Washburn campground expansion halted

The results of a spring vote have put the future of a proposed campground expansion in doubt.

Voters have rejected future development along 16 acres across Holman Lakeview Driven near the waterfront. A portion of the acreage encompasses Thompson’s West End Park, where a project to expand the campground was in the works. As a result, plans to add four yurts to the campground as part of an expected $1.2 million project to expand the site can’t move forward without asking the public’s permission first.

Other plans for the project, including additional RV sites and a new public bathroom, can move forward because they would be located outside the 16 acres. But those amenities wouldn’t be nearly as profitable as yurt rental would have been said City Administrator Scott Kluver.

There are potential long-term consequences, Kluver warned. Without the expected $110,000 in annual revenue from yurt rentals, Kluver said the city might need to consider making cuts or eliminating departments because the city has been strapped for cash. Developing the property could have helped fill the city’s coffers.

“The way we structured this, we would be receiving significant income that could be used for operations. You’re going to have to make some very difficult decisions,” he said.

What that could look like remains to be determined, Kluver said.

“There are so many strings with various funding we receive. If we start tinkering in one area, it could cause a spiral effect. That is a major concern,” he said.

Council member Jennifer Maziasz wondered if the city could put the yurts in another location that’s not restricted by the need to put the project up for a referendum.

“I understand we don’t have a game plan right now. I’ve spent quite a bit of time the past four days looking at all the city-owned property and possibilities of where to put four yurts,” she said. “There is other city land.”

That may be possible. The terms under which the city the city borrowed money for the project allows up to two years to start building and spending the money.

“I’m not advocating that we go down that route, but we put a lot of work into this,” Maziasz said.

Kluver was hesitant about putting the yurts somewhere else after putting so much work into the project at hand.

“Yurts could be placed somewhere in theory. We were trying to implement a plan that goes back to 2015. We had a plan that was put into place. We have been discussing this for years,” he said.

Council member John Hopkins said he thinks it would be possible to double the number of yurts if the project moved.

“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,” he said.

Four yurts was the city’s way of being conservative because it is not is not in the yurt business, Maziasz responded.

Discussions will continue at future council meetings.