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Council denies proposed gift‑shop and 25‑site campground; applicant said operation would prioritize pay‑dirt business
Summary
The planning council voted to deny a conditional use permit for Martin Sanders’s proposed gift shop and campground after neighbors raised concerns about water, drainage, traffic and neighborhood character; applicant said overnight stays were secondary to a pay‑dirt business.
The Bannock County Planning and Development Council voted to deny Martin Sanders’s request for a conditional use permit to operate a gift shop and a 25‑site campground on roughly 6 acres near Lava Hot Springs.
Sanders told the council his primary business model is a family‑oriented pay‑dirt operation — customers buy bags of mined sediment, sift and wash material on site to find gemstones — and that overnight camping was intended as a limited ancillary offering for long‑distance travelers. He said he did not plan to install a private well or septic and intended to provide two rented porta‑toilets (one ADA accessible) with weekly servicing.
Despite that, neighbors testified at length, saying even limited overnight use would change the character of the narrow valley and amplify existing…
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