Ghost town loses spirit, gains pleasures of the flesh

Monday, April 10, 2000 | 4:10 a.m.

Mono County supervisors last week unanimously voted to approve the Bodie RV Park.

Yerington, Nev., developer Bill Lapham said construction could start this summer if remaining issues concerning water quality are resolved.

The resort will be located just off U.S. Highway 395, 13 miles from Bodie State Historical Park.

Plans call for the resort to include 32 RV spaces, a 10-room motel, a general store, and tent and cabin camping. Two homes for employees also will be built.

Although critics voiced concerns the resort would detract from the Bodie experience, Lapham said, it will be located far enough away not to interfere.

Bodie peaked in the 1870s, gaining a reputation as a rugged mining town. It has been kept in a state of arrested decay by the state park system.

Lapham estimated the resort would cost more than $1 million to build.

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