WILLOW CREEK — The Willow Creek Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a 30-site RV campground expansion at Pleasant Lake Shores on Tuesday, a project that developers say will capture growing demand for RV camping in the Katahdin region.
The expansion adds full hookups — water, sewer, and electric — on 20 sites, plus 10 premium pull-through sites with 50-amp service suitable for larger rigs. The existing rustic campground will remain open during construction, which is scheduled to begin this August.
Developer Gary Levesque, who owns Pleasant Lake Shores with his wife Brenda, said the project was driven by customer demand. “Every summer we turn away families with RVs because we don’t have the infrastructure,” Levesque said. “They drive another hour to find a spot, and that’s money leaving Willow Creek.”
The expansion is projected to add an estimated $180,000 in annual visitor spending to the local economy, according to a study commissioned by the developer. The town will collect additional lodging tax revenue.
Selectwoman Eleanor Vance called the project a “sensible, measured expansion” that aligns with the town’s tourism development plan. “We’re not building a resort,” she said. “We’re giving people a place to park their camper so they can spend their vacation here instead of driving through.”