Luxury ‘Village Camp’ must now continue through minor land-use permit process
The La Plata County Planning Commission met Thursday and approved a sketch plan for Scott Roberts’ proposed 306-stall luxury RV park in the Animas Valley north of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
The La Plata County Planning Commission met Thursday night, enduring a barrage of public comments that lasted well over an hour before narrowly voting to approve a sketch plan on the proposed 306-stall luxury RV park.
The 3½-hour meeting was well attended – nearly 40 people appeared in person and at least 21 joined online. Three members voted to approve the preliminary plan: Board Chair Geri Malandra joined Vice Chair Chris Scott and Commissioner Chris Hall. Commissioners George Hepner and Jean Walter voted against approval, although there is little legal basis in the land-use code upon which the commission could have rejected the proposal at this stage.
Scott Roberts, who inherited Roberts Resorts from his parents, has made a point of appearing personable and invested in the area, frequently referencing his own small children who scampered around the board room during Thursday night’s meeting of the Planning Commission. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)
Scott Roberts, CEO of Roberts Resorts, is seeking approval to develop the former gravel pit located at 876 Trimble Lane (County Road 252). The 36.6-acre development would feature 306 RV stalls, 49 of which would be filled with prefabricated “adventure cabins,” which Roberts has said are the foundation of the brand.
Dan Murphy, the county planner working on the project, stressed to the commission and audience that the project did not have to undergo the sketch plan process, but that Roberts did so voluntarily at the urging of planning staff.
“To their (the applicant’s) credit, we do not experience that in La Plata County, ever,” Murphy said.
The sketch plan is a broad plan that allows the commission to examine whether the outlined proposal meets the basic requirements of the code.
While a project of this scale would typically undergo the major land-use permit process, this proposal will follow the procedural steps of a minor land-use permit because the property is zoned for general commercial use.
However, the benefit is only procedural – the project must still meet the same standards and criteria as if it were a major land-use project, although it will ultimately be approved or denied by the Planning Commission rather than the Board of County Commissioners. The project will still be subject to the regulations placed upon RV parks in section 73 of the La Plata County Land Use Code.
Of the public comments offered, five were in support of the project or aspects of it, while the rest voiced a broad array of concerns.
An example of one of the luxury adventure cabins at the Village Camp resort in Truckee, California. (Courtesy of Scott Roberts)
Some of the complaints addressed a lack of information with respect to the specific impacts on traffic along U.S. Highway 550 and Trimble Lane. Engineering studies are underway, Andrew Arnold, a project planner with the engineering firm SEH, told the commission. However, those studies may not be submitted during the sketch plan phase.
Roberts has tried to emphasize his commitment to listening to the community concerns and adapting appropriately. He has also committed to developing and ensuring the maintenance of a primitive river access site that abuts the property.
But some area residents aren’t buying it.
“There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors about the river put-in. … I would rename this project ‘gridlock park,’ because that’s what we’re going to get at the (Highway) 550 light and (County Road) 252,” said Albert Durand, a Trimble resident who lives 2 miles from the project site.
The question of density was top of mind for both the public and commission members throughout the meeting.
Although the plans propose 12.8 RV spaces per net acre – well below the maximum allowed density of 25 units per net acre – nearby residents are still concerned about how the RV park might impact the rural feel of their neighborhood.
“This is not compatible to our rural environment at all,” Judy Fairchild told commissioners.
The point seemed to land. Although the chairwoman was the last to vote and approved the sketch plan, Malandra said in her comments that she is concerned about the impact a development this size could have.
A developer is proposing a 306-stall luxury RV park in the Animas Valley that would be built under the Village Camp band.
Of the few members of the public who voiced support, several had connections to the nearby Durango Hot Springs, which is likely to benefit financially from the development. Jack Turner, two-time candidate for county commissioner, also voiced tempered support for the project.
“When I was a kid, most of the Animas Valley was undeveloped,” Turner said. “I would love to see those same open spaces of private land, but I would also like to be 18 years old again.”
The two commissioners who voted not to approve the sketch plan, Walter and Hepner, shared concerns about the noise, traffic and wildlife impacts of the project.
“I believe that it is our responsibility, partly, to think about individuals who don’t have a voice, and that’s the elk and the deer,” Walter said from the dais.
Now that the sketch plan has been approved, Roberts has one year to submit a preliminary planning application for phase one of the two-phase project. According to chapter 66 of the land-use code, the plan must include detailed design and engineering plans, including a traffic study, as well as solutions to any of the issues raised during the sketch plan phase.
