Floyd County zoning board recommends rezoning request for new camping site

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

The Floyd County Zoning Commission will recommend the approval of a request to rezone an east Floyd County parcel of land to facilitate the development of a new private campground site.

During a public hearing on July 12, the zoning commission met with Dallas Kuper, an area resident who has come into possession of the former quarry and plans to turn it into a long-term campground.

Kuper says that he intends to start relatively small, with between 20 and 25 sites that can be leased annually, but envisions eventually growing the campground to feature up to 100 sites, with the potential for other features like a horse riding trail or guest lodge in the future.

Neighboring property owners attended the meeting to voice their own questions and concerns, seeking answers about how the development would affect property taxes, whether the county roads would be suitable for the increased traffic, and what kind of policies Kuper would have to keep campers within the campground.

Kuper explained that he will be looking at policies of similar campgrounds to determine how his will be run and expects that having a clientele of annual lease holders will make them more inclined to follow the rules and result in a minimal increase in traffic. Kuper said that he has been bringing his family to the quarry to enjoy it as a camp site and intends to continue to do so as it’s developed.

The zoning commission recommend the approval of the rezoning request to the county supervisors with a unanimous vote with the exception of Ben Rottinghaus, who abstained due to his own proximity to the land in question but none-the-less offered verbal approval.

“If you want it to be a place you want to take your own kids, that says a lot about the kind of place you want it to be,” said Rottinghaus.