CLINTWOOD, VA – APRIL 18, 2023 – When Sarah and Michael Oquin bought the marina located on the Flannagan Reservoir in Dickenson County at 598 Marina Cove in Clintwood, Va., and renamed it the Mountain View Marina & Campground, they planned not only to operate the marina, but also to expand the variety of experiences offered there from being a place to park a boat, to also be a place to launch from for any number of water sports including fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding and pedal boating. The marina will also offer dry dock storage, a campground and cabin rentals in the future as it grows.
Mountain View Marina & Campground, LLC was a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant.
“Mountain View Marina & Campground, LLC has added to the variety of tourism options available in Dickenson County since it opened, expanding to offer not only boat parking and other water sport options for their patrons, but also beginning to develop planning to offer camping on-site as well,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “The business projects three full-time and six part-time employees within five years.”
Sarah Oquin noted when they purchased the property, the first thing they did was tear down the old dock and build a new one. Currently, there are 46 boat slips for 24-foot and under boats and seven slips for larger enclosed pontoons and houseboats that have electricity available.
An additional 30-40 new boat slips are planned to be added this spring. Two houseboats docked there are available as rentals and plans for the future include building a campground with full hook-up RV sites and cabins. Some primitive camping is being planned to be added by summer and a swimming pool is also planned as the marina and campground grow.
Docking fees are $100 per month for any boat 24-foot or smaller; $175 for the enclosed pontoons with power hookups; and $225 for 40-foot and above houseboats with power hookups.
Plans also call for the addition of more parking on a separate lot to allow boaters to leave their trailers on the property instead of having to haul them back and forth. Monthly fees apply based on the trailer size. Dry storage sites are also being planned with monthly rates in the five-month off-season during late fall and winter.
In addition to boat storage, the marina also offers rentals including those for paddle boats, paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, pontoon boats and fishing poles.
An on-site bait shop, a battery charging station, vending machines and more are also found on the property.
Oquin noted the VCEDA grant was critical to the success of the new business.
“We were definitely backed up against the wall as we had already purchased much of what we needed and funds were tight,” Oquin said. “It was a saving grace to us.”
The Oquins worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in developing their application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority.
“Mountain View Marina & Campground, LLC offers a unique outdoor experience for locals and tourists,” said Margie Douglass, SBDC program manager at SWCC. “It is exciting to watch the effort and heart that the Oquins have put into their business. The love they have for the outdoors and their desire to provide a quality space for the community to enjoy shows in the plans they have for the marina. This project will promote tourism in the area which will in turn bring growth to other local businesses and the economy. We congratulate them on being awarded a $10,000 VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund Grant and look forward to working with them in the future.”
“The Dickenson County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) recognizes that a potential barrier for new business in the community is access to seed capital,” said Dana Cronkhite, Dickenson County IDA executive director. “We are pleased to work in collaboration with the SBDC and VCEDA to assist
Dickenson County entrepreneurs with obtaining those funds in order to support business development in our community. In an area that has such beautiful scenery and options for outdoor sports, we are pleased to provide support to Mountain View Marina and Campground, as we know this business not only allows for recreational activities for our local citizens, but also provides a much-needed destination for tourists, which is one of our county’s primary assets. We are eager to see the continued growth
and success of this beautiful Dickenson County destination.”
Mountain View Marina & Campground may be reached by calling 276-210-3480 and may also be found on Facebook.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses, within qualifying business categories, one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.