1st new Tri-Cities RV park in years proposed off Richland’s bypass highway
An 80-spot RV park is planned for a property in Richland colorfully describes as being shaped like a “guillotine.”
It would be the first new RV park built in the Tri-Cities since a major expansion at Pasco’s Sandy Heights RV Park near Broadmoor two years ago.
In all, there are about 1,200 RV spots in a dozen official sites in the Tri-Cities.
The Van Giesen RV Park is planned for a 7-acre parcel at 2517-2525 Van Giesen St., formerly a landscaping business west of the Highway 240 bypass intersection.
The site is between the Richland Riders Club and the Knights of Columbus, with Wood’s Nursery and Garden Store to the west.
In addition to 80 spaces, it will have three buildings and a recreation area, including dog park and walking trails. Access will be from Van Giesen with a secondary entrance to Chester Road and Hall Road.
The property is zoned for commercial use, but a RV park requires a special permit.
City staff have recommended the park be approved because it is on an arterial, utilities are in place and it is consistent with Richland’s comprehensive plan.
The Richland Hearing Examiner plans a hearing on the developer’s request for the permit at 6 p.m., Monday, April 10, at city hall, 625 Swift Blvd.
The project is proposed by Millie Anne VanDevender on behalf of the developers, AHBL Inc. and NC Ventures. NC Ventures, based in West Richland, owns the property. The owners could not be reached about the project.
The site’s shape is described as having four sides and two right angles — a quadrilateral or even a trapezoid.
Instead, Richland city planners opted for the more prosaic “guillotine” because one side is squared off and the other has a sharp angle.
The city determined the project will not have a significant impact under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act review process.
Under Richland rules, RV campers are limited to staying in one spot for one year during any 14-month period.
RV parks in the Tri-Cities
There are a mix of RV campgrounds in the Tri-Cities catering to a diverse group of visitors, ranging from vacationers stopping briefly in town to long-term residents.
Richland’s MoonRiver RV Resort boasts it is the community’s only full-time RV resort, opening in 2010 on Saint Street.
The Tri-Cities KOA Journey, aka Sandy Heights, near Broadmoor in Pasco is the largest in the area after expanding to 241 spaces in 2021.
Benton and Franklin counties each operate small publicly owned parks.
Benton County has the Horn Rapids Campground on Highway 225 in West Richland, with 22 sites.
Franklin County has a 46-site campground at the HAPO Center in Pasco.
