Jackson County board tables special-exception request for a faith-based campground pending nonprofit formation and detailed site plans

The Jackson County Board of Adjustment on the record tabled Docket 25-11, a special-exception request from applicant Dennis Henkemeyer to establish a primitive, faith-based nonprofit campground and retreat center on approximately 73.08 acres in Perry Township. Planning staff told the board the request would allow tent camping, seven portable cabins in an early phase and use of an existing barn as a gathering space; staff also said proposed conditions and maps were included in the meeting packet.

Becca, planning staff, summarized the application and materials: “Tonight's case is 25 dash 11, a special exception request submitted by Dennis Hankenmeyer. The subject properties are located in Perry Township along 184th Street… The total combined area is approximately 73.08 acres consisting of 2 parcels under common ownership.” Staff said notices were mailed and published under Iowa Code chapter 335 and that a list of potential permit conditions adapted from previous campground approvals was provided for the board’s review.

Applicant Dennis Henkemeyer described the early buildout and operations, saying he hoped “to have 4 cabins out there as my goal” by April and that cabins would be portable and sited to minimize vehicle traffic. He told the board the campground would be open to the public with pre-registration and that sanitation during early phases would rely on portable toilets that would be pumped out; he also said he planned future permanent restrooms and that he did not intend to profit personally from the operation.

Board members pressed for ways to ensure the proposal remains nonprofit and low-intensity. One board member asked how the board could distinguish this project from a commercial campground that might expand from an initial four cabins to many more and start charging market rates: “How do we know that this isn't gonna happen?” The applicant responded that he was not seeking profit and would consult his attorney. Several members recommended either proof of an existing nonprofit organization or making nonprofit formation a condition of approval; staff noted permit conditions and complaint-driven enforcement as tools and proposed limits that would bar weddings, festivals, ticketed concerts or rentals to outside groups without further board review.

After discussion, a board member moved to table the matter to allow the applicant time to form a nonprofit entity and return with refined site plans and any documentation that would identify the operating nonprofit; the motion was seconded and the chair called the vote. The chair announced the motion carried following the call for “all in favor, aye,” though a single “Not a Aye” comment was audible in the record. The board directed staff to re-agendize the application once the applicant complies with the conditions discussed.

The packet and staff presentation referenced Jackson County zoning provisions allowing campgrounds in the A-1 agricultural district as a special exception and cited notification under Iowa Code chapter 335. The record shows the board emphasized setbacks, emergency access, sanitation requirements, and a final detailed site plan as requirements to be satisfied before permit issuance.

The item was tabled; staff instructed the applicant to contact planning staff to be placed on a future agenda after the nonprofit structure and detailed site plans are provided. The board also approved procedural items earlier in the meeting and adjourned. The board’s next scheduled meeting was announced as Jan. 26, 2026, at 6 p.m.