Proposed Swanny Lake RV Resort draws fire from nearby residents

Nancy McCleary, The Sanford Herald, N.C.
·3 min read
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Feb. 22—A request to have land on along Swann Station Road rezoned to allow for an RV Resort Park met with stiff opposition from residents living nearby.

Six people spoke against the request from property owners Frederick A. Kruger IV and Karen R. Trulove-Krueger who live Winter Garden, Florida. They are asking to 57. 17 acres in the 4000 block of Swann Station Road for development of the Swanny Lake RV Resort, an 80-site RV campground, rezoned from Residential/Agricultural zoning to the Swanny Lake RV Resort Conditional Zoning District.

The proposed development would also include an office/store, two homes for the groundskeepers and 12 aqua lodges on Morris Pond, a 24.5-acre lake that would provide recreation from campers, according to a supplemental application.

Michael Blakely of Drafting and Design Services Inc. presented the request. Vaughn King, the property developer, also attended.

The proposed campsites would be located on the northeastern side of the property, Blakely said.

Residents would be able to stay in the park for up to a year, Blakely said.

A meeting was held earlier with adjacent property owners, who had concerns about on-site activities, privacy and increased traffic along Swann Station Road, Blakely said.

Two major concerns voiced by residents were the possibility that the campground would become an affordable-housing site and the safety of the neighborhood.

Ed Washburn, a Swann Station Road resident, said he and his wife chose to retire to Lee County. The couple had a house built that provided them with a rural location but close enough to shop in Sanford, he said.

'We have great neighbors, but they're not right on top of us," Washburn said. "We feel very safe and secure there and we would like to keep it that way."

Heather Warren lives on land next to the proposed RV resort in a custom-built home after her family opted to return to live in Lee County. Had she known before about the proposed RV resort, Warren said she would not have moved back. She questioned whether background checks would be done for longer-staying residents and if they know if any sex offenders were staying there.

Other concerns were the potential contamination of water and land sources. Blakely said the site would be served by public water and each site would be equipped with a pump station to handle sewage discharge.

Blakely presented a list of conditions that residents staying at the resort would have to observe. They included prohibiting gas motors on the lake or detached dwellings on the sites, mounting a six-foot wooden privacy fence and putting signs along the property line that clearly say no guests are allowed beyond a certain point.

Each camper and RV must be mobile at all times and have current tag registrations and the establishment of a natural buffer along property lines.

Asked about potential crime in the park, Blakely said he believed the campground would be safe.

"No one would break into the home of someone (living) next to you," he said. "I think it's more dangerous to go to Walmart in Sanford than the campground."

The request now goes to the Sanford/Lee County Planning Board, which will make a recommendation to commissioners to approve or deny the request.