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Santa Rosa County denies conditional-use permit for Hipcamp-style campground on Muskogee Road
Summary
The county commission denied a conditional-use application by Jeremiah and Cassie McCoy to operate a member-only Hipcamp campground in the American Farms area after neighbors raised noise, safety and septic concerns.
The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners on July 24 denied a conditional-use permit (2025-10-CU) sought by Jeremiah and Cassie McCoy to operate a member-only Hipcamp campground on Muskogee Road in the American Farms neighborhood.
Neighbors described late-night visitors, safety concerns and septic and fire risks at the small, largely “primitive” campground the McCoys have been operating for about a year. Michael Schmidt, who said he lives at 9978 Muskogee Road next door, said he first learned of the site from a Facebook post and described people arriving late at night: “No family, a old cracked out looking girl at 11:15 at night, pull up in my yard looking for a campsite.”
The McCoys told the commission they began hosting guests through Hipcamp, an online membership platform, and did not realize a conditional-use permit was required. Jeremiah McCoy said the sites are mostly primitive — “they show up, they throw up a tent” — and that only one site on the property has power and septic. He said Hipcamp requires hosts to be background-checked and that guests are members of the Hipcamp platform.
At a public hearing, supporters said the campers were respectful and brought local spending; Keith Carson, who lives across the road, said, “These are not trashy people,” and argued they spend money at local businesses. Opponents cited noise, the potential for drug use, and lack of nearby recreational amenities. Robert Spears said he did not believe campers could be effectively background-checked and raised a neighbor dispute unrelated to the permit. Several neighbors said the site is immediately adjacent to residential yards and that nighttime noise would be disruptive.
County commissioners weighed the neighborhood objections against the applicants’ statements that campfires were kept small and contained and that they would comply with required infrastructure if required. The chairman moved to deny the conditional-use request; the motion carried without objection and the McCoys’ application was denied.
The denial means the McCoys cannot continue operating the campground in its current form under the county’s existing zoning; the applicants were advised to pursue the proper permit channels if they wish to make changes that would meet county requirements.
Votes at a glance on this item: motion to deny conditional use (agenda item 2025-10-CU) — motion passed without recorded roll-call (denial entered by commission).
