The Hubbard County Board of Supervisors has approved a modification to a Conditional Construction Permit (CUP) for Decision Hills Campground.

The County Board of Adjustment (BOA) recommended approval in July.

Michel Solien, owner of the planned new RV campground at Pickerel Lake, asked for only one central underground wastewater treatment system to be built instead of two.

The original CUP allows Solien to build a 39-site campground: a 1,000-square-foot cabin and a 1,500-square-foot owner’s residence on 25.5 acres of land located at 25848 Holly Road, Park Rapids.

According to his amendment, the SSTS should initially be designed to accommodate 24 campsites, the cabin, and an additional capacity of 350 gallons per day.

At the county council meeting on August 20, Eric Buitenwerf, the county’s environmental officer (ESO), explained that the change was prompted by Solien working with an SSTS contractor and realising that “the installation was not really feasible. The tanks would have been too deep, so they came up with a different design.”

In his report, Buitenwerf wrote that the new design “moves the soakaway to the southwestern-most corner of the property, placing it as far from the lake as possible and at least 500 feet from the lake. As opposed to the originally approved SSTS design, where one of the two proposed soakaway fields is within the 150-foot soakaway clearance standard, pursuant to a variance.”

ESO has received the new septic tank design, Buitenwerf said. “We sent it to a civil engineer who is also the head of the state’s continuing education and training program for septic tanks. He reviewed it and said it met all the requirements.”

Solien and his septic tank installer, Jody Ylimiemi, were present on August 20 to answer questions.

Board Chairman Char Christenson spoke with several residents who oppose the plan. “People are frustrated because in this plan there would be no long-distance hookups. Everyone would be hookups for the utility, but if you remove the shower house and bathroom and put in full hookups instead, it seems to me that would be a more environmentally friendly way to use a septic tank. I think there would be less wastewater flowing through. If I’m wrong, you can correct me.”

Christenson said that moving the infiltration bed further away from the lake “seems to be a win-win situation to me.”

Water consumption can be monitored over the long term, she continued. “Personally, I think that’s an advantage. It seems to me to be a much better system.”

District Commissioner Ted Van Kempen also expressed his approval of the change.

County Commissioner Tom Krueger said, “Sounds like he’s leaning more toward seasonal locations?”

From his own experience, having moved from a resort to a homeowners association, Krueger said that “the (water) usage is much lower.”

He asked if Soliens’ expected average flow of 35 to 40 gallons per day was based on a campground, seasonal operation or a combination. Buitenwerf didn’t know the answer.

“For a seasonal campground, the value could easily fall into that range or even below,” Krueger said.

Buitenwerf agreed, saying: “So far, from my observation, the measured flow is usually half or less than what the rules dictate for the design flow of a new system. There is definitely a lot of leeway built in.”

Krueger said he was also in favor of the change.

County Commissioner Steve Keranen asked how long the data is recorded.

Septic tank regulations require flow measurement for the life of that system, Buitenwerf responded. BOA recommends submitting data for the 24 campgrounds to the county after the first year of operation, as well as the second year. “After that, it will be done as needed” if the county sees a reason to ask, he said.

Krueger suggested that Solien continue to monitor water flow for several years after the 39-site campground and cabin are fully developed.

Solien said he may not start the expansion immediately, “so it could take indefinitely.”

Since monitoring and data collection is required, the consensus among the Board was to give ESO discretion in deciding when the County should request access to the data.

In other matters, the board reappointed Maria Shepherd as district assessor.