Faulkner, who does not yet have a name for the campground, said he believes it can be open within two months because most of the infrastructure needed for the project already is in place.
“The research that went into the land, and into this idea of having this RV park was really more of a group effort from the city staff,” Faulkner said. “I was looking at taking this land in another direction and (a city employee) brought it to me, and when I started really looking at it, I thought, ‘Wow, this is something that could really benefit the city, still benefit, work with the airport, because the airport has (The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Competition), they have fly-ins, they have all kinds of things.”
Faulkner then visited and did internet searches for similar businesses, and said he found, “a lot of the guests … they take really nice care of the campgrounds. I mean, this isn’t something that I want to have end up being an eyesore, anything like that. I was very impressed with a lot of the RVs, a lot of the people that travel — very nice vehicles.”
The property along Carmody Boulevard is highly visible and the first one one sees upon entering the city when entering the city from the north on Ohio 4. It has a building that in the past has served as a grocery/produce market that served the mobile home park, and which Faulkner plans to use to serve campers. It has men’s and women’s restrooms and shower stalls that were used to serve the former park’s pool, which has been filled in.
Kyle Fuchs, the city’s community revitalization director, and Ashley Combs, the planning commission secretary, noted in a staff report that the RV park can help attract visits to the Great Miami River with its hiking and biking trails, as well as the airport and some of the all-day sports tournaments at Smith Park.
Also, they wrote, “The RV park would be a great recycled use of one of the city’s eyesores. The property already has the infrastructure to support the RV(s) and campers.”
The site already has streets and utilities that were used by the mobile home park. The city’s planning commission and administrative staff recommended council approve the change to commercial.
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