Skaggs Talks To County Commission About Plan To Use Fairgrounds For RV Campers

Ste. Genevieve County Fair board president Keith Skaggs can envision campers and recreational vehicles lining an area of the fairgrounds.

Skaggs brought that vision before the County Commission during last Thursday’s commission meeting.

Skaggs said he “would like to keep the fairgrounds busy all year,” including an area for recreational vehicles to park.

During the August 2017 eclipse, the fair board rented 72 spaces to campers, Skaggs said.

With a little work, he said, a nice area could be established.

“Water, sewer and electric are right there,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs said the area by the gazebo between the Youth Building and the livestock barn would be able to support four “camp sites.”

Skaggs said he could work with city of Ste. Genevieve tourism director Sandra Cabot to direct visitors to the fairgrounds.

Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson said he could see “a couple of drawbacks” to the plan.

First, someone would need to be around to collect the camping fees.

Second, he said there would a need to be “a lot more than four” spots.

“If the national park takes off anything like we think, we will need an RV park,” Nelson said.

Nelson also said security would be another issue to be addressed,

“That’s why we wanted to start small,” Skaggs said, “Two spots on one side of the gazebo, two on the other. Electric is there; water and sewer are close.”

Nelson said he agreed with the idea in general, but that he would want to see “some layout of the plan” first.

See complete story in the September 4 edition of the Herald.