Washington County planning board denies Blackburn RV Resort conditional use permit after widespread public opposition

The Washington County Planning Board voted to deny the conditional use permit application for the Blackburn RV Resort on March 27, 2025, after an extended public comment period and staff review. The applicant had requested approval to establish seven RV spaces, a small staff residence/office, a shower house and supporting infrastructure on or adjacent to a larger 85-acre tract along West Devil's Den Road.

The board’s denial followed extensive public comment from neighbors, who cited traffic and road-safety worries, potential long-term occupancy, impacts on wildlife and property values, and concerns about inadequate water and septic service. Planning staff also noted outstanding engineering and health-department conditions, and reported 37 written neighborhood complaints about the proposal.

Planning staff described the proposal as a conditional use permit (CUP) to operate an RV park with seven compacted-gravel RV pads, a roughly 100-square-foot residence that would serve as an on-site office and staff housing, a roughly 300-square-foot shower house, a 144-square-foot mechanical building, a community septic field and a detention basin. Staff said the CUP…