Eaton County planning commission tables Sherwood Forest Campground change request as health, permitting questions remain

The Eaton County Planning Commission on Dec. 3 voted to table until its January meeting a change‑of‑conditions request from Jeff and Carrie Wills for Sherwood Forest Campground, citing outstanding questions from the Barry‑Eaton District Health Department, missing permits for on‑site restroom facilities and a Walton Township request for clearer site plans and discussion.

The applicants requested eleven clarifications and changes to a 2015 conditional‑use permit that authorizes operation of a commercial recreation facility (campground) and a construction‑contractor/property‑maintenance business on a 55‑acre parcel at Campground Drive in Walton Township. The list included converting several existing “rustic” cabins to “resort” cabins (which include plumbing), adding up to 11 future resort cabin sites, a roughly 300‑square‑foot addition to an existing resort cabin, construction of a 400‑square‑foot woodshed, permanent plumbing for portable restroom/showers, allowance for outdoor equipment storage near existing barns and the option to rent the manager’s residence.

Why it matters: the proposed conversions and new resort cabins would change wastewater and plumbing demands on an existing septic system; the Barry‑Eaton District Health Department told the commission that some proposed resort cabins would require individual septic systems rather than connection to the campground’s existing system. The commission cited potential conflict with the county master plan’s agricultural‑preservation designation and asked for clearer plans and township review before taking action.

Staff summary and…