative response.

“We believe that the negative reaction to the development of Kinzua Beach previously stemmed largely from the lack of definition of what the development would truly look like and what the impact of the development would be on those using the reservoir and ANF,” Decker said.

“The term “resort” is exceptionally broad in terms of amenities and scale and without (a) clear definition of what amenities and scale is planned within a development the true impact is easily exaggerated.”

The impetus here isn’t pure financial gain, either.

Decker said that roughly 40 percent of the county’s land mass is national forest and explained that the Forest Service has not provided funding over the last 60 years — since the creation of the Kinzua Dam — to maintain the assets that were initially installed.

“We have this beautiful gem of an attraction that is totally underutilized,” he said. “(We are) trying to bring folks here to substandard facilities.”

The proposal at Kinzua Beach marks an attempt to “try to capitalize a little better on what we have.”

Data generated as a result of this planning process also leads organizers to think the reaction to a proposal like this might be different than last time.

“As we have moved through the current evaluation process we have strived to gain as much input as possible from as broad an audience as possible,” Decker said. “We engaged CHM Government Services to manage the collection and interpretation of current activities in the hospitality industry sectors throughout the region through focus group meetings in both Warren and McKean Counties.

“These meetings provided CHM insights into what our region has, what the region desires in terms of expanded or new hospitality offerings as well as what types of activities and offerings are not desired or considered appropriate.”

The “over-arching directive” from the consultant, he stressed “was that retaining and acknowledging the heritage and character of our region and the Kinzua area specifically was paramount to any development proposed.”

Decker said a financial feasibility study for the proposal was started a couple weeks ago and should be completed in a couple weeks.

That study “will be looking at the cost of the proposed Small Scale Resort elements which include 18 cabins of varying sizes, 25 full hook-up RV sites and an event pavilion and, based upon similar developments in other areas of the US,” he explained.

The review will look at “potential utilization levels” to “assess the likelihood of private sector investment interest.”

The analysis won’t include infrastructure — electric, water, sewer, telecom — costs and that’s a strategic decision.

Decker said the aim is to “ensure that the level of above-ground private investment is viable before we expend the resources needed to develop the infrastructure designs and cost estimates.

“If the assessment indicates positive investment potential we will move forward, if it does not indicate investment potential we will reassess what improvements to current assets in the area can be brought to fruition,” he said.