Hillsdale residents urge county to reject 50-acre RV park plan, cite traffic, water and safety risks
July 29, 2026 | Miami County, Kansas
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Several Hillsdale residents used the board s public comment period to press the county to reject or closely condition a developer s planned 50-acre project.
Joseph Thurman asked the board to require a traffic study during peak season ("between April 1 and October 31") and requested health and environmental study of runoff and sewer impacts, plus larger water lines and fire hydrants to serve the area. "We need a traffic study during peak times between April 1 and October 31," Thurman said.
Other speakers echoed concerns about policing and road capacity. Aaron Bean, owner of Shady Acres RV Park, compared his permitted lagoon system for 38 sites to the proposed infrastructure for the larger project and warned about flooding and drainage. Christie Everett, who is building a house roughly 300 feet from the site, said "This is simply terrifying to us," citing potential trespass, livestock safety, and limited county police resources at night.
Residents emphasized neighborhood character. Muffet Petrin, who said she has lived in the area 40 years, told commissioners the proposal would "fundamentally change the character of an established rural community" and said the majority of local residents oppose rezoning. Stan Heath and others argued RVs often become semi‑permanent homes and that the proposal would relax existing 15‑acre-per-household expectations.
Speakers also raised process concerns: Scott Robbins said dozens of opposition letters were submitted but only three appeared in the packet and urged more transparent handling of constituent correspondence. Several commenters cited potential conflicts of interest involving a planning official and the applicant; the applicant later told the board he had recused himself from planning commission deliberations on this case.
The board did not decide the application during public comment; the item was later discussed as an action item and remanded to the planning commission for further analysis.
Joseph Thurman asked the board to require a traffic study during peak season ("between April 1 and October 31") and requested health and environmental study of runoff and sewer impacts, plus larger water lines and fire hydrants to serve the area. "We need a traffic study during peak times between April 1 and October 31," Thurman said.
Other speakers echoed concerns about policing and road capacity. Aaron Bean, owner of Shady Acres RV Park, compared his permitted lagoon system for 38 sites to the proposed infrastructure for the larger project and warned about flooding and drainage. Christie Everett, who is building a house roughly 300 feet from the site, said "This is simply terrifying to us," citing potential trespass, livestock safety, and limited county police resources at night.
Residents emphasized neighborhood character. Muffet Petrin, who said she has lived in the area 40 years, told commissioners the proposal would "fundamentally change the character of an established rural community" and said the majority of local residents oppose rezoning. Stan Heath and others argued RVs often become semi‑permanent homes and that the proposal would relax existing 15‑acre-per-household expectations.
Speakers also raised process concerns: Scott Robbins said dozens of opposition letters were submitted but only three appeared in the packet and urged more transparent handling of constituent correspondence. Several commenters cited potential conflicts of interest involving a planning official and the applicant; the applicant later told the board he had recused himself from planning commission deliberations on this case.
The board did not decide the application during public comment; the item was later discussed as an action item and remanded to the planning commission for further analysis.
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