New neighbor construction update w/photos

[tltay2005]

Just watched a live video of someone at the Fort now. They have started construction on the new DVC area. They are starting across from Clementine Beach and will be demolishing the barn and pony ride area. They said the pony rides would be moved up to the front next to the trail ride barn. Not sure about the draft horses and their barn, but I hope those also will be moved up front. That would be a Fort treasure lost if they do not rebuild. Makes me sad to see parts of the Fort destroyed for the new DVC resort . Progress is inevitable, but still sad. We will be there in a few weeks and I plan on scoping out the area and will report back with progress and pictures.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We were there until Feb 22nd. lots of stakes in the area around the beach and the barns. I believe some were for silt fencing placement but other were marked as boundary lines. There is also a temporary light tower near the beach in River country as well as other temporary lighting thats on all night, my guess was that it was to keep people from making a last ditch effort to get an RC souvenir ?
There is significant clearing going on to the East of the Stolport area, its at least 50 ft wide and extends into the woods towards where the new development will be. It starts right across from where the new ramp comes in.

 

[Christine raynor]

Will we see much from the main area around Crocket's, the beach and the intersection by loop 700?

 

[tiggerdad]

We were there until Feb 22nd. lots of stakes in the area around the beach and the barns. I believe some were for silt fencing placement but other were marked as boundary lines. There is also a temporary light tower near the beach in River country as well as other temporary lighting thats on all night, my guess was that it was to keep people from making a last ditch effort to get an RC souvenir ?
There is significant clearing going on to the East of the Stolport area, its at least 50 ft wide and extends into the woods towards where the new development will be. It starts right across from where the new ramp comes in.

How far into the beach were the stakes if you recall.

 

[tltay2005]

How far into the beach were the stakes if you recall.

The video did not focus on the beach as much as the grassy area across from it. This is the area they were walking through. The stakes were pretty close to the walkway. There was already some small pieces of construction equipment there also.

 

[tltay2005]

Will we see much from the main area around Crocket's, the beach and the intersection by loop 700?

Most will be blocked from view by TE and Pioneer Hall.

 

[tigger92662]

Just watched a live video of someone at the Fort now.

Did you see this video on Youtube or someplace else. Curious to watch. Thanks

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

There were stakes all the way along the walkway from the bus stop to Pioneer hall and along the walkway between PH and the playground all the way to the dock sidewalk.

 

[tiggerdad]

There were stakes all the way along the walkway from the bus stop to Pioneer hall and along the walkway between PH and the playground all the way to the dock sidewalk.

That's what I was afraid of

 

[tltay2005]

Did you see this video on Youtube or someplace else. Curious to watch. Thanks

facebook.

 

[tltay2005]

They have also closed the bike/walking path to the WL.

 

[friendofeeyore]

So sad!

 

[Teamubr]

I found these plans online tonight here.

They show the same general outline of the area the resort will go that we have seen before. They also include details for a large building and parking lot across from the Settlement bus stop, near the current cart parking lot behind the 700 loop. From the zoomed in pics, the plans show what looks like loading docks on one and and labeled "Trash (dumpster pad)" on the asphalt at one end. There are parking spots in front, but not enough to support an actual resort public building. Guessing, but I suspect this is a support building for the new resort.

I'm not getting concerned yet, but the outline on the overlay does include the Fort beach, but it also has an odd circle in front of the trading post between TE and the TP where there is cart parking now.



j

 

[Corgidad]

Teamubr
I believe this is the plans for the new Horse barn.

 

[bama_ed]

Teamubr
I believe this is the plans for the new Horse barn.

Doggone it, Mike, you beat me to it.

I was busy downloading documents and snipping pictures.

Yes it's the new TCD. Not moving up to the Outpost after all.

In the design documents, I came across this drawing overlayed on a satellite photo. Note the new extension of Wilderness Road and the existing walking trail above that in the upper left corner.



Later on in the package there was a more clear drawing showing what appear to be stalls on both sides of the long rectangular building.



I am guessing that square on the right corner outside the barn is the Farrier's Shed (where they shoe the horses). The existing one near the pony ride will be torn down.

