Division VII. General Provisions
Chapter 17.81
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
Sections:
17.81.010 Permanent habitation.
17.81.020 Temporary habitation – Construction sites.
17.81.030 Parking of recreational vehicles.
17.81.010 Permanent habitation.
A. No recreational vehicle shall be used as a place of permanent habitation or residency except when located within an approved mobile home park and connected to required utilities. Habitation of any recreational vehicle on any private property exceeding 14 calendar days annually or 30 calendar days within an approved recreational vehicle park, or any habitation by persons not having an approved permanent address elsewhere shall be construed as permanent habitation of a recreational vehicle.
B. Any unit connected to utilities and/or electricity on any portion of any private property or city right-of-way shall be deemed to be inhabited and shall cause the city to investigate such usage.
C. No recreational vehicle shall be used for living or housekeeping purposes when parked on any public right-of-way, or any public property except approved recreational vehicle parks. No recreational vehicle shall be used for living or housekeeping purposes when parked on any private property except as provided in CMC 17.81.030(A)(1).
D. No recreational vehicle shall be used for the conduct of business except approved conversions meeting all applicable codes and properly licensed for such business.
E. Tent camping within the city shall only be allowed in back/rear yards within the residential zone for a period not to exceed 14 days within any 30-day period. The tent must be on private property and located in the rear yard. Tent camping is prohibited in all other zones except for approved RV parks that comply with the appropriate provisions of the municipal code. The Seattle to Portland Classic bike ride and other events that receive approval for special event licenses are exempt from the ordinance codified in this section. [Ord. 927B § 1, 2014; Ord. 847B § 16, 2009; Ord. 834B § 2, 2008; Ord. 720B § 1, 2002.]
17.81.020 Temporary habitation – Construction sites.
A recreational vehicle, motor home or travel trailer may be used for temporary habitation if such usage complies with all of the following:
A. Such usage must be associated with major development expected to continue for more than 90 days or valued at more than $1,000,000, and provide on-site security for storage of construction material and/or equipment.
B. Such usage shall not be located in any residential zone without a conditional use permit issued by the hearings examiner. A conditional use permit is not required in other than a residential zone.
C. Temporary living/housekeeping activities shall occur in a recreational vehicle designed for such purpose. Such RV shall have cooking, bathroom and sleeping facilities. Living or housekeeping activities in an office, storage or other type of nonhousekeeping trailer shall not be permitted.
D. Such RV shall obtain temporary water and sewer utility service from the private property on which they are located. Such service must be approved and inspected by the public works department, and pay any fees associated with such service.
E. Such RV shall not be parked in any required street setback area, and shall not obstruct visibility at street intersections, alleys or sidewalks.
F. Not more than two such RVs shall be occupied on any such development site. Establishing a temporary RV park for the convenience of the developer shall not be permitted.
G. Actions and activities of the occupants of such usage shall not create any public nuisance in the vicinity of the site.
H. Willful or continuous disregard for these conditions or other applicable regulations shall be cause for the city to declare such habitation or occupancy a public nuisance and abate such nuisance condition. [Ord. 720B § 1, 2002.]
17.81.030 Parking of recreational vehicles.
A. No recreational vehicle, boat, boat trailer, travel trailer or similar vehicle or equipment shall be parked within the required front setback of any lot in any residential zone for a period of longer than 24 hours, except:
1. One travel trailer or motor home may be parked within such setback if the unit is owned by someone other than the occupant of the subject property, and such unit is being used by its owner for traveling or visitation to the subject property for a maximum of 14 days within any 30-day period;
2. One such vehicle or equipment may be parked within such setback if it is located upon a properly constructed concrete or gravel driveway giving access to a garage or carport, or giving access to an area of the property where a garage or carport could lawfully be built if one does not currently exist, and such unit does not project beyond any property lines;
3. One such vehicle or equipment may be parked within such setback if there is not a minimum of eight feet of width unobstructed by permanent buildings or structures giving access to a potential parking area in a rear yard, and a properly constructed gravel parking area is located so that the majority of the parking pad lies within an extension of a required side setback to the street property line. In case of a corner lot, only the side setback opposite the adjacent street side may be used for this exception (see also Appendix Chapter Q); and
4. One such vehicle or equipment may be parked within such setback on a corner lot if the frontage of the lot is 75 feet or greater, and a properly constructed gravel parking area is constructed so that the edge or end of the parking pad aligns with the building line of the principal structure and no part of the parking area or parked vehicle encroaches closer to the side street than the existing building (see also Appendix Chapter Q).
B. Parking pads constructed within a front setback shall be constructed of gravel, shall not be permanent and shall have borders of unit masonry or wood to contain the gravel surface. Concrete, asphalt, or permanent parking pads are not permitted. Parking pads may not be more than two feet larger in either dimension than the overall dimensions of the parked vehicles or equipment. No part of any parking pad or unit may create a visibility impairment for any adjacent property within 15 feet of a street curb or roadway edge. [Ord. 720B § 1, 2002.]