Resident plans to add RV dealership to campground

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HANCOCK COUNTY — A county resident recently presented plans to purchase and expand a local campground, adding a recreational vehicle dealership to the property and creating dozens of jobs.

Scott Schroeder of Hancock County plans to purchase Heartland Resort, a 300-site RV campground in the 1600 block of West County Road 300N in Greenfield.

Schroeder plans to spend about $3 million to improve the property, which currently boasts a banquet hall, man-made lagoon and nine-hole golf course.

An RV dealership would be added to the south end of the 125-acre property, bringing as many as 35 full-time jobs. Schroeder also plans to expand capacity by 50 additional campsites, he said.

Plans call for several renovations to current campground facilities, including adding a fresh coat of paint to existing structures and new signs to the property line along Interstate 70, Schroeder said.

John Salis, 74, the current owner of the property, said he plans to retire after selling the land. He purchased the campground from its previous owner in 1995.

The campground currently has about 200 campsites filled each night; on summer weekends, it often gets close to capacity, Schroeder said.

He plans to revamp the facility’s indoor pool, plant shrubs near the facility’s entrance and give a face-lift to the golf course, which is currently overgrown in some portions, he said.

Once improvements are made, Schroeder hopes to market the facility’s amenities by organizing golf tournaments and promoting its banquet hall to outside organizations.

Schroeder presented his plans to the Hancock County Board of Commissioners this week, with board president Brad Armstrong voicing eagerness to see new investment on the property.

Before plans receive the final go-ahead, county officials will need to approve Schroeder’s request to construct a dealership on the property, a lot that would hold as many as 200 campers.

The development’s fate will be decided by the Hancock County Area Plan Commission, which meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Hancock County Courthouse Annex, 111 American Legion Place, Greenfield.

To receive approval to build the dealership, landscaping like trees and shrubs will need to be planted to act as a buffer between the dealership and existing campers, said Darla Smoak, planning assistant.

A fence would also separate the dealership from campers and other properties in the area, according to development plans.

Schroeder hopes to gain approval from county officials within a year with construction starting shortly after.