Mayport Pelican Roost Length of Stay Change

Homesteader's Welcome! Effective the 1st of this year, the 14 day max stay at Pelican Roost has been changed to 180 days with the possibility of extension. Pelican Roost stayed full in my opinion with the 14 day maximum stay so utilization is not the reason for the change. Mayport also has a second campground "Osprey Point" where long term stays have been permitted for years. The below text from a letter I received when I checked in give the inference that the needs of recreational campers would be taken into consideration but I had to wait more than a month just to get a 6 day reservation. I guess they just want to lock the "recreational camper" out. I think this is a terrible change that is not serving the active duty or retired military population.

I'll try to attach a copy of the letter too but here is the text:

Reservations may be booked up to 30 days or in periods of 30 days, but not to exceed a total of 180 consecutive days. Management may determine availability based on the ability to meet lodging requirements for recreational travelers.

Provisions are in place to accomodate special situations beyond 180 days. To request customers must express their desire in writing 30 days prior to reaching a guest's maximum stay of 180 days. All requests are approved/disapproved based on availability and management's discretion...

I read the MWR letter and seeing it did not mention the name Pelican Roost or Osprey Cove in the topic I hope this just might be an update on the guidelines for Osprey Cove.

LamSan wrote: I hope this just might be an update on the guidelines for Osprey Cove.

I asked and they said it covered both campgrounds and that the directive was not generated locally but from the chain-of-command above the base level.

WOW not happy about this and it used to be our favorite military campground. The snowbirds that stayed in Eagle Hammock will probably be staying long term in either one of them now and us travelers will not be able to get in. Thanks so much for the info and we will be heading to Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, La. in a few days to stay for a month.

I spoke to the campground manager yesterday, Kathy Silvey. She told me that ALL Navy campgrounds nation-wide have been directed to adjust their Length of Stay rules to comply with the 180 day policy. She said this new policy was imposed by Commander Naval Installation Command (CNIC). She said, that because Mayport has two campgrounds, Pelican Roost and Osprey Cove, that they had to view them as ONE campground with a Single set of operating rules for both and now because of CNIC that is 6-month stays.

Mayport's campgrounds have always been in the top two or three military campgrounds nation-wide in my opinion. Pelican Roost is a jewel and a wonderful recreation facility for active duty and retirees alike. The two week maximum stay in the waterfront park, ensured that the maximum number of campers would be able to have access. And they were able to offer longer stays at Osprey Cove. A win, win for all campers. This new policy will turn the recreational opportunity into trailer parks.

The Length of Stay Memo stated, "Management may determine availability based on the ability to meet lodging requirements for recreational travelers." I discovered that Kathy Silvey and I had a different understanding of the term, "recreational travelers." To me that's the RVer that is NOT the long term guest or homesteader but the active duty family that uses a campground for a week or two vacation and the traveling RVer that stays in parks short term. Kathy's definition was anyone in a RV. I believe the intent of that quoted sentence was to make sure the traveling/short term RVer would still have access, but Kathy said the needs of the short term RVer were not protected with this new policy.

We're at Pelican Roost for six days now. I'm watching quite a few RV's come and go each day. I can't help but think that intended or not intended, this new rule change will decrease the work load quite a bit for staff. When the majority of patrons are staying 6 months with an opportunity to extend, there will not be many RV coming and going each day to check in, financial transactions, reservations to be made, etc.

I intend to write to the CO of Mayport Naval Station, Commander Naval Installation Command maybe even the Commander in Chief and ask them to review this new policy. And I would not be surprised to see other Navy campgrounds NOT making this same change. Again, I think the quoted sentence gives some latitude to facilities that have low occupancy but this was never intended to fill up the campgrounds with long term RESIDENTS.

Sorry for being so long winded.

Once again, the short term campers that actually travel and camp take it in the shorts. Every place we've seen that allows long-term RV homesteaders most often looks like a trailer park eventually. And, most often plays the favorites game with sites and short-term campers. Once more a great benefit we earned with our service disappears.