7 minute read
Glamping: Are We Entitled to Entitlements?
By Todd Wynne-Parry
Ask any glamping brand executive to name their top impediment to growth, and they will say: “Entitlements”. Why is this the case? Glamping is providing a new and more approachable way for nature lovers to experience the great outdoors. To connect with the natural world and grow a new appreciation for the environment. Right? These are all good things. So why is the process of obtaining a municipality’s approval to develop a glamping project halting so many new developments?
The case for demand outstripping supply for this product is quite compelling. The economic benefit of having a glamping destination in an otherwise remote rural area is also clear. The fact is there is often an inherent dilemma in the quest for glamping development.
On the one hand, we are all generally committed to being good custodians of Mother Nature and the greater good of exposing more souls to her beauty. But at what cost? Many times, residents in these desirable locations are understandably at odds with a new glamping development.
GLAMPING’S MOTTE & BAILEY FALLACY
The Motte (the defensible argument) is that glamping is good because it offers a low impact and hopefully more sustainable version of accommodation. Who doesn’t want that? The Bailey (the less defensible argument) is that because this is an altruistic approach to providing accommodation, all glamping developments should be approved.
Of course, that is a fallacy. Not all glamping projects are entitled to permits based solely on their good intentions. As we have seen several high-profile brands have projects denied approval in many key outdoor destinations. New York’s Catskills, California’s Joshua Tree (or just California in general) to name a few, have had would-be glamping projects thwarted. These projects would arguably bring added employment and new revenue to local businesses and governments. But local governments and their citizens coalesced, and their interests prevailed.
WHAT’S THE RUB?
Where the rubber hits the road and skids is similar across the country. Glamping projects tend to be located where antiquated or insufficient infrastructure is stressed under heavy seasonal visitation. Therefore, local governments struggle to balance their need to preserve their natural environment while serving the needs of their constituents’ livelihoods that depend on visitor dollars.
Destinations such as Lake Tahoe and Sedona are clear examples where this issue challenges local planning departments daily. Traffic congestion and limited workforce or workforce housing tend to be common arguments against any new accommodation development. Environmental issues requiring local, regional, or federal approval can also derail many projects. Locations where the land has poor septic percolation, dwindling water supply or threateningly low flood plain levels can make the cost of mitigation kill the project’s economics.
In some instances, all the above limitations on growth are clearly warranted. Adding to that strong local no-growth argument, many times the developer did not foresee the difficulty in obtaining public support. Another dubious tactic is to go for the moonshot (say applying for 200 units and hoping to settle for 80) and having that backfire by scaring the bejesus out of the residents.
The Path Of Least Resistance
When the glamping development is either replacing a deteriorated campground or RV Park with a higher caliber or sustainable style of accommodation the argument for increasing pressure on existing infrastructure is mitigated. In this case, or for a smaller insignificant addition to the accommodation supply, there are some effective guidelines to avoiding a brick wall in your development process.
Before we start that journey though, there is one key fact about entitlements. That is: every jurisdiction is completely unique. From California to Georgia, North Dakota to Texas all state, regional and local authorities can have vastly different approval processes and more importantly a wide variety of definitions for glamping, campgrounds, accommodation, and zoning types. Therefore, the guidelines or approaches to getting entitlements that work in one jurisdiction may be completely useless for another.
With that basic understanding, the first step to the process is to have a clear understanding of your vision or your development plan. That is, you must have a very clear idea of what you plan to build and who your customer will be. This includes a full understanding of the construction plan, the operations program, and the human resource needs.
It will also be good practice to understand the potential positive and negative impacts on the local community and natural environment. Hopefully, your preliminary due diligence would have come up positive on your ability to build what you want to build.
THE HOMEWORK
It is critical to know what similar projects in the same jurisdiction were approved or denied approval and why over the last five to ten years. This homework may require going through the freedom of information act, reading through exhaustive hearing minutes, and identifying who was involved with the projects as applicants as well as the individuals that made the planning decisions.
Knowing who the successful local land-use attorneys, architects, civil engineers, and consultants is critical as these key players need to be on your team. You need to have local representation that is familiar to the authority. It makes no sense to enter a planning committee hearing and present as a complete outsider. You need to have someone that lives in and participates in the local community advocating on your behalf. This local forward approach will save you time and money. Set aside the ego and the excitement about your project. Keep your eye on the prize and delegate the community outreach to a member of the community.
Developing a glamping site has challenges even when the project is completely entitled. But when the project is a net benefit for the region and the local community, the juice is almost always worth the squeeze. Luckily there are like minded individuals and firms across the country that can assist with everything from site selection, site analysis, feasibility, and the dreaded entitlement process.
You might not be entitled to entitlement, but if you have done your homework and selected a site that has a clear pathway to development and a feasible business plan, you should be granted the privilege of offering this great product to the market.
About Todd Wynne-Parry
A seasoned leader in the hospitality industry, Todd has over 30 years of hotel development experience, having held senior leadership positions at several major hotel brands and most recently AutoCamp and Two Roads Hospitality. A dual-citizen of the US and Australia, Wynne-Parry has lived and worked in the U.S., Asia, Australia and the United Kingdom. He was instrumental in the development efforts for IHG, Starwood and Marriott in the Asia Pacific region and for Two Roads Hospitality globally. He began his career as a hotel consultant in the San Diego office of Laventhol & Horwath, the predecessor to Horwath HTL. He is now Managing Director of Horwath HTL and leads the Outdoor Hospitality practice for North America. Horwath HTL is the largest independent hospitality consultancy with 52 offices worldwide.
Todd earned an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and sits on the advisory council of the American Glamping Association. In his spare time, Todd enjoys fly fishing and exploring the western US in his 1953 Airstream.
