Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jared Aldape | Capt. Frank Hughlett, commander of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story...... read more read more
U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jared Aldape
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The call of seagulls, a cool ocean breeze and generous amounts of sand dunes create a picturesque backdrop to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story’s (JEBLCFS) latest project.
The installation’s 67th Street Townhomes vacation rentals are the latest addition to Morale, Welfare, and Recreation’s (MWR) "Navy Getaways Destination" inventory and are designed to give service members, retirees, DOD personnel and their families a much-needed break near the heart of the renowned Virginia Beach resort and recreation area.
The offering is but one of many services that the JEBLCFS MWR makes available to DOD personnel and their families within their range of services.
“MWR plays a key role in personal, physical, as well as family readiness, assisting the warfighters in his or hers holistic approach to mission readiness,” said Capt. Frank Hughlett, commander JEBLCFS. “These town homes will provide quality and affordable rental units for military family to enjoy and relax on the beach and in the heartland of Hampton Roads vacation resort area, the city of Virginia Beach.”
The program will allow personnel to check into one of 20 units, comprised of two-bedroom and three-bedroom townhouse style cottages along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Escape and relax, stay with us,” said Dan Barnthouse, MWR director assigned to JEBLC-FS. “We want to brand the fact that MWR has these amenities available for a price you can’t beat anywhere.”
According to Barnthouse, the units blend in seamlessly with the chic beach homes among the coast.
“Our planners and designers developed this project to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood and, in my opinion, did an excellent job to ensure consistency of appearance with our residential neighbors,” said Barnthouse. “These rental units are not on the base, but actually out in the resort community close to shopping, restaurants, local history and multitude of recreational activities.”
The location of the cottages is in close proximity of First Landing State Park, most known for its biking and walking trails. Other nearby leisure offerings include the Virginia Beach resort strip, local landmarks, recreation areas and boardwalk areas that play host to numerous cultural festivals throughout the year.
Upon checking into their ocean-side getaway, residents will get a key card for entry into their rental and will be assigned a code to activate a parking gate. Occupants will be allowed to have two cars parked per unit. Lodging prices will vary per time of the year and increase incrementally around peak tourist seasons. There is a 14 day maximum stay limit for all guests to have a chance to enjoy the 67th Street Townhomes.
Reservations must meet a two-night minimum during peak season May 1 through Sept. 30.
Conceived in March 2006, the 67th Street Townhome project takes over the footprint once occupied by the Navy as an observation site during World War II and was later converted into the historic 67th Street Beach Club. The facilities later became a beach club/catering operation hosting weddings, retirements and holiday parties. The site emerged as Navy Getaways recreational lodging began to take hold as a brand.
“Anywhere you go, if there’s a Navy facility then you’ll find a campground, an RV park or something along those lines,” said Barnthouse. “Now, everything has been conceptualized and branded as ‘Navy Getaways’ to help assist our customers.”
To provide all military community with quality lodging for leisure, Navy Getaways has been branded as the perfect place to “Stay! Play! Relax!” With 50 destinations worldwide, Navy Getaways offers accommodations for all vacation styles.
The 67th Street Townhome accommodations are an additional option to other locations DOD personnel are able to reserve in nearby JEBLCFS.
“We call the former officer housing on Fort Story the Bungalows. The rentals were once officer housing circa WWII and not necessarily on the beach but close by the water,” explained Barnthouse. “Also, we have 17 log cabin style lodging units that sit back near the RV park campground that’s at Fort Story, in addition to the RV park campground at Little Creek.”
Navy Getaways and other MWR projects such as these provide leisure recreational opportunities for Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsman, retirees and their dependents while continuing to generate revenue that will provide more amenities and opportunities for service members and their families through the use of raised monies.
“Having been around MWR for 25 years and having been an active duty service member prior to that for nine, I can say that the Navy has had enough insight as to what people do and the types of activities they like to engage in,” said Barnthouse. “To see that they’re willing to invest in a property like this and create these opportunities is a great thing.”
Beginning February 2015, these units will be available for reservations via Navy Getaways' online and phone central reservations system.
Active duty, reservists, retirees and DOD civilians may find these properties by searching www.dodlodging.net or by calling the central reservation system at 1-877-NAVYBED (628-9233).
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2015 19:56 |
| Story ID: | 153089 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 967 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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