RV parks / recreational vehicle parks - standards

[jackfishem]

Our region is on the brink of an economic development boom with announced industrial development projects totalling over $40 billion. Although construction is one to two years ahead, developers are scrambling to have RV Parks (Recreational Vehicle Parks) approved in anticipation of the construction housing need. We have minimal standards for this type of use -- 2,000 sq ft of land per unit, 2 parking spaces, and a bath house/laundry facility must be provided. I would welcome comments from any folks who have experience with this type of rapid development. I would also like to find out about any communities that have higher minimum standards or those that have instituted requirements on temporary permits for this kind of use. If time limits are imposed, how is enforcement done at the end of the permitted period? Thanks in advance!

[AG74683]

We just adopted a completely new RV Park ordinance. It was drafted before my time, and I wish it was more comprehensive, but what's done is done. If you PM me an Email Address I'd be happy to send them to you.

One thing I can strongly recommend against, is allowing people to add on to these things. We have 2 separate major RV parks here, and each falls under their own specific zoning district . One is the "RV Resort" the other is the "Campground". The only differences involve how non-conforming uses are treated, and the type of camper allowed into the park.

Both allow for ANSI Park Models, and the RV Resort allows for modular RV units, and it even allows for full BASEMENTS under them....

Our ordinance's for both areas allow for a single room addition , a deck, AND a screen room not exceeding the length of the camper. They cannot be attached to the camper, and the camper must retain the ability to be pulled out at any time.

The one I will be sending you is intended to drive all future RV Park development and fix the disaster we have with the other two.

[rcgplanner]

The city I used to work for was undergoing a similar industrial construction boom and we were looking at upwards of 10,000 temporary workers in our region during the construction. We had people beating down our door asking to build new parks. I will PM you with the exact link but here are the highlights:
- Requirement for laundry facilities
- Recerational area requirement
- Landscaping
- Limited sidewalk (have to provide a sidewalk, but if your street is wide enough that can count as the sidewalk

Before I left, there was talk of instituting a minimum lot size to allow for an RV park as well as issuing some sort of temporary/conditional use permit.

[Richmond Jake]

From our code:

General Requirements. All recreational vehicle parks (R/V parks) shall meet the following requirements:
1. All R/V parks shall be primarily for recreational use by persons with transportable recreational housing, and associated accessory uses and structures. Recreational vehicles are defined by law as motor vehicles (Section 320.01,F.S.). These vehicles are primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use. Recreational vehicles may be kept in R/V parks on a year-round basis, however, no recreational vehicle shall be used as a permanent residential dwelling.
2. R/V parks shall not be located within the Coastal High Hazard Area as defined in the Comprehensive Plan.
3. The land on which it is developed shall be under unified control and shall be planned and developed as a whole in a single development operation or programmed series of development operations for recreational vehicles and related uses and facilities. Subsequent subdivision of lots or conveyance of sites to individual owners by any means is prohibited.
4. The principal and accessory uses and structures shall be substantially related to the character of the development in the context of the district of which it is a part.
5. The park shall be developed according to comprehensive and detailed plans that include streets, utilities, lots, and building sites.
6. The park shall have a program for provision, maintenance, and operation of all areas, improvements, and facilities for the common use of all or some of the occupants of the park, but will not be provided, operated, or maintained at general public expense.

Allowable Uses. The allowable uses in a recreational vehicle park include the following:
1. Recreational vehicles.
2. Tents
3. Park trailers (park models) as defined by Chapter 320, F.S., provided they are placed in an area designated exclusively for that use on an approved final site plan. Park models are not to be set up for more than forty-five (45) consecutive days in areas of special flood hazard unless elevated and anchored to comply with the flood damage prevention ordinance.
4. Convenience establishments for the sale or rental of supplies or for provision of services, for the satisfaction of daily or frequent needs of campers, within the park may be permitted. These establishments may provide groceries, ice, sundries, bait, fishing equipment, self-service laundry equipment, bottled gas, and other similar items needed by users of the park. These establishments shall be designed to serve only the needs of the campers within the park and shall not, including their parking areas, occupy more than 5% of the area of the park, and shall not be so located as to attract patronage from outside the grounds, nor have adverse effects on surrounding land uses.

Site Design Requirements. The following site design requirements shall be met:
1. The minimum land area for a recreational vehicle park shall be five (5) acres.
2. The maximum density for a recreational vehicle park shall be twenty-five (25) spaces per acre.
3. Individual spaces shall have access to internal streets and shall not have direct access to adjoining public rights-of-way.
4. Access to the recreational vehicle park shall be from a collector or arterial roadway.
5. Internal streets shall provide safe and convenient access to spaces and appropriate park facilities. Alignment and gradient shall be properly adapted to topography. Construction and maintenance shall provide a well-drained and dust-free surface that is of adequate width to accommodate anticipated traffic.
6. Camping spaces shall be so located in relation to internal streets as to provide for convenient vehicular ingress and egress if the space is intended for use by wheeled units. Where back-in or back-out spaces are used, appropriate maneuvering room shall be provided in the adjacent internal street and within the space.
7. Where spaces are to be used exclusively for erection of tents on the ground, provision for vehicular access onto such spaces shall not be required, but parking areas shall be located within one hundred (100) feet, except in circumstances in which providing such vehicular accessibility would result in excessive destruction of trees or other vegetation, or where it would be impractical to provide such parking areas within such distances for particularly desirable campsites.
8. Spaces shall be so related to pedestrian ways and principal destinations within the park as to provide for convenient pedestrian access to such destinations by the pedestrian system.
9. Each R/V space shall contain a minimum of 1,200 square feet in area. Each tent space shall be a minimum of 500 square feet in area. Each R.V or tent space shall be clearly identified
10. Spaces for non self-contained units shall be located within two hundred (200) feet by normal pedestrian routes of toilet, washroom, and bath facilities.
11. Spaces for self-contained units, operating as such, may not be located more than four hundred (400) feet by normal pedestrian routes from toilet, washroom, and bath facilities.
12. Spaces shall be so located that when used, clearance from units, including attached awning and the like, shall be as follows:
a. From units on adjoining spaces: 10 feet.
b. From internal streets of common parking area: 10 feet.
c. From portions of building not containing uses likely to disturb stand occupants, or constructed or oriented so that noise and lights will not be disturbing to occupants of other spaces: 25 feet.
d. From any other use or fueling facility: 50 feet.
13. Where fireplaces, cooking shelters, or similar facilities for open fires or outdoor cooking are provided within spaces or elsewhere, they shall be so located, constructed, maintained, and used as to minimize fire hazards and smoke nuisance within the park and in adjoining areas.
14. All R/V units or accessory buildings shall be parked or located at least 25 feet from any public roadway or right-of-way.
15. A complete landscaped buffer, meeting the requirements of Table 28.1, located along the boundary of each recreational vehicle park except where crossed by driveways.