A group of residents on Fox Road, Oakfield, got their wish tonight when the Genesee County Planning Board voted against a proposed RV campground in their neighborhood.
It's the second time this year about a dozen residents of the quite Oakfield neighborhood had asked the countywide planning body to reject proposed 30-acre campground on land owned by Mike Dilcher, and it's the second time the board voted unanimously against the plan.
Dilcher's attorney Brian Lewandowski tried to convince the board to vote for recommendation, saying that none of the issues being discussed by residents -- such as zoning use and environmental impact -- were appropriate for the county board to decide. Lewandowski maintains that the Town of Oakfield planning board retains appropriate authority on those issues.
The board rejected the proposal for the 267-site campground unanimously (with Michael Cianfrini abstaining) and without discussion.
It's the same results dealt to Dilcher last January.
The rejection returns the proposal to the Town of Oakfield Planning Board, which can veto the county's recommendation with a majority-plus-one vote.
About six residents spoke Thursday night, raising issues about traffic congestion, safety, noise, odor, water and property values.
"I'm sorry to tell you, John, if this project goes through you won't be able to sell your house," said resident Bob Chamberlin. "Nobody on Fox Road will be able to sell their house."
Chamberlin was referring to John Walther, a school teacher -- as is his wife -- who bought a large parcel south of the proposed campground just more than a year ago.
His property has a pond which won't be fenced off from the campground and is adjacent to a proposed recreation area. Walther said he's worried that children will be able to easily wander over to his pond.
"A berm or hill isn't going to keep children away," Walther said. "What's that going to do to my liability, to my insurance?"
But his biggest concern, he said, is all the strangers the campground will bring into the neighborhood. He said he bought his property specifically because he thought it would be a good place to raise the children he and his wife are planning. If the campground is built, he said, he would have to sell his property and move.
Among the many concerns raised by Diane Oaksford was the density of the proposed campground, which will have 15 sites per acre, she said. She compared that to other campgrounds in Genesee County, listing off the number of sites and acreage for each.
"The point is," she said, "the applicant has proposed the most amount of camp sites on the fewest acres in the most populated residential neighborhood in the county."
Lewandowski didn't take issue with any of the complaints raised by residents, but said none of the issues could correctly be addressed by the county board. He asked the board to refer the matter back to the Oakfield board to handle.
Photos: Top, Diane Oaksford; inset, Brian Lewandowski
I hesitated for a bit before
I hesitated for a bit before commenting but here goes.
Campgrounds are a permitted use of low density residential property. I see this as another case of residents trying to control their neighbor's use of their own land.
If the Dilchers wanted to raise pigs or run a dairy farm, the restulting odors and noise, plus possible contamination of ground water would be a bigger threat than strangers in the neighborhood. If you want to smell something truly noxious, drive down route 77 between Corfu and Darien. I'd rather smell a boys locker room after football practice than that dairy farm.
Campers on average cause little if any inconvenience to the neighbors. I'm sure this can be verified by the Sheriff's Departement. Just ask how many complaints they get each year for campers at Darien Lake...which happens to be nearly 10 times the size of the Dilcher's proposed campground.
Before buying property, it should be incumbent on the buyers to check what the permitted uses of the surrounding land. And then accept that what is permitted might actually happen.
I would have to agree with the attorney for the Dilchers. In addition, the planning board should be impartial and merely apply the rules and laws as they are written.
Frankly, I'm for anything that brings revenue into Genesee County, thus keeping property taxes lower for the rest of us.