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191-Site RV Park in Siren
A 191-site RV Park project is being proposed along State Road 35 off of Luverne Road near Chuck's Garage. Andy Hursh and Jeff Radich have submitted CUP 21-32 (see below); Mr. Hursh, a Siren resident, has been attending the Town of Siren monthly board meetings, looking for support.
The Siren Town Board was scheduled to discuss and maybe approve this at the Nov. 11th meeting, but these agenda items were moved to a new meeting, Thursday, Dec 2, 6pm, in part, because the board wanted to have a full bench for the vote (Siren recently lost Supervisor Bert Lund, they have appointed Diane Lund to temporarily fill his seat).
This project would be the first to happen under the County's new RR-RC zoning district. Since Burnett County did not pass a 100-unit cap for campgrounds in the RR-RC district (that amendment has been sent back to committee for further review), this project is nearly double what the the Land Use & Information Committee had proposed as a size limit for new "campground" projects.
The adjoiners, the folks whose land shares a property line with this project, only received notice of the project in their mailboxes on Nov 12. Had the Nov 11 board meeting not been rescheduled, these folks would not have been able to attend and speak on their own behalf about their 400-800 new neighbors!
We have had conversations with Mr. Hursh who has been gracious, he is willing to talk to those affected by his plans. This is really refreshing. We disagree on certain points, that's life. The best path forward is to work this out together, with all stakeholders getting a say and coming up with the best possible solution. So we encourage you to go to the Village, Town and County meetings, meet with Mr. Hursh and your representatives. Build a Siren you're all happy to live, work and relax in.
Here are some issues to consider:
- 191 seasonal RV lots are planned; RVers contract for a season-long stay; Mr. Hursh recently said temporary camping may be considered. This is a lot of folks in a small area. RVers do not have to pay property taxes, the RV Park owner does, but the rate is not as much as what homeowners pay. So what supports the influx of new people?
- All sites will connect to city sewage (no POWTS system); the RV Park would charge RVers for sewage services on a metered basis. Given the excess capacity in the Siren system, fees from usage could make the overall system more financially viable/self-sustaining.
- The RV Park will have its own indoor/outdoor storage area for boats and UTVs/ATVs; U/ATVers wanting to get to Siren or Webster/Danbury will be directed to access Old 35 via the Frontage Road going north, then west past the grocery store on to Airport Rd. The Town decides where to allow access.
- The RV Park shares its western border with the Gandy Dancer Trail; Mr. Hursh is open to installing physical barriers in addition to signage to make sure tenants comply with Gandy Dancer rules (no motorized).
- Mr. Hursh is requesting a rezone from RR-3 to the new RR-RC zoning district. In RR-3, he would only be able to have 25 temporary sites. The new RR-RC does not currently have a cap.
Please share this story with friends and neighbors who might be interested/impacted. If you know something, please email us. If you have questions, contact us for that too!
Concerned?
Email us if you'd like to be part of conversations about this project prior to the December 2nd meeting.
what you can do
Go to the Meetings
Thursday, December 2, 6pm, Town Shop: Siren Township Board meets to review and possibly vote on the RV Park requests.
(Siren Township Board meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month at 6:45 pm at 7240 S. Long Lake Road, Siren.)
Tuesday December 7, 9am: The Land Use and Info Committee meets. Hursh/Radich have 3 requests on the docket: 21-30 - a storage area; 21-13 - request for rezone to RR-RC; and 21-32 - the RV park (the application PDF is below). The Public Hearing notice PDF is below. You can attend virtually, instructions are in the PDF.
The Village of Siren Board "usually meets monthly at 2 pm on the first Thursday after the first Monday of each month at 7240 S. Long Lake Road, Siren." That would be December 9th.
Contact Your Representatives
Maps
If you'd like a closer look at the details of the maps above, go here.
Background
It used to be that campgrounds were full of tents. Not any more. We have made our concerns with high-density, so-called "campgrounds" clear. The Land Use & Info Committee (LUIC) Supervisors listened and drafted new rules in the form of the document "TXT-21-03," changes to Chapters 30 & 45, which was passed by the full County Board on October 21st -- we are grateful!
Highlights of the changes:
- Limit Campground size in the Agricultural District (A-2), Forestry District (F-1) and Residential-Recreation District (RR-3) to a maximum of 25 sites by Conditional Use Permit (CUP), restricted to mobile camping units and/or rustic/primitive sites.
- Create a new zoning district, Residential Recreational-Recreational Commercial (RR-RC), in which all types of camping may be permitted by CUP.
- Remove campgrounds as CUPs from Residential-Recreation RR-1 and RR-2 zoning districts as they are already developed and campgrounds would be incompatible.
Early in the process, PBC requested three amendments to TXT-21-03:
- Remove campgrounds from RR-3, Residential/Recreational zoning district. LUIC has removed campgrounds from RR-1 and RR-2 but not RR-3 where the very open space that gives Burnett County its character would be in danger of filling up.
- LUIC created a new zoning district, Residential Recreational-Recreational Commercial (RR-RC) but there is no cap on camping units. We asked for a hard cap of 50 in new or expanded campgrounds, otherwise we could be right back where we started.
- Part of what created this trouble in the first place is that modern campers can now stay comfortably at a campsite for... forever! We are asking that it be crystal clear, and enforceable, that "temporary camping" is limited to 14 days, period.
The LUIC passed two of the amendments at their Oct 5 meeting:
- Remove campgrounds from RR-3.
- Add a 100-site cap to RR-RC
The County Board passed TXT-21-03 at their Oct 21st meeting. However the opposition raised a technicality specter and the two amendments were sent back to the LUIC. That is where we stand today. The LUI Campground Work Group was reinstated; they will reconvene Friday Dec. 10 at 9am. Until these two amendments are passed, there will be giant loopholes in the new rules that will allow these high-density, high-intensity RV Parks to be built, expand and grow.
This stuff can be confusing. If you have questions, please send them and we will happily clarify!
Vote
Sadly, Town of Siren and County Supervisor Bert Lund passed last month. Diane Lund was appointed to fill his seat until elections, April 5, 2022.
Thank You
We want to send a shout-out to the government representatives and employees. In all our engagements over the past year, they have been an amazing bunch. We don't always agree. But these folks work really hard for not a ton of reward. Be nice to them. :)