Committee approves Trand Cottages expansion to 100 campsites amid groundwater questions

The Sawyer County Zoning Committee voted to approve Conditional Use Permit 24-17, allowing Trand Cottages Inc. to expand its licensed campground from 75 to 100 sites pending the conditions in the staff report and the findings of fact.

Applicant Harold Trand, who identified himself and provided the resort's address, said Trand Farm RV Resort has operated since 2013 and that the market supports expansion: he reported peak-season sellouts, a waiting list and existing infrastructure work including soil testing and plans for additional sewer capacity. Trand said the additional 25 sites would be located in the northwest corner of the property, would meet county and state location rules, and that the park "oversized" drain fields and would add four full bathrooms beyond minimum requirements to serve the added sites.

Staff framed the request as a modification to an earlier CUP and listed conditions drawn from the original permit: maintenance of existing tree buffering along County Highway B; campsites to be a minimum of 300 feet from Moss Creek and from the nearest house to the west; no more than three docks or piers allowed on Moss Creek; no motorized watercraft access to Moss Creek; no cabins or permanent attachments to recreational vehicles; operation season April 15 through Nov. 15; and a cap of 100 sites, of which no more than 60 may be seasonal. Staff said the applicant had begun working with a soil tester and licensed plumber to expand sewer capacity.

During public comment, Linda (Edgewater property owner) said she had attended prior hearings and expressed concern about the state standards for design of septic systems serving campsites, warning about future groundwater impacts if use and wastewater generation increase. She also asked the committee to consider limits on access to Moss Creek, noting that some relevant information was not present on the county website.

Trand responded that the area of the proposed expansion "is not even subject" to some of the Moss Creek constraints because of distance and that no campground guests currently use docks on Moss Creek. Staff and the committee kept the existing no-motorized-access and three-dock limit in the conditions to prevent overflow use of that access.

Mr. Savitzky moved to approve CUP 24-17 with the staff-recommended conditions and findings of fact; the motion was seconded and carried by roll-call vote (John Sski, Marshall Savitzky, Ron Buckolz and Tweet Schuman voted yes). The committee recorded the approval and proceeded to new business.

The permit's conditions include the buffering and setback requirements, limits on docks and motorized access to Moss Creek, and the requirement that the applicant meet all county and state requirements for sewer installation and operation.