Plans to expand Washburn Campground have been halted following a public vote that rejected the proposed development of 16 acres near Holman Lakeview Drive in Wisconsin. The $1.2 million project, which included adding four yurts, additional RV sites, and a new public bathroom facility, faced opposition due to concerns over its location.
The vote specifically impacts the area around Thompson’s West End Park, a component of the proposed expansion. The rejection of the development plan means that while other aspects of the project may proceed, the lucrative yurt rentals cannot move forward without additional public consent.
In response to the setback, council members are exploring alternative locations for the yurts on other city-owned properties.
According to a Leader-Telegram news report, city administrator Scott Kluver expressed concerns about the financial implications of the vote. The campground expansion was expected to generate approximately $110,000 annually from yurt rentals, a revenue stream that would have helped alleviate the city’s budget constraints.
During council discussions, member John Hopkins proposed an expanded vision for the yurt component of the project.
“Maybe have even more if that were wise. If we’re looking at income from yurts, why stop at four? If you want to put yurts up and make money on them, there are a lot of really good places to do that,” Hopkins said, as quoted in the Leader-Telegram report.
The financing terms for the project allow a two-year window to begin construction, offering some flexibility for the council to revise its plans without breaching financial agreements.
For campground and RV park owners, the outcome of this public vote opens the door to potentially rethinking and resizing the project to better align with community expectations and financial realities.
In related news from April 10, after nearly four years of discussions due to community opposition, the Washburn County Board of Adjustment (BOA) in Wisconsin ruled in favor of North Camp Properties LLC, maintaining the conditional-use permit (CUP) required for their project. This greenlights the development of a 200-unit RV site on Spooner Lake.
Throughout the deliberation process, technical arguments were presented concerning the definitions of campgrounds, wastewater management capabilities, and adherence to environmental regulations. The project faced scrutiny over the proposed wastewater system’s adequacy and the accuracy of surface area calculations, which opponents argued could pose significant risks to local water bodies and disrupt land use compatibility in the area.