Chapter 17.74
CAMPGROUNDS
Sections:
17.74.020 General requirements.
17.74.025 Type of application.
17.74.030 Criteria for locating a campground.
17.74.040 Conditional use permit required.
17.74.050 Health district approval required.
17.74.060 Application and site plan.
17.74.070 Completion prior to occupancy—Phasing.
17.74.100 Campground administration.
17.74.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter shall be to ensure that campgrounds are located, developed and occupied in accordance with standards and regulations which will protect the health, safety, general welfare and convenience of the occupants of any campground and the citizens of the city of Bridgeport. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.020 General requirements.
A. No campground shall be used as a permanent place of abode, or dwelling, for indefinite periods of time. Occupancy in a campground for more than thirty consecutive days shall require the operator of the campground to register the camper for extended stay in the campground with the city clerk-treasurer. Unoccupied RVs may be stored for indefinite periods of time; provided, that they are stored in a clean manner and not unsightly. Also, a manager or host of a campground shall be exempted from the extended stay requirements. An appropriate license fee may be charged as determined by resolution of the city council.
B. Any action toward removal of wheels of an RV within a campground, except for temporary purposes of repair, or placement of the unit on a foundation, is prohibited.
C. Campgrounds shall be maintained in a tidy manner. The accumulation of debris, outdoor storage of equipment not directly related to recreational use, or derelict vehicles (as defined in Section 10.36.020 as the same exists now or may hereafter be amended) shall not be permitted.
D. No external appurtenances, such as carports, cabanas or patios (excluding retractable awnings and table tarps), may be attached to any camper or RV while it is in a campground.
E. No space within a campground shall be rented for any purpose other than those expressly allowed by this chapter. RVs shall only be located in appropriate areas within designated sites, and not in buffer or open space areas.
F. Electrical power generators shall not be permitted.
G. No person, company or corporation shall establish or expand a campground without first complying with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.025 Type of application.
An application for a private campground CUP is a Type III application and the hearing examiner makes the final decision. The application shall be processed as set forth in Chapter 19.02. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.030 Criteria for locating a campground.
Privately owned campgrounds may only be established on property within the city that meets the following criteria:
A. Campgrounds shall be permitted in the public use district, traffic commercial district (TRC) and the tourist commercial (TC) district, subject to first obtaining a conditional use permit upon application and pursuant to criteria established in this title.
B. The minimum site area of a campground shall be one and one-half acres.
C. Campgrounds shall be located with direct access to a minimum of one minor arterial street as designated in the Bridgeport area comprehensive plan. Appropriate frontage must be available to permit appropriate design of entrances and exits. No entrance or exit from a campground shall be permitted through a residential district nor require movement of traffic from the campground through a residential district.
D. The hearing examiner shall approve a campground conditional use permit application if the hearing examiner finds that the proposed project complies with the provisions of this chapter and will likely not result in unreasonable impacts to a particular neighborhood because of the cumulative size and number of campgrounds in the neighborhood, taking into consideration the campground development for which application is made, or if the hearing examiner finds other impacts which cannot be reasonably mitigated by applying the standards and provisions of this title. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.040 Conditional use permit required.
A campground shall be allowed only upon the issuance of a conditional use permit (CUP) pursuant to this chapter and Chapter 19.02. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.050 Health district approval required.
Prior to occupancy of a campground, the owner shall obtain any permits required by the Chelan-Douglas health district and shall comply with all rules, regulations and requirements of said district. Said permit must be kept current at all times, or the park will be closed. The rules, regulations and requirements of the health district shall be construed as being in addition to the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.060 Application and site plan.
In addition to the requirements of a completed application as set forth in Section 19.02.020, an applicant for a campground CUP shall submit a site plan. The site plan shall be subject to review, modification, approval or denial by the hearing examiner. An approved site plan shall constitute an integral part of the CUP for the campground, and shall be binding upon the owner/applicant of the property, its successors and assigns. All development within the campground shall be consistent with the approved site plan. Such site plan may be modified or amended at the request of an owner/applicant upon receiving written approval of the zoning administrator; provided, that if said modification or amendment is determined by the administrator to be substantial in nature, then such modification or amendment shall be resubmitted to the hearing examiner for review and reviewed as if it were an initial application. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.070 Completion prior to occupancy—Phasing.
All required site improvements and other conditions of this permit and site plan shall be met prior to occupancy of any site; provided, that completion may be accomplished in phases if such phases are identified and approved in the CUP. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.080 Design standards.
The purpose of this section is to establish minimum design standards for campgrounds.
A. Density. The number of spaces or sites permitted in a campground shall not exceed a density of twenty-two sites per gross acre. The hearing examiner may limit density further to insure compatibility with the surrounding areas.
B. RV Site Size. Each individual RV site shall be not less than eight hundred square feet in size. Open space and buffer areas shall not be included in calculating allowed RV site size.
C. Camping Site Size. Each tent camping site shall be no less than eight hundred square feet in size plus an additional two hundred square feet for parking.
