Utah’s Cache County Planning Commission has voted to put on hold a plan to construct a new campground and RV park in Smithfield.
The plan called for many RV spots in the benches over Smithfield, and some thought it was far too near the residences. Many homeowners were concerned that they would lose views of the area.
It’s a huge burden to our neighborhood,” said Ted Stokes, who opposed the campground. “I mean, you’re going to have 300 to 1,000 occupants nine months a year.”
Stokes said, “The locale of this proposed RV park and campground, it can’t be mitigated unless you want to make it really small.
Others, such as Diana Brown, said traffic, noise, and security were concerns.
“We watched the fire burn up here a couple of years ago,” Brown said. Fireworks are not allowed in the area and Brown said 65 fire pits shouldn’t be allowed either.
“I just think it’s multiple environmental things. It’s safety through school zones, and I just feel like it’s decisions that impact people’s homes. And we all have small children and pets,” Brown said.
Developer Nathan Whittaker asked for 65 total RV camping sites. This is less than what he requested in the previous proposal in September.
Other changes were made to address neighbors’ concerns, such as a quiet period between 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. He also plans to ban gas generators and have nearby site management conduct daily inspections.
“The mitigating factors, they’re not sufficient because they can’t be sufficient,” Stokes argued. “There are no mitigating factors for this type of outdoor hotel right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. And that’s the biggest problem.”
Stokes said it was not the right site for camping.
The neighbors were also concerned about traffic in school zones.
A letter sent by Smithfield city officials addressed to the Cache County Planning Commission urged them to think about fire and police protection and issues related to transporting wastewater.
The developer is seeking authorization for conditional use; the area is currently zoned as agricultural.
The campground would operate from March to November.
The commission decided Thursday (December 2) evening to table the matter for 90 days.
