Spring Ridge Resort, Newport Wa

[garymunson]

Back in August, FCMA sent an email regarding a free camping offer for Spring Ridge in Newport Wa. We took the resort up on the offer but ended up not staying the night as the location is not as nice as the rosy verbiage of the offer makes it seem. We pulled onto the lot and were attacked by hordes of yellow jackets. A new looking yellow jacket trap hanging from one of the trees that was practically full made it obvious this is a known problem in this area. Their model is selling a 2.5-10 acre lot that can be used for RV camping or home construction. What we found unpalatable was the distance from town location as well as the fact that with the considerable investment you will make in the property (and a house, if desired) you are left in a situation where there is little protection against your neighbor moving onto his lot with a dilapidated 5 wheel torpedoing the value of your efforts. They tout the lack of any HOA as a benefit but while some like to avoid that sort of encumbrance,  in this situation you lack needed protection from those have a different idea of what a nice homesite is. It is listed as a 55+ community but once the builder sells out, there will be little you could do about people breaking the rules without considerable legal expense on your part. The straw that REALLY broke the camel's back was, after seeing many "No Newport Smelter" signs in the neighborhood, a little research revealed there is an attempt by a large Canadian corporation to build a coal-fired silicon smelter within a few miles of the campground. Maybe you may not share my concerns about these issues but anyone who is considering this place REALLY needs to do their "due diligence" before signing on the line. 
https://stopnewportsmelter.org/