PHILLIPS — The Price County Land Use Committee postponed a decision on a conditional use permit application of a Fifield resort to expand its seasonal campground at their March 21 meeting. The decision followed an hour long public hearing where neighbors presented concerns.
By a voice vote the committee postponed the matter until the next meeting on May 23. The postponement was to provide Jason and Angie Carlson, owners of Moose Jaw Resort LLC, to compile more information regarding the precise location of the campsites, the potential septic area, parking and road maintenance agreements for expansion at W783 Friendship Lane.
The resort plans an increase of its current 17 site campground by adding 10 additional sites.
One neighbor expressed concern for a lack of engineering detail in the permit application to show how the septic system, campground layout, storage facilities, garbage disposal and other changes would conform with regulations and the homeowners association agreement. The neighbor said he was not recommending a denial of the permit but requested a decision to be tabled until there was more complete information.
Answering questions of the committee regarding the requirement to approve a permit when all conditions have been met, regardless of opposition based on preference, Price County Zoning Director Evan Lund said that campground requirements are outlined in the county ordinance with criteria that need to be followed. With the criteria being met the conditional use permit would be approved on the short term basis and continue compliance with the ordinance.
“The committee can put conditions on it based on those (concerns) to try and address that, and the property owner would need to comply with all of those conditions for approval, but not an outright denial.”
Price County Assistant Zoning Director Amanda McMeekin said that conditions placed on the permit must be items that county zoning regulates. The postponement is to provide the owners with some direction on what information to bring to the next meeting, and also for the committee to determine what are county zoning conditions and what would be approved by the state agencies.
Most of the opposition came from part-year residents who live near the resort during the summer months. The neighbors share easements and among the leading concerns were that a campground expansion would create a visibility safety issue for pedestrians and pets based on an anticipated increase in dust from ATV/UTV traffic.
The neighbors claimed the laundry and restroom capacity is already limited with the current campground and would be inadequate with an increase in campsites. The neighbors also objected to an increase in transient camper activity, believing an increase in trailers and tents will bring more evening noise and bonfires.
Some of the opposition letters said they objected in part due to the owners not presenting their plans at the homeowners association meetings. The resort is a member organization and should have made the effort, they said.
One letter of support said that generations of families have been staying at the resort for 35 years and call it the jewel of the area in terms of the quality northwoods experience. The new owners have proved good stewards since taking over in late 2022, and the additional campsites are to allow a few more families to enjoy the experience, the letter stated.
County Board member Robert Kopisch said it’s important that people understand that the state has laws that the county must follow which sometimes means having to approve something that would not be popular. However, he agreed that the owners should work with the neighbors and then some of those concerns could be included with the permit as a special condition..
“I live on the lake and we have our own issues,” Kopisch said. “And it’s not a lot different, but there’s only so many things you can do.”
Speaking at the meeting, resort owner Jason Carlson said that he didn’t think to reach out to neighbors or the association because expanding an existing campsite didn’t appear to be that level of concern. The resort has 17 campsites but are already licensed for 25 under the license from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Price County Administrator Nick Trimner added that even with the county permit the owners would still need to go through the approval process with the state agency to ensure compliance. The land use committee determines whether the owners have met the minimum requirements for a permit and do not get into the private land issues that were the focus of some complaints.
The weekend campers are hard to control, Carlson said. But the people who use the seasonal campsites have treated the campground well and it has been a good experience for everyone.
“So, I apologize,” Carlson said. “I didn’t think adding 10 sites was gonna be this big of a deal. But our plan is to have seasonal sites in there.”
Carlson said he had not heard any of these complaints until the permit hearing. There is a seasonal campground agreement that lists the rules expected of campers which includes many of the complaints that were brought up at the hearing.
“We’ve been there for a year and a half now, and we haven’t heard any of these complaints until now,” Carlson said.
Angie Carlson said the couple are open to feedback and are willing to work with neighbors about their concerns. The plans could move forward in phases so that the concerns are addressed.
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