Memorandum

Staff received a request to allow a property owner to temporarily live in an RV on their residential property while preparing for and constructing a permanent home. The current City Code does not allow this, and staff does not have the ability to approve an exception.

Therefore, the City Council is being asked whether it wants to consider changing the Code to allow temporary RV occupancy in limited circumstances.

The City’s current regulations, Section 28-2 (3)  states: Recreational vehicles may be parked or stored in a garage or lawfully erected building, or may be parked or stored outdoors as follows:

a. Any such vehicle shall not be used as temporary or permanent living quarters.

There is no exception in the Code that would allow the approval of temporary occupancy based on the circumstances of an individual property owner. As a result, staff cannot administratively approve this request.

A change to the city code would be required to allow this type of temporary occupancy. A property owner may submit a formal text amendment application, but the City Council could also choose to direct staff to explore a code change proactively.

If Council is interested in allowing temporary RV occupancy, staff would need to develop clear standards addressing questions such as:

• What circumstances would allow an RV to used for temporary living?
• How long could it remain on the property?
• Where could it be located?
• How would water, sewer, wastewater, and other health and safety requirements be addressed?
• What happens if construction is delayed or the permanent home is not completed?
• How would the City enforce the requirements and require removal of the RV when the allowed period ends?

Staff does have concerns about allowing temporary living in recreational vehicles, as option for people who are building a house or doing a major home renovation project. Staff has previously encountered situations where flexibility was provided for temporary conditions associated with construction projects, but compliance issues ultimately required enforcement and abatement. As a result, staff has subsequently taken a more restrictive approach to allowing temporary conditions to remain. 

Staff is seeking City Council direction on whether there is interest in considering a code amendment to allow temporary RV occupancy on residential properties.

If Council supports further consideration, staff would return with proposed ordinance language and specific standards for Council consideration. The existing regulation in the City Code is not part of the zoning chapter, therefore, any amendment proposed would only go the City Council and not the Planning Commission.

Alternatively, the Council may determine that the existing regulations should remain unchanged. A property owner may also pursue a formal text amendment application independently through the City's established process.