The Belle Fourche City Council began pushing in June to enforce its existing campground regulations and limit campers to stays of no longer than 28 days. At its regular meeting last Monday, October 2, the city revoked the conditional use permit for the Roosevelt Events Center RV Park—the thinly converted grounds of the old condemned Roosevelt High School. The revocation takes effect November 1, so campers have this month to find a new parking spaces for their RVs before the snow starts flying.
Full-time campground resident Amy Witt writes that this eviction will be hard on her family. She and her husband have a son with autism. They have chosen to live in campgrounds for financial reasons—Witt is on disability, her husband doesn’t bring home a big paycheck, they have bad credit, and Black Hills rent is sky high—and for their son’s health. Witt says raising her autistic son in a campground is better for him and for the neighbors: he wakes up early and is in constant motion, stomping a lot and making loud noises. Being closer to the outdoors is healthier for him, and when he settles down for the night, Witt says the campground is quieter than typical apartment buildings, so it’s easier for him to get to sleep.
Witt says the campground closure means they’ll have to move 60 miles away, to a new site that will cost $200 more a month. Witt’s husband will have to find a new job, and they’ll have to find a new school and local doctor for their son. Moving and changing schools will disrupt their routine, and autistic children don’t handle changes in routine well.
RV life isn’t for everyone, but for some South Dakotans, it’s the only life they can afford. For the Witts, living in a campground is actually good medicine. Denying South Dakotans this living option doesn’t just put a crimp in some well-off people’s extended vacation plans; it denies some low-income families their best option for health and financial freedom.
Can no one see the obvious solution?? And so simple … and nothing would really even change …
But why? Someone must have voiced a reason for the closures and evictions.
This seems to be the result of putting a handful of Karens in a room and granting them a little power over others. They focus on what they can do to disrupt the lives of little families. The concept of helping little families never crosses their pissy brains.
I do not agree with kicking people out of Campgrounds, they are Legal places to reside, live, and house themselves. IN todays age, with highcost of living, people are choosing alternate means, such as selling their homes, buying a camper (even tents), let alone renting Cabins. These Campgrounds are legal districts of whom have addresses, and a post office (forwarding services) to their resdinets. My dad goes to Tenessee every winter, and often stays in a Campground for 6 months out of the year, but maintains and holds his DOMICILE in Sioux Falls-SD, which means he can vote Absentee Ballot, verified and controlled by the State of South Dakota. I submits and makes known to the County that he will request a BALLOT be delivered to his Campground Address prior to leaving the State..This way the State sends him his ballot the day that voting opens up in the state. So, no, I do NOT agree with kicking these RV campers from our S.D State Campgrounds.
Leaving South Dakota for Tennessee is like leaving one of the moons of Uranus to live on Mars.
Even Mikey Lee confirms the stopped-clock adage. Right at least once in a while.
Tennessee allows camping in a campground for no more than 14 consecutive days out of 30 and camper must be moved after 14 days. State and National parks. Camping on public land is now a felony.
I happen to be in Tennessee right now (Manchester) and I have not seen one RV campground anywhere. On the other hand, I have seen people living in things that I am hard-pressed to call a house, as well as houses I would be equally hard-pressed to call livable. This county (Coffee) is about 400 square miles (20 x 20) with a population 60k, only 1/2 of whom live in a town. The terms rural ghetto or white trash reservation could be appropriate.
The campground already had a 28 day rule. Amy and others were taking advantage by going over the time limit and should have prepared for the inevitable. Not being heartless but seeing the facts. The limits are so one can’t get established. Good luck you them and the others.