Clear Lake City Council denies rezoning for proposed RV campground

CLEAR LAKE — The Clear Lake City Council Monday night approved the recommendation from the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission to deny the rezoning of land that was earmarked by a group of Webster City-based investors for a recreational vehicle campground.

The city earlier this year received a petition from AKK Investment Properties LLC of Webster City to rezone about seven-and-a-half acres of land at 2605 South Shore Drive from “low-density residential” to “intensive commercial” to allow for an RV campground to be developed on land just north of the State Park campground and just south of a residential neighborhood.

The Planning & Zoning Commission last week unanimously recommended to deny the zoning change, and despite the developer notifying the city shortly after that decision that they were pulling the plug on the project, the council was still required to hold a public hearing and vote on the commission’s recommendation.

Just over a dozen people who were opposed to the zoning change attended Monday night’s meeting. One of those residents, Diane Wills, says an RV campground would be a disruption to the neighborhood.  “The RV park would be directly adjacent to our backyard, so it would disrupt the quiet enjoyment of our property. When we purchased our home in 1992, we did so based on the quiet residential neighborhood. We did not want nor choose to live in or near a commercial area.”

Wills hopes a developer would look at putting a development on that land that corresponds with its current zoning.  “It’s our understanding that the City of Clear Lake needs single-family homes, so developing the property at 2605 South Shore Drive according to its current zoning would meet those needs. Maintaining the current zoning would be compatible with adjacent land use and further the objectives of the comprehensive development plan for the City of Clear Lake.”

Cynthia Hesley says the RV park development would be a negative for the neighborhood.  “The particular drawing that they show has over 50 trailers in this area with only one way in and one way out. With the 50 trailers would come 50 golf carts, ATVs, boats, vehicles pulling boat trailers, and all of this on a daily basis, changing our neighborhood and quality of life, adding to ground, air and noise pollution and lowering our property values.”

Councilmen Mike Callanan, Gary Hugi and Bennett Smith approved the denial recommendation at Monday night’s meeting. Councilmen Dana Brant and Mark Ebeling were absent from the meeting.