Dispute ensues: Fremont County residents seek reconsideration of Sandbox RV Park decision
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (KIFI) - A long-running dispute over the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes may be headed back before Fremont County commissioners — and potentially into the courts.
A group of Fremont County residents has formally requested that county commissioners reconsider their June 8 decision involving the controversial development, arguing the county's findings contain factual errors and fail to reflect the public record.
The request for reconsideration was filed June 18 with the Fremont County Clerk and asks the Board of County Commissioners to revisit its decision regarding the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes. According to the filing, residents believe the commissioners relied on flawed information and ignored evidence presented during the appeal process.
"For years, concerns over the Sandbox RV Park near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes have divided residents, business owners, and county leaders," said St. Anthony resident and author of the reconsideration request, Cathy Koon.
Koon says the request is not an effort to stop development, but rather an attempt to ensure county decisions follow the law.
"We want to hold the commissioners accountable. This is not a vendetta against Sandbox. This is simply citizens who want those decisions made according to the law."
Earlier this month, county commissioners ruled that the Fremont County Planning and Zoning Commission improperly extended Sandbox's Class II conditional use permit. Commissioners directed the RV park to submit a new permit application.
Residents opposing the project argue that the development has expanded beyond what was originally approved and that additional amenities and operations were never properly reviewed.
"As we started looking at the public record, we found a lot of inaccuracies and missing information," Koon said. "As a group, we decided that the only way we could get the commissioners to be attentive to these issues was to file a request for reconsideration."
The six-page reconsideration request alleges factual errors within the county's findings and identifies several procedural issues dating back to the original permit process in 2023. Supporters of the request claim the development has experienced "mission creep," with additional amenities and expanded operations occurring without proper approval.
The filing also alleges that evidence and public comments may be missing from the official record of the appeal hearing. Residents argue that portions of the public record were either overlooked or omitted during the decision-making process.
Under Idaho's Local Land Use Planning Act, the commissioners now have up to 60 days to reconsider their decision. They may issue a new decision, modify their findings, deny the request, or take no action. If the request is denied or no action is taken within that period, residents could pursue a petition for judicial review in the district court.
The dispute over Sandbox RV Park has spanned several years and involved appeals, public hearings, and ongoing debate over growth and development near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes. At this time, the RV is operating in the St. Anthony area with plans to officially open this summer.
The reconsideration request was signed by residents from St. Anthony, Island Park, Chester, Salem, and Egin. Commissioners are expected to respond by mid-August.
"We're not anti-growth," Koon said. "We just want the law to be upheld."
