Ellsworth council weighs campground moratorium options, TIF committee

The Ellsworth City Council held a workshop on the campground moratorium, where staff presented three options and recommended updating performance standards rather than pursuing a broad rural rezoning. The council also discussed forming a TIF committee to review development incentive applications, with appointments expected at the October meeting.

Key points

• Staff presented three options: keep the moratorium and update campground standards, replace it with a moratorium on new campgrounds only, or replace it with a moratorium on all rural development.
• Councilors and planning board members largely rejected the third option, with one councilor calling it "suicide" and others noting it would halt housing construction across roughly half the city's land area.
• A public commenter said the moratorium's definition of "large-scale campground" could be read to shut down seven existing campgrounds, and councilors said the wording was not what they intended.
• Staff said the treehouse project already has all permits pulled before the moratorium and is unaffected.
• Councilors directed staff to focus on updating campground performance standards, including buffers, definitions, and complaint contact requirements, with a planning board workshop planned for October.
• The council discussed creating a seven-member TIF committee, with five members appointed by the council and two Ellsworth resident seats filled later through letters of interest.

Next steps

• Staff will confirm with legal counsel whether the moratorium's "operate" language affects existing campgrounds.
• Staff will bring TIF committee guidelines, policy and procedures, and an application packet to the council for approval, with five of seven committee members appointed in October.
• The planning board will hold an October workshop on campground performance standards, vote to recommend in November, and send a proposal to the council in December.
• Staff will consider adding a non-voting youth advisor seat to the TIF committee.

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