Washington County planning panel approves conditional use permit for proposed Genesis RV Park on Natural Walk Road

The Washington County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit on a 5–1 vote for the proposed Genesis RV Park, a three‑phase development proposed on Natural Walk Road roughly three‑quarters of a mile from Beaver Lake.

The vote clears the applicant to pursue the next step — a large‑scale development review that would address engineering, septic, stormwater and other on‑the‑ground details — but does not itself approve construction. Lawrence Shackleford, chair of the Washington County Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustments, opened the planning commission section and noted the zoning‑board hearing was canceled earlier in the meeting for lack of a quorum.

Staff described the proposal as a phased RV park intended to reach about 40–41 RV pad sites, constructed in three phases with utilities including water service, septic, electric and a detention pond. Staff said the applicant plans to use the existing single‑family residence on site as an on‑site office with one full‑time employee and proposed office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; driveway access was proposed from Natural Walk Road.

The staff presentation noted 28 written neighbor complaints opposing the project, citing reduced property values, water‑service shortages, traffic and safety concerns, environmental impacts, littering and trespass. Jason Ingalls of Expediant Civil Engineering, the applicant’s representative, said the team has reviewed staff conditions and would follow county technical requirements. Ingalls said septic designers have already performed soils work and that the original concept was for 60 spaces but was reduced to about 40 after septic analysis.

Residents who live adjacent to the site urged the commission to deny the CUP. "We are here tonight to respectfully request that you vote no on this development," said Amber Henderson, who lives at 119785 Natural Walk Road and whose property borders the proposed site. Henderson described narrow, steep roads she said are not engineered for frequent RV traffic, recent local pothole damage, long law‑enforcement response times and concerns about child safety at school bus drop points.

Other neighbors raised similar concerns about water pressure, septic capacity, trespass and potential littering. Randy Lee Deason, who lives at 19831 Natural Walk Road, questioned whether the site could support the number of septic systems implied by the pad count. Rick Hall, who identified himself as an employee of Central EMS and a resident who drives past the site daily, warned of extended emergency response times and the presence of blind curves near the proposed entrance.

The applicant replied that gravel access drives and detention ponds would be included at the large‑scale development stage and that Springdale Water Utilities and the Washington County health department would review water and septic plans. Ingalls said RV parks often screen adjacent properties with fencing and wooded ravines on the site help provide visual buffering. He also said typical occupancy patterns mean not all pads would be filled year‑round and that septic design for RV parks can rely on shared drain fields rather than one tank per pad.

After discussion, a motion to approve the conditional use permit was made and seconded. The motion passed with four affirmative voices and one recorded opposition; staff reported the final tally as 5–1. Commissioners emphasized that approval of the CUP does not guarantee project construction and that specific engineering, drainage, road, septic and other technical issues would be reviewed during preliminary and final large‑scale development approvals.

The commission’s action allows the applicant to proceed to the next review phase, where required design details, large‑scale site plans and permitting will be evaluated by county staff and outside agencies.