SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – In a Campobello neighborhood, yards are filled with signs, symbolizing neighbors’ common goal: to keep a proposed RV park out of their backyards.

“If we don’t do something about it, we’re going to pay in the future,” said Nathan Williams, a local farmer.

DHEC initially approved a septic tank permit for the developer of this project. The DHEC board then overruled the staff’s decision on the permit and revoked it. 

“Under DHEC regulations there are over two million gallons of human waste and chemical pollutants to be discharged into the septic system from these RV’s,” said Sally Rock, a neighbor.

The administrative law court decided the RV park development could still continue.

“This being the United States it is a good thing that people are allowed to use the land that they own in the way in which they would like to use it,” said Alex Shissias, the lawyer representing the RV park developer, Blue Sky Associates.

The proposed development would utilize 38 acres of land off Landrum Mill Road, land that farmers said is more important than people realize.

“Somebody has got to draw a line, not only for the runoff water and the safety but the infrastructure can’t hold it. It can’t do it,” said Williams.

The surrounding area makes up nearly 5,000 acres with conservation-focused restrictive covenants and more than 1,000 acres that are under formal conservation easements.

“This whole area needs to be protected as a watershed area because all that water eventually ends up in Spartanburg County’s drinking water,” said Madelon Wallace, a neighbor.

The park would host 48 recreational vehicles and have parking spaces for over 70 additional vehicles. But neighbors said all of these vehicles wouldn’t fit, as the roads are smaller than the standard RV size.

Farmers said they are using police escorts to get through some roads themselves.

“We hope a lot of the people involved will come look at what is surrounding this proposed development and realize it’s just not compatible,” said William Mills, a neighbor.

DHEC estimates that more than two million gallons per year of human waste would be discharged into the ground adjacent to the conservation area.

The developer’s lawyer claims this is untrue.

“They’re not concerned about their health, they’ve hijacked the environmental permit process and land use process to delay and obstruct the development process. They’re going to lose,” said Shissias.

This is all on the agenda of the Spartanburg County Planning Commission meeting tomorrow.