D. Access Points. Entrances and exits to the campground shall be designed for safe and convenient movement of traffic into and out of the campground and to minimize friction with free movement of traffic on adjacent streets. All traffic into and out of the campground shall be through such entrances and exits. No entrance or exit shall require a turn at an acute angle for vehicles moving in the direction intended, and radii of curbs and pavements at intersections shall be such as to facilitate easy turning movements for vehicles with trailers attached. No material impediment to visibility shall be created or maintained which obscures the view of approaching drivers in the right lane of the street within one hundred feet of the intersection with the campground entrance.
E. Parking. At least one off-street parking space shall be provided on each site. At least one off-street parking space for each fifteen sites shall be provided for visitor parking in the campground. See Chapter 17.60 for off-street parking size requirements.
F. Internal Campground Roads. All internal campground park roads shall be privately owned and maintained. They shall be constructed to Category III street standards contained in the Douglas County road and street standards and guidelines for developments. Campground roads shall have minimum improved width as follows:
1. One-way road, no parking: twelve feet;
2. One-way road, parking on one side: eighteen feet;
3. Two-way road, no parking: twenty-two feet;
4. Two-way road, parking on one side: twenty-eight feet;
5. Two-way road, parking on both sides: thirty-six feet.
G. Open Space/Recreational Facilities. A minimum of twenty percent of the campground shall be set aside and maintained as open space for the recreational use of campground occupants. Such spaces and locations shall be accessible and usable by all users of the campground for passive or active recreation. Parking spaces, driveways, access streets and storage areas are not considered to be usable open space. The percentage requirement may be reduced if substantial and appropriate recreational facilities (such as recreational buildings, swimming pool or tennis courts) are provided.
H. Setbacks. No campsite or RV site shall be closer than twenty feet to any exterior campground property line abutting upon a major arterial, shoreline, or residential district, or fifteen feet from any other exterior campground property line. Permanent structures within a campground shall have minimum front and rear property line setbacks of twenty feet each, and minimum side yard setbacks of ten feet each.
I. Landscaping/Screening. The campground shall provide visual screening and landscaping as required in perimeter setback areas and open space. Landscaping may consist of suitable ground cover, shrubs and trees; provided, that they are installed prior to the first occupancy of the campground and are of such species and size as would normally fulfill a screening function within five years of being planted. Site development shall be sensitive to the preservation of existing vegetation. All trees, flowers, lawns and other landscaping features shall be maintained by the campground owner in a healthy growing condition at all times. The landscaped area shall include a designated pet exercise area, if pets are permitted in the campground.
J. Fencing. In addition to landscaping requirements, a six-foot-high view-obscuring perimeter fence may be required by the hearing examiner when deemed appropriate.
K. Signs. Campgrounds shall be limited to one entrance sign and such interior directional or informative signs as may be needed for the convenience of guests. All signs are subject to provisions for accessory uses in the use district for which they are located and, in the case that the campground is within the jurisdiction of the Bridgeport shoreline master program, the most restrictive provisions shall apply. All campsites and RV sites shall be marked by numbered sign posts.
L. Utilities. All utility lines in the campground shall be underground and shall be approved by the agency responsible for inspection.
M. Storm Drainage. Storm drainage control facilities shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of Title 14 and applicable state laws.
N. Public Facilities. Campgrounds shall provide the following facilities in such quantity, size and location as required by the hearing examiner:
1. A water distribution system connected to the city’s water utility. Fire hydrants, in number and location, shall be required as specified by the fire chief and the city public works superintendent;
2. A water station for filling recreational vehicle water storage tanks;
3. Restroom facilities containing showers and toilets connected to the city’s sewer utility, the minimum number of which shall be one commode and one shower for each gender for each twenty-two sites;
4. A sanitary waste station for emptying sewage holding tanks of recreational vehicles;
5. Refuse containers for solid waste in adequate quantity shall be placed in approved locations, as specified in the site plan, and picked up by the city’s garbage collection service. Garbage can and/or dumpster locations shall be screened from view by a fence or landscaped enclosure, as specified on the site plan.
O. Walkways. When required, pedestrian walkways shall have a three-foot minimum tread width.
P. Americans with Disabilities Act. Campgrounds shall be designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.090 Accessory uses.
Management headquarters, recreational facilities, restrooms, dumping stations, showers, coin-operated laundry facilities, and other uses and structures customarily incidental to operation of a campground are permitted as accessory uses to the campground. In addition, grocery stores and convenience shops shall be permitted as accessory uses in the discretion of the hearing examiner, subject to the following restrictions:
A. Such establishments and parking areas primarily related to their operations shall not occupy more than five percent of the gross area of the campground.
B. Unless allowed in the district, such establishments shall present no visible evidence from any street outside the campground of their commercial character which would attract customers other than occupants of the campground.
C. Unless allowed in the district, the structures housing such facilities shall not be located closer than fifty feet to any public street and shall not be directly accessible from any public street, but shall be accessible only from a street within the campground. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)
17.74.100 Campground administration.
The owner/applicant of a campground shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the campground in strict conformity with the site plan, the CUP, and all applicable laws and ordinances. A contact person shall be identified who can be contacted and respond within a maximum of thirty minutes at any time of day regarding emergencies or other problems that may occur within the campground. (Ord. 663 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2016)