The following is a report from the Elkhart Truth.
Plans for the first 80 spots in a “higher-end” RV park north of Syracuse can move forward after a detailed plan was approved.
The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners this week approved a zone map change for North Trace RV Resort, a 45-acre property in Benton Township. Plans ultimately call for a 230-space campground at the location of country Road 29, south of county Road 56, with the first third of capacity planned for phase one.
Debra Hughes, a senior engineer with Surveying and Mapping Inc., said they obtained a number of permits since the concept was approved, including permits related to the wetlands on the property.
“We’ve spent a year doing detailed engineering design and getting all the permits that are required. We’ve received a DNR permit, for the flood-plain, a wetland permit for the wetlands, we received a Corps of Engineers permit,” she told the county commissioners Monday. “We’re still working on the state campground permit and we’re still working on the municipal sanitary sewer and water connection permit, but those are well on the way.”
She said the main entrance will be on county Road 29, and will be wide enough to accommodate two RVs at a time so the vehicles don’t have to line up on the road while waiting to check in. She said the first phase includes building a deceleration lane, but they’re asking to delay the requirement to build a passing lane until Phase Il, due to issues with wetlands and floodplain on the side of the road.
Objections made by neighbors at the July plan commission meeting include an impact on privacy and a potential danger to wetlands and wildlife, as well as pointing to the existence of six other campgrounds within half an hour.
Andrew Rumfelt, who lives northwest of the property, said Monday that in addition to extra traffic, he worries about people coming onto his land because he owns a shooting range. He also remarked on the number of calls from RV parks and trailer parks that he already has to respond to as a Kosciusko County deputy.
Showalter said guests won’t be wandering the area freely, but he’s willing to put in a fence if necessary.
“We don’t want anybody getting shot. We won’t complain about noise. I think we can work together,” he said.
“We’re going to have a buffer along there, I mean people are not going to just be out running around the neighborhood. I’d like to leave as much natural as I can, but if we need to fence it, we’ll fence it.”
Read the full article by Jordan Fouts from the Elkhart Truth here. Note there is a paywall.
