City council blocks mancamp proposal
City council blocks mancamp proposal
By Jerry W. Kram
Despite some generous offers of assistance to the community from the developer of a proposed man camp, the Parshall City Council voted against a zoning change that would have allowed Missouri River Lodge to proceed with developing a 1,500 room facility on the east side of Parshall’s city limits.
The council held a public hearing on a zoning change for 100 acres currently owned by Bud and Joan Zavalney. A portion of the land is currently zoned industrial and the request was to change the zoning of the remainder of the land from agricultural to industrial. The change would be necessary to allow Missouri River Lodge to develop the area and build 300 five-room buildings.
Steve Richards, a developer of the project, gave a presentation of the benefits of the project. Tossing out words like “world class” and “quality” like they were candy, Richards told the council and the two dozen or so members of the public in attendance that the facility would not be operated like man camps they may be familiar with. He said the facility would have a security gate, its own security force, fire department and some amenities for its residents such as a cafeteria and laundromat. All residents would have to pass a background check and would be expelled if they got into trouble with law enforcement.
