Duchesne County planning officials have approved a labor camp and a private RV park on Midview Reservoir Road, but some neighbors question whether proper procedures were followed.

Donna Richens appealed a decision by Duchesne County Community Development Administrator Mike Hyde that allowed Scott Hagman to move in skid-mounted modular units on his property just north of Myton to temporarily house oil company executives with Harvest Natural Resources.

Hyde gave Hagman approval to use the four new modular homes through December 2011 to house officials with the Houston-based oil company. A fifth housing unit on the property will be used as a clubhouse. Harvest has drilling rigs operating in the Myton area.

When the property is no longer needed for housing, it is permitted as a private RV park for family reunions.

Richens and neighbor Dallas Murray say their argument isn’t with Hagman as much as it is with Hyde and the county for allowing the project to proceed, allegedly without the proper permits in place and without obtaining a conditional use permit.

“If Scott had gone in, in the very beginning and submitted a plot plan and said I want to house these Harvest executives for a year and then use it as an RV park for family … I would not have said a word,” Richens said. “It doesn’t bother me that much having it there, it bothers me how he went about it and how hard Mr. Hyde worked to circumvent the (county) rules.”

According to Richens, Hagman didn’t seek the required permits from Duchesne County or the TriCounty Health Department until she began questioning his plans for the property directly across the road from her home.

“The whole premise is … Scott built it and never got permission,” Richens said.

She said she became concerned about the potential for increased traffic and noise when she learned what Hagman had in mind for his property. Worries about what he could do in the future also became an issue, she said.

Duchesne County Building Official Karl Mott said Hagman first came to him for an agriculture electric hookup for farm equipment. While he understands Richens' concerns, Mott said no county ordinances have been violated.

“The whole problem is that (Hagman) didn’t come in with all the information,” Mott said. “Donna’s right to bring the questions up, to make sure all the proper permits are issued, but as far as not being able to have it there, it is a permitted use.”

The complaints came as a surprise to Hagman who said he followed the rules from the time he first installed electrical, water and sewer connection on his ranch for private use by friends and family members for reunions and other gatherings.

Hagman said it took time for the county to determine what permits he would need for the project.

"What we decided at that time was that I'd just get the permit for the power and we’d discover and research” which permits were needed, Hagman said, describing his initial meeting with Mott.

"(The county) did everything they were supposed to do," Hagman added. "They did a lot of research. This has been going on for like three months."

Hagman confirmed that the units that are on his property are skid-mounted modular trailers that are currently occupied by friends of his who are executives with Harvest Natural Resources.

"They're not man camps," he said. "They don't have anything to do with roughneck man camps."

Hagman added that he has no desire to open a commercial RV park or man camp on his property.

"That's never been my intention and I don't want it zoned commercial," he said. "I would never want a commercial trailer park on my ranch. It's just for friends and family."

The five-member county Board of Adjustments recently heard Richens' appeal of Hyde’s decision.

Midview Reservoir Road resident Dallas Murray addressed the board during the hearing and said he came away appalled at their lack of discussion on issues raised by Richens.

“I never felt there was any question that there were violations of the code,” Murray said. “I thought Donna raised reasonable questions. When the board deliberated they didn’t address any of them. I felt the whole thing was ‘How can we circumvent the county’s own ordinances, or lack of ordinances, and leave this (labor camp) open?'”

Murray, who has lived on the road since the late 1960s, said he appreciates progress but feel it should come in an organized manner.

“I expect that when anything comes in, it be brought in through the permits and requirements,” he said. “In this case, I question whether that was done.”

The board voted 4-to-1 to confirm Hyde’s decision.

Mark Murray, the only board member to cast the dissenting vote, said he found no fault with Hyde’s actions, but believed term “labor camp” was not the most appropriate.

“I wasn’t voting against the project, but it appeared it is more of a modular home situation, according to the county building official,” Murray said, adding, “we asked questions and felt our questions were answered.”

Hagman doesn’t feel that what he is doing on his own property has harmed anyone, and said no one other than Richens is opposed to what he is doing.

"All of the rest of the neighbors I've talked to ... there isn't anybody who's got a problem with it," he said. "It is America and I do own that land. I'm not asking to do anything out of the ordinary; I'm not harming anyone."

At this point Richens said her options are “to let it go,” or pursue the matter in 8th District Court within 30 days from Board of Adjustment hearing.

“I have considered it very seriously,” she said. “If I felt like I had enough legal standing to reverse the situation, then I probably would do it.”