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Neighbors oppose campground expansion at riverside marina; council asked for complaint records before vote
Summary
Neighbors and property owners urged the St. Charles County Council to deny an expansion of a temporary campground at a riverside marina, citing year‑round occupancy, sanitation, trespass and flood‑access concerns; the Planning and Zoning Board voted 5–2 against the expansion and the council asked staff to provide complaint and police‑report records before voting.
The council heard extensive public comment on Bill 5384, which would amend an existing conditional‑campground permit for a riverside property (owner/applicant identified in staff materials as JOK's LLC). Neighbors said the site operates year‑round in violation of temporary‑use rules, causes sanitation and trespass problems and sits in a flood‑prone area that limits emergency access.
Levi Bauer, a neighbor who lives immediately adjacent to the site, told the council he and his family "constantly witness issues with the current temporary campground" and told the council, "Individuals live there year round in direct violation of Saint Charles County rules governing temporary use permits." Bauer described sanitation issues, septic maintenance concerns, trespassing on adjacent farmland, and speeding and drag‑racing on nearby highways.
Charlene Schulte, a neighboring property owner, said the campground expansion would bring more traffic, noise and trespass and said her family has owned property in the area for nearly 200 years.
The property owner and applicant, who identified himself as John and said he has owned the marina since 1996, disputed many claims and said he manages the campground and enforces rules. He told the council, "I am there in almost all the time," explained his lease form includes an intended‑use calendar and said seasonal utility shutdowns and basin pumping are used in winter. He also noted staff materials indicated no recorded violations over the prior decade.
Planning and Zoning had voted 5–2 against the most recent expansion request. Councilwoman Patty York asked staff to provide the council with a list of complaints sent to the Division of Community Development and any police reports relevant to the campground before the council votes; the council set the item for a vote in two weeks.
Councilors and public speakers also discussed the 180‑day temporary‑use rule for RV/campsite occupancy, conflicting language in staff documents about vehicles per lot (commenters cited a staff packet line allowing two vehicles per lot while others referenced a one‑vehicle rule), and the property’s location in a flood zone. No final action was taken tonight; Bill 5384 was introduced and will be considered at a future meeting.
