Gunnison council approves campground, rezones acreage for family home site

GUNNISON — During its March 4 meeting, Gunnison City Council approved a conditional use permit for a short-term RV campground at the Paradise Motel property on South Main Street, and adopted a rezoning ordinance for 11.36 acres tied to K.C. Farms east of town.

The campground proposal came from Janet Hanson-Haight, who owns the Paradise Motel at 395 S. Main St.

City Administrator Dennis Marker wrote in a report to the council that the request was to operate a short-term RV campground on undeveloped ground east of the motel. The report said the campground would accommodate up to 12 spots and would connect to city utilities.

The city’s planning staff recommended approval after the planning commission reviewed the proposal on Feb. 25 and forwarded a positive recommendation to the council. Planners listed several findings in support of the permit, including that “the use is consistent with the criteria for conditional uses outlined in City Code” that it would “enable additional hospitality services that are in seasonal demand in Gunnison” and that it would use “currently underdeveloped property along Main Street.”

But Marker’s report on the proposal also made clear the approval did not end the review process. It recommended a condition requiring the applicant to continue working with the city’s Technical Review Committee “to address any applicable site conditions or development requirements.”

That technical review raised several issues still to be worked out. A fire department review said the closest hydrant is on the west side of Main Street and that “an additional hydrant may be necessary for fire protection.”

Engineering comments said the site plan did not yet provide an approved turnaround area for fire vehicles and warned that solving that issue would “likely” mean losing “a stall or two.”

UDOT also said the motel’s existing access permit would need to be updated because a change in use could affect what highway-access improvements are required.

A review by police was more favorable.

“I do not see any issues from a law enforcement perspective,” the written comment said. “With only 9-12 being back there, there should not be many issues with vehicle turning in or exiting the property onto Main St.”

The council also adopted Ordinance 2026-01, rezoning 11.36 acres from Agriculture, or A-1, to Rural Residential, or RR, at about 700 East Center Street. Documents identify the property as part of K.C. Farms, owned by Bruce Christensen. Marker wrote that the change would allow a 1- to 2-acre parcel to be split from the farm “so a relative can have a place to build a home.”

Under current Gunnison zoning, new homes in the Agriculture zone require 40 acres. The Rural Residential zone allows lots of 1 acre. The proposed rezone includes the existing Christensen home, which sits on less than 40 acres, and the area where the new lot would be created.
Marker recommended approval of the rezone, saying it would support an existing farm operation while making use of land that is, “not currently part of the active agriculture operations.” His packet memo described the proposal as, “an agricultural supportive action,” because it would allow housing for a family member who would contribute to the farm.

The memo also noted service limits on the property. It said the future home site would be next to city water service, but “water (rights) will need to be dedicated to the city before a connection to the system occurs.” It also said the site is too far from sewer service and “will have to use a county health department approved septic system for wastewater disposal.”

The ordinance states that the planning commission held a properly noticed public hearing on Feb. 25 before forwarding a positive recommendation to the council, and that the council determined the rezoning would, “promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community.”