The county zoning commission recently issued a conditional use permit to a couple who plan to renovate the closed Rack n’ Bull restaurant and adjacent Ponderosa Forest RV Park and Campground off Route 66 in Parks, Arizona.
Pete and Lisa Mulgrew of PLM Adventures, based in Sun Lakes, Arizona, recently acquired the Parks properties, according to the Williams-Grand Canyon News.
The Mulgrews are proposing a significant remodel that will include 80 RV sites and 25 tent sites at the campground, and a complete renovation of the restaurant. Of the 80 RV sites, 10 will be site-owned RVs available for rent.
In the past, the campground held between 40 and 60 campsites.
The campground will have a main entrance off of Old Route 66, to minimize traffic conflicts with the gas station, restaurant and standpipe on the east side of the property. Older buildings will be removed and a new check-in building, game room, laundry room, restroom and shower facilities will be constructed. […}
“The park will have a family friendly atmosphere with a playground and a few outdoor activities such as cornhole and horseshoes,” the applicants said in their application. “The restaurant will be open to the public, providing great food and teaming up with area restaurants for specials throughout the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
During public hearings about the proposal, most expressed their support for it, and the permit was approved by a 5-1 vote. The public had until Aug. 9 to file a formal appeal of the decision, and none did.
The restaurant and RV park would be sandwiched between the Parks Feed and Mercantile store (aka a Texaco station). The historic Parks in the Pines General Store sits a short distance west of the restaurant.
(Image of the Rack n’ Bull restaurant in Parks, Arizona, via Loopnet.com)