Note the green Pond C they are going to have to dig out to catch rain run-off from the pavement around the new barn. The dirt from there will be put behind Creekside Meadow group camping area near the new access road coming in from the STOL area to the road by Creekside and loop 2000 called Frontier Way. You can see the edge of loop 900 on the far right and Creekside would be in the middle.



I am glad they are keeping the TCD down in the same area. It would be a nice diversion/draw for the guests staying at the new hotel.

Bama Ed

PS - I have a cousin up in Ohio, same age as me, who is a farrier. He's semi-retired now, just works the horse shows on weekends in case there is an emergency that comes up. Easy money for him. He got tired of getting kicked in the knees by the horses.

 

[bama_ed]

Teamubr,

It looks like the work off the corner of the Trails End porch is some grading. Since that is the general area where the Christmas tree goes, I wonder if they will make that more of a display area that they can rotate the Tree, Halloween items, or signs in and out more easily. That's a high foot-traffic area with good visibility (coming off the boat or walking around from behind TE from the new resort.



Here is a legend and notes so you know what the symbols and such mean.



Up by the beach, it looks like they are going to take out the playground area and silt fence down to the rock at the water's edge and up near the marina building. Not a good look.



It appears that the row of big trees separating the beach from the current playground will remain.

All of this is brought to you courtesy of:



Bama Ed

 

[amcc]

I wonder why they are clearing the playground and green area between TE and the beach? That’s very intrusive into the Fort and doesn’t bode well for Clementines beach to stay intact. As mentioned before, the limits of construction do extend out to the beach

Don’t you think they are going to have a new dock for the new resort? It would be quite a walk from the existing dock to the new resort. Maybe they are going to move the dock and build a new joint one. Will all the current overgrown areas between the beach and River Country be cleared. I’m just wondering how much these resorts will be integrated. Riviera is completely independent from Caribbean Beach - will this be like that or will the campground grounds be incorporated as an amenity into the new resort. I’ve got several trips to the Fort coming up so will take pictures to see the progress.

 

[tiggerdad]

I figured they would move TCD up front like the ponies to keep all the horses together in one location, but now that I think about it, the horses kept at TCD aren't used for riding so it makes sense to keep the riding areas together and the "show horses" together.

It really never made sense to me how if the oldest DD wanted to ride a horse she had to go to the front of FW where if the youngest DD wanted to ride she had to go to the back of FW. At least this puts all the riding in one place. I suppose the carriage rides could now start at the new TCD instead of in front of TE also.

P.S.
Ed, I've treated a many an individual over the years for horse related kick injuries. The funny thing was you could always distinctly trace the exact outline of the shoe on every one of them. There was this one guy who got kicked in the abdomen by a horse. He had the mark on the ABD, but also on the back of his right leg. When I asked about that one he said it was from the horse he landed on when the first one kicked him. Can you say "pinball machine"

 

[PaHunter]

I figured they would move TCD up front like the ponies to keep all the horses together in one location, but now that I think about it, the horses kept at TCD aren't used for riding so it makes sense to keep the riding areas together and the "show horses" together.

It really never made sense to me how if the oldest DD wanted to ride a horse she had to go to the front of FW where if the youngest DD wanted to ride she had to go to the back of FW. At least this puts all the riding in one place. I suppose the carriage rides could now start at the new TCD instead of in front of TE also.

P.S.
Ed, I've treated a many an individual over the years for horse related kick injuries. The funny thing was you could always distinctly trace the exact outline of the shoe on every one of them. There was this one guy who got kicked in the abdomen by a horse. He had the mark on the ABD, but also on the back of his right leg. When I asked about that one he said it was from the horse he landed on when the first one kicked him. Can you say "pinball machine"

Luckily, never kicked. Thrown off of, slid off of, bucked off of, and bit. Guess I was lucky all those years.

 

[tiggerdad]

(Off topic for one post)

They need to put some donkeys in there too while they are at it. They add character.

(back on topic)

The turkeys would miss TCD if they moved it. During the summer months more than once we saw the turkeys get up on the wooden rail where the horses are bathed and the folks washing the horses would spray water on them. They'd just spread their wings and cool off.