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Richland County panel approves rustic‑campground conditional‑use permit with hunting restriction
Summary
After extended public comment on neighbor safety and hunting concerns, the Richland County Natural Resources committee approved a conditional‑use permit for a 37‑acre rustic campground near Dayton with conditions including submitted rules, maps and a restriction barring unsanctioned hunting on the property.
The Richland County Natural Resources Committee voted to approve a conditional‑use permit allowing a 37‑acre agritourism operation near Dayton to host nine rustic campsites, but added conditions aimed at addressing neighbors’ concerns about safety, trespass and hunting.
Applicant Andrew said the project is aimed at agritourism — offering spaced, backpack‑style campsites and farm experiences — and that the town of Dayton and the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection had provided preliminary approvals. At the hearing, neighbors and nearby landowners raised multiple concerns including receipt of late public notice, emergency access, the number and location of portable toilets, camp advertising and the potential for conflict with hunting seasons.
Committee members and staff pressed the applicant for operational details. The applicant said the nine sites would be spaced roughly 400–500 feet apart, would be off the road and largely outside mapped floodplain areas, and would use serviced portable restrooms. He said he would market primarily to families and agritourists through platforms such as Hipcamp, and said he would consider closing bookings during large hunting seasons if necessary.
Zoning staff told the committee a conditional‑use permit can be enforced and revoked if conditions are violated. The committee required the applicant to submit a campground rules document and property maps as part of the permit conditions and adopted a specific restriction limiting hunting on the property to circumstances authorized through an application or permission process (described by the committee as “no hunting without permission”).
The motion to approve the permit with those conditions was made and seconded; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. Staff said the county will enforce permit conditions and may revoke the permit if conditions are not met.
The applicant said he would provide requested rules and maps and that operations would be adjusted if neighbors point to problems after the campground opens. The committee’s action completes the county-level conditional‑use approval; the permit remains subject to compliance with the conditions imposed at the meeting.
