Lazy Y Rockin J Campground
I would like to thank the community members who recently attended the Lazy Y Rockin J Campground public meeting on April 24. This meeting was requested by El Paso County to present the land-use concept and to answer questions as part of the county’s approval process.
I believe it’s important to share clarifying information so that community members understand more about the proposal and our efforts to ensure that the campground is compatible with the surrounding area, neighbors and businesses.
We acknowledge the primary concerns voiced at the meeting — including concerns about water, traffic, stormwater management, sanitary sewer and park operations.
The relatively new County RVP zone has several significant requirements that the proposing developer must be compliant to gain approval. Those requirements include demonstrating adequate water rights and availability, traffic studies to determine the expected traffic uses, and the filing of a stormwater-management plan that will require the developer to manage and maintain stormwater. Sanitary sewer will be addressed with an approved septic system permitted by the State health department (CDPHE) that will receive ongoing testing and compliance monitoring.
These mandatory requirements, as well as several others, are addressed in the submittal. We are committed to meeting all requirements in the development and operations of the Lazy Y campground.
The campground and its visitors will contribute tax dollars to the county and school district and will pay into county road funds.
Just like other businesses, there are a wide variety of offerings on the market for consumers. Unfortunately, when people hear about RV parks, they too often think about older “campgrounds” that have become high density and serve as permanent housing. That’s not what is planned or allowed for Lazy Y campground.
According to the Outdoor Hospitality Industry, new RV parks are in demand as nationally there is only one campsite available for every 28 RVs today. The Lazy Y campground will cater to RVers who are looking to periodically enjoy the outdoors while enjoying the park’s amenities and connecting with friends, family and like-minded campers. Parks like the proposed Lazy Y focus on social opportunities such as night sky viewing, veteran groups and families with special needs.
We look to serve that customer base, and these RVers expect a quiet, well-maintained and visually appealing campground for their getaways.
Lazy Y will be seasonal—closed or nearly closed at least three months out of the year. The campground will offer large open campsites and, compared to other campgrounds in the area that have as many as 12 to 15 sites per acre, Lazy Y will only have three campsites per acre.
RVers will NOT be allowed to establish any sort of residency and will not burden the nearby schools. Campground rules will be strictly enforced as it makes both economic and neighborly sense. The development of the campground is a significant investment and in order to preserve that investment, the expectations of RVers for a nice, clean and fun experience has to be an utmost priority. This RV park will not be a housing development of any sort, but an opportunity to temporarily enjoy a picturesque place while RVing.
It’s important to note that campground owners across the country that operate similar campgrounds report virtually no law enforcement actions or requirements as the RVers are responsible and take pride in their investments and recreational opportunities.
We will make our home adjacent to the campground. With the investment we are making to develop the park, we are just as concerned about safe, clean and quiet operations. We will be hands-on in the management, operations, enforcement and compliance at the park.
Scott Smith
Project Manager for Lazy Y Rockin J Campground
Peyton, CO
