Sandy Beach Water Park under new management, owner says

After two summers of offering relief on hot days, Sandy Beach Water Park will be under new management this summer.

Macon-Bibb County officials were informed of some financial issues in recent months at the Lake Tobesofkee facility during a closed meeting. Sandy Beach’s owner, Jeff Franklin, president of Spirit of America Theme Park and Development LLC, said Thursday that while he remains the owner, he is no longer managing the water park.

Franklin said he could not get into details about why the change in management happened, but he said he is excited about future of the park.

“I’ve been told they will open the park” this summer, he said. “If they do what they say they’ll do, there will be some (physical) improvements.”

Michael Allen, with Persons Banking Co., declined to discuss the water park. Also, the mayor’s administration is not providing information about the financial or management situation.

“As to the executive session you referenced, we can’t discuss specific information that was provided to the commission at that time,” Macon-Bibb spokesman Chris Floore said in an email. “While we are aware there have been issues and changes, our expectation is that Sandy Beach Water Park will open this summer.”

Macon-Bibb officials did say, however, that the water park’s future seemed to be unclear when the topic was broached recently.

The $2.7 million project was largely financed by the Small Business Administration, working with the Bank of Perry, which is a division of Persons Banking.

Commissioner Scotty Shepherd said he had concerns about the water park when Macon-Bibb officials were voting on an agreement in 2014.

“One reason that (Commissioner Elaine Lucas) and I had reservations (was) because this was the first time (Franklin) had ventured into something like that,” he said.

As part of the project, the county used $248,000 in bonds for infrastructure improvements to utilities and roadwork. The terms of the 20-year lease has Spirit of America paying Macon-Bibb $1 per year for the first three years. In subsequent years the county would receive 1 percent to 1.5 percent of the park’s gross revenue.

When the water park officially opened on the Fourth of July weekend in 2015, it featured two 27-foot water slides, a 25-meter foot pool, a “lazy river” surrounded by an artificial beach and more. In 2016, a new 100,000-gallon wave pool became the latest attraction.

After a deal to build the water park in Peach County hit a snag, Franklin described it as a “blessing in disguise.” He was quickly contacted by Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert and then-Recreation Department Director Dale “Doc” Dougherty about opening the park at Lake Tobesofkee.

Middle Georgians will soon have a second water park option. A groundbreaking was held in September for Rigby’s Water World in Warner Robins.

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Sandy Beach Water Park under new management, owner says."