[Massplanners] FW: Glamping question

Fri Feb 4 13:20:02 EST 2022

Dear Paul (to Dan Fortier's Comments)The Town of Falmouth recently took a step into the stainless steel world of glamping through Special Permit, Site Plan and Design Review to permit 100ish Air Streams (with wheels that can be removed in the event of a hurricane) and other not so removable X-Suites along with a couple of tents on the site of the former Sippewissett Campground  Stroll Through Woods Hole: Sippewissett Campground
Sippewissett Campground preceded Falmouth's venerable zoning bylaw ca 1926 by about four years. The site was permitted with a nitrogen reducing septic system and and now includes underground utilities including water, electric gas and sewer lines. There is cable in the clubhouse and wifi at all the camp sites. Enviro-logs only,  available at the clubhouse, in the firepits. Just ask the sushi chef if you don't see them. (there's not really an in house sushi chef). 

The principle concerns have been noise, smoke and access. The previous owners allowed access through the property for the neighbors. The low hum of the air stream hvac units has been noted by direct abutters. The screening and landscaping for the site included the installation of nearly 2000 plants. In the case of direct abutters to the site, the applicant who built the site not the campground operator, worked with the individual neighbors on the installation of screening plants ie arborvitae. With the neighbors at their window/door/deck looking toward the site the contractor shifted the plants (right/left) to maximize their screening. People who live in the area do still complain including the occasional direct abutter.   
As I am now temporarily encamped in my neighbouring town of Carver they are looking at welcoming Yogi and Boo Boo as Jellystone hopes to move into the former Shady Acres an existing campground. There are no confirmed reports of  Eminem ever pitching a tent or anything else in Carver. And while few would conflate  "pic-a-nic baskets" with glamping the project will have a package WWTP permitted through DEP and a water park feature for campers. It's early days for those permits but it is a permitted Special Permit use in Carver.TBott
Thomas Bott, Interim (friendly neighbuorhood) Town Planner Carver MASS

You too could follow me on Twitter @TBottPlimoth but it clearly isn’t necessary 

From: Dan Fortier 
Sent: Thursday, January 6, 2022 3:48 PM
To: Alan Pease <master471 at gmail.com>; Paul Dell'Aquila <psdplans at gmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Massplanners] Glamping question

I was going to respond almost the same way, with a few cautions.  You might also want to check in with Falmouth as I believe they had one open this year.

Now the caution. Campgrounds seem to have a bit of the wild west to them. Especially the larger they are. The Dennis Cottage Colonies started mostly as trailer campgrounds during the depression. Eventually, in the 40’s they turned to tents. The tents became more extravagant after WWII with wood frames and army tents connected to them, some with multiple “rooms”. Eventually the canvas got replaced with boards, and the cottage colonies has arrived.

You might say that, with modern building codes this cannot happen today. Wrong, during the early 2000’s we had an enforcement action against one of our RV Campgrounds.  They started with building, without permits, wood deck attachments. These decks become enclosed wood rooms complete with electricity. Then, as some of the RV’s had become immovable objects (tire rot etc as they never moved) the roofs started to leak and the RV owners built structures around the RV, complete with exhaust pipe extensions.

As glamping seems to involve structures, at least for the platforms, and often frames that canvas is attached to, you should ensure that their approval includes annual inspections by the Building, Health, Fire and other Code Enforcement entities to ensure that the sites do not change over time.

Not really sure how this is accessory to an existing agricultural use, and will probably very quickly exceed 50% of generated income, so you may need to set other limits if you do consider it to be accessory to an agricultural use. My two cents.

Daniel J. Fortier, AICP

Town Planner

Dennis Planning Department

685 Route 134

South Dennis MA 02660

Phone 508-760-6119

dfortier at town.dennis.ma.us

From: MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org>On Behalf Of Alan Pease via MassPlanners
Sent: Thursday, January 6, 2022 3:03 PM
To: Paul Dell'Aquila <psdplans at gmail.com>;MassPlanners at masscptc.org
Subject: Re: [Massplanners] Glamping question

Glamping is just another word for camping. Ashby allows the use campground by special permit. 

On Thu, Jan 6, 2022, 8:56 AM Paul Dell'Aquila via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

Mass Planners -

We have a riding stable in town that wants to install a "glamping" site on a 40-acre parcel as an accessory to the existing agricultural use. Have any other communities allowed this type of use? If so, how was it permitted?

Regards,

Paul Dell'Aquila

Upton Town Planner

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