Eaton County planning commission approves expanded resort-cabin plan for Sherwood Forest Campground with conditions

The Eaton County Planning Commission on Jan. 14 approved changes to conditional use permit CU 101525 for Sherwood Forest Campground, including conversion and construction of resort cabins, new setbacks, a required privacy fence and other conditions.

The commission’s approval includes limits and clarifications aimed at addressing neighborhood concerns about noise, trespass and year‑round use. The commission capped resort cabins at 600 square feet, required Barry‑Eaton District Health Department approval for each cabin conversion or new resort cabin, set a minimum 10‑foot separation between structures and ordered a six‑foot solid privacy fence installed along the campground’s east property line between sites 6 and 68, to begin April 1 and be completed by July 1.

Why it matters: Neighbors had urged stronger buffers and clearer rules after years of incremental changes at Sherwood Forest Campground. The commission’s motion bundles site‑specific approvals with explicit construction, health and site‑plan conditions intended to limit how the property may change without further commission review.

The commission reviewed a packet of site plans and a staff report that summarized site‑plan history dating to 2015, photographs from a staff inspection on Jan. 9 and written communications from neighbors and Walton Township. Brandy Williams, Eaton County planning staff, summarized the record and stressed that some existing berms and fences “do not meet zoning ordinance requirements” and that “clear regulations will be needed for enforcement” if resort cabins with plumbing are permitted.

Resident Diane Miller, who lives adjacent to the campground, spoke during the public hearing, saying the campground’s growing operations had increased noise, traffic and light and asking the commission to require “a solid fence barrier be built on the campground side of the property line prior to the next camping season.” In the meeting, the Walton Township supervisor asked the commission to require a privacy fence on the east property line between sites 6 and 69; the commission’s final motion specifies installation between sites 6 and 68.

Applicant Jeff Wills addressed the commission and said he would repair or reinforce the existing cattle fence and add signs if requested. “We can fix the fence. That's not an issue,” Wills said. He and his wife told the commission they expected growth to be gradual and suggested allowing a limited number of cabin conversions before further Planning Commission review.

Key approvals and limits the commission adopted (motion recorded as CU 101525): - Convert specified existing camping cabins (sites identified in the staff packet) to resort cabins and allow additions on some existing resort cabins, subject to permit and health‑department approval; resort cabins are limited to a maximum of 600 square feet (porches counted in square footage). - Approve construction of additional resort cabins at specified sites (65, 67, 68 and 107–114 in the applicant’s plan) up to the 600‑sq‑ft cap. - Allow up to 10 additional rustic cabins to be constructed (on EGLE‑approved campground sites) before the applicant must return to the Planning Commission for further approvals; each conversion must be reflected by an updated site plan. - Deny use of the proposed manager’s house as a general rental; the house may be used as an accessory dwelling for an employee or relative consistent with the ordinance and size limits. - Require health‑department (Barry‑Eaton District Health Department) approval for septic/plumbing for each resort cabin conversion or new resort cabin prior to occupancy. - Require a six‑foot solid privacy fence along the east property line between sites 6 and 68, installed between April 1 and July 1, and require the applicant to submit an updated, to‑scale site plan with a clear legend reflecting each site type. - Approve specific site improvements including a jumping pillow, a 400‑sq‑ft wood storage building, retention/relocation of permitted portable bathrooms with appropriate permits, and an up to 1,000‑sq‑ft addition to the recreational pavilion on the south side as shown in the submitted site plan. - Require minimum on‑site parking per campsite and a minimum 10‑foot separation between structures; parking requirements must be met on the updated site plan.

During deliberations commissioners repeatedly stressed the need for clearer site‑plan graphics and a legend showing which parcels are camping sites, rustic cabins and resort cabins; staff was directed to require a new scaled site plan with legend as a condition of approval. Williams noted the property already holds an EGLE construction permit issued June 2024 that expires in June 2027 and that some items in the applicant’s packet were tied to that permit.

The motion to approve CU 101525 passed by roll call. Commissioners present voted unanimously in favor; the commission chair declared the permit approved and said staff would work with the applicants the following week on site‑plan details.

Next steps: Staff will require the updated, to‑scale site plan and the applicant must obtain required building and health‑department permits before conversions or new resort cabins receive plumbing or are removed from the campground license. The commission’s motion also restricts the approved resort‑cabin rentals to the camping season for the main campground (April 1 through Oct. 31) and leaves the previously approved resort cabins at the north pond area as a separate consideration for year‑round use as noted in the record.