Campground wants more living space

DINGMAN - Lake Adventure wants to get an ordinance that restricts campground trailer widths changed. Currently only trailers up to eight feet wide are allowed, and they are arguing for a 12-foot limit before the Dingman Township Planning Commission. Lake Adventure is a recreational campground located on Route. 739 and has approximately 1,794 lots. Approximately 1,000 sites are used by campers on a permanent basis for summer vacations and weekend getaways. Most of the lot owners leave their trailers there all year around. The campground is open all year as some hunters use their trailers during the off season. Gary Stevens, full time property manager said, they are asking for a change in the eight-foot limitation to accommodate newer 12-foot wide units. Township officials were concerned that wider units might impact on the water and sewage systems that are in place especially if they have “slide outs”, expansion units, as do current units in the campground now. Stevens said that the Department of Housing and Urban Development regulates the sizes of recreational trailers by restricting them to less than 400 sq. ft. Even the largest “home” type camping trailer which is 32’X12’ is only 384 square feet, well within the size restriction. This type of unit is delivered in one piece and set up on cinder blocks for a permanent type of installation. The township was concerned whether the larger units would increase the amount of sewage that Lake Adventure would have to treat, but Stevens said, “It would have no bearing,” because it will still only be for a single family. Stevens said that Lake Adventure treats all their sewage and during the warm months disposes of the treated waste in a “spray field” which is used for that sole purpose. In the off season he said that the treated waste is emptied into town streams. He said that the campground is upgrading their sewage system and that some improvements will be completed by the end of November. All of the waste, year around, is tested on a weekly basis and results are given to both the campground and the state on a monthly basis. The facility also has a central water supply system, he said. Lake Adventure was required to do an impact study to determine if the wider units would have any negative impact on the environment. The impact study is being reviewed by the township engineer. Following the review, the planning commission will make recommendations to the township supervisors for final say so.