What you need to know
Jean Drew, planning and development services assistant director for the city, presented a proposed zoning amendment aimed at allowing RVs as temporary housing on properties zoned agricultural/pre-development at a Sept. 23 city council meeting.
The initial proposal would require properties to be at least five acres and meet city utility and sanitation standards, Drew said.
Drew said that the proposal is intended to help address the city’s housing demands while ensuring safety and compliance with city infrastructure standards.
“There's been recently an increased demand for alternative housing options that are affordable," Drew said.
The proposal includes several key requirements to ensure safety and compliance for RV housing in agricultural zones, Drew said, including:
- Adequate sanitation and waste disposal systems
- Access to utilities in compliance with city regulations
- Basic health and safety standards, including fire safety
Council member D. Lee Edwards suggested revisiting the lot size requirement, proposing that RVs could be allowed on lots as small as one acre instead of the proposed five-acre minimum.
He noted this could make the option more feasible for a broader group of property owners and proposed adjustments to the initial plan.
The takeaway
In response, the council asked city staff for more research on how smaller lots could be managed without overwhelming infrastructure.
The council suggests postponing the discussion to allow city staff more time to research and compare with other municipalities' practices.
