A proposed campground west of Berthoud is facing backlash from residents in the area. The proposal calls for a 373-site suitable for both tent camping as well as recreational vehicles (RVs), i.e., trailers and motorhomes, about one mile west of the County Road 23 and County Road 4 intersection.

Map courtesy of Larimer County

The proposal calls for the campground to be built out to full capacity in five phases with 120 sites in phase one, 50 in phase two, 68 in phase three, 39 in phase four and 96 in phase give. The plan also includes the construction of three buildings – a 2,000 to 5,000 square foot greeting and check-in office that includes showers and a laundry facility, a 3,000 square foot maintenance building and a 6,000 square foot barn, all to be built during phase one of the project. Restrooms will be, according to the county planning documents, “mobile and placed for easy access as needed.”

The project name is Colorado Base Camp, the applicating for the campground is David P. Lee, of Longmont, and the owner of the tract of land on which the campground will be built are listed in county records as Hui-You Huang and Pao-Chin Huang, also of Longmont. The Larimer County Planning website states 9% of the approval process is completed, an additional 17% is in progress and the remaining 73% has not started.

Residents in the area were provided with a brief notice regarding proposed development recently and multiple homeowners in the area contacted the Surveyor to outline their opposition to the proposed campground.

Among the concerns shared by those who live adjacent to the campground include increased traffic on CR4 and other thoroughfares in the area, fire risks from the proposed propane fire pits in the campground, water and air quality concerns, the potential for campers trespassing on private land, impacts from air pollution, water pollution, water scarcity, noise, light pollution, sanitation problems with the proposed portable restrooms, campers using dirt bikes, four-wheelers and the like, impacts on wildlife in the area and potentially dangerous human/wildlife interactions and impacts on community services such as a fire and sheriff protection.

Larimer County Planner Samantha Mott, who is assigned to shepherd the project through the application, planning and potential approval process, cautioned that the project is very early in what is a lengthy process.

As Mott explained, “This project is currently within the sketch plan process. This is a preliminary process where the applicant can submit their project for preliminary comments and feedback. This is not an approval process. There is no public hearing involved. Written comments are the only public input accepted at this point in the process. After the sketch plan review, the applicant can either choose to move forward with a public hearing application that would result in approval or disapproval by the Board of County Commissioners or choose to abandon the project. There will be more opportunities for public comment if they decide to move forward.”

Details of the proposal can be obtained at www.larimer.org/onlineportal and searching “21-ZONE3132.”  The Surveyor will provide further updates on this matter as developments warrant.