CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — The owner of one of the Lake of the Ozarks’ hottest lakefront restaurants has a new project in mind: a family-friendly restaurant where patrons can eat and drink between a cave and the water’s edge.

The venue is still in its planning stages, but Redhead Lakeside Grill/Performance Boat Center owner/founder Mark Waddington is angling for a permit to allow outdoor entertainment at the site, located on the north side of the Highway 5 Niangua Bridge, across from the Niangua Falls lakefront bar and grill. Years ago, the Forever Houseboat Rental Company occupied the site, which includes a 10,000-square-foot manmade cave, carved into the side of the nearby cliff.

The current proposal includes a family-friendly restaurant and bar with indoor and outdoor seating, a pool, and a marina. Waddington says the name and menu will be announced if the outdoor entertainment permit is approved.

The cave wouldn't actually be used for seating, though. Waddington says the plan would be to store freezers and coolers inside. A house on the property would be retained as a residence for a live-in marina caretaker/security employee. An elevated walkway could be constructed over the road for pedestrians, as well as a 120 space parking lot for restaurant patrons. “We are not expecting a lot of land parking, mostly by water,” Waddington contributed. 

Manmade Cave At Highway 5 Niangua Bridge

The owner of one of the Lake of the Ozarks’ hottest lakefront restaurants has a new project in mind: a family-friendly restaurant where patrons can eat and drink between a cave and the water’s edge.

Other possible plans include widening a portion of a shared roadway, requesting MoDOT to close a stretch of Old Highway 5 that connects to the property, adding a sign and gate when the business is closed, and constructing a railing near a cliff walkway.

“We wanted to open a restaurant away from the usual places, like the Bagnell Dam area,” Waddington explained in an interview. “If the [permit] is approved, we will finalize the planning and design with Thomas Construction, begin construction around the end of summer 2017 and open in the summer of 2018.”

He came to the Wednesday, Feb. 15 Camden County Planning & Zoning Commission meeting to discuss the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) with the commission.

Site Of Planned Lakefront/Cavefront Restaurant

The owner of one of the Lake of the Ozarks’ hottest lakefront restaurants has a new project in mind: a family-friendly restaurant where patrons can eat and drink between a cave and the water’s edge.

The property is zoned B-2 (General Commercial) with the surrounding properties zoned R-1 (Low Density Residential). There are also R-1 properties located across the Lake; Waddington told the commission that the distance to the nearest home across the cove was 2,000 ft. with the distance to the nearest home on the same side of the cove being 800 ft.

Nearby, Niangua Falls’ property is also zoned B-2, and it has a county permit for outdoor entertainment. That permit requires the music to end at 11 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and holidays and evenings before holidays. Lake Breeze Resort, located across the channel from the cave site, has a permit for outdoor music and entertainment until 11:30 p.m.

During the public comment portion of the Feb. 15 P&Z meeting, Waddington presented documents and photos of the property to P&Z commissioners.

“Our goal is to create a sound barrier so the music doesn’t go into the cove where the nearest residence is located,” Waddington told the commissioners. The plans are to place the pool in between the restaurant and the bridge.

He stated the facility would likely be open during the peak season (April to October). The normal business hours would be 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on the weekends. He will open the pool for family swimmers, before 10:30 a.m., but the restaurant/bar will not open before 11 a.m.

In an effort to further reduce noise levels, Waddington said he would provide his own speaker system to be in control of volume levels.

But the plan was not without opposition.

One neighbor presented signatures from 28 property owners who were opposed to the CUP. Opposition included concerns about; alcohol, fighting, foul language, indecency, trash, boat and car traffic, high speed boats, endangering children, swimmers and kayakers, land erosion, damage to docks, toxic spills and a decrease in property values.

One neighbor reported problems in the past with noise nuisances caused by patrons at the former houseboat rental operation. “Law enforcement were called up to 20 times in the summer,” he recalled.

Waddington had faced similar opposition only a month prior, when he requested amendments to a CUP for his Redhead Lakeside Grill to allow for outdoor entertainment. That CUP was approved by Camden County. Neighbors that live near both establishments were concerned with noise, traffic, safety and pollution nuisances.

Several neighbors voiced their approval of Waddington’s sound mitigation efforts and for his plans to end the music earlier in the evening.

“We will do everything we can to control loud music, but music is critical to us, from a business perspective,” he explained.

A neighbor asked if a breakwater and No-Wake Zone with buoys could be used to decrease the wake caused by the increased boat traffic. The commission explained Ameren is the authority in establishing a No-Wake Zone, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol would have to approve the buoys. Waddington said he wanted breakwaters and he was amicable to a no wake zone and buoys.

P&Z Administrator Kim Willey reminded commissioners that according to the Camden County Unified Land Use Codes, they could add a provision stipulating the CUP was non-transferrable. If the property were to change hands, the new owner would then have to reapply for a CUP for the outdoor music.

“Selling the property with that limitation could be a problem,” Waddington replied.

As with all cases when there is opposition, the commission tabled their decision until the 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15 P&Z Commission meeting.


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