Chapter 17.39
RV Parks
Sections:
17.39.020 Permissible zones and conditional use.
17.39.050 Length of occupancy.
17.39.060 Temporary recreational vehicle use in residential areas.
17.39.070 Development standards.
17.39.090 Park control regulated.
17.39.010 Intent.
(a) Provide adequate sites for temporary parking of recreational vehicles (RVs) whose occupants are visiting or passing through the area of Montesano.
(b) Minimize the adverse impacts between an RV park and surrounding land uses.
(c) Provide health and safety standards to protect both the users of the RV park and the community. (Ord. 1609 §1(1), 2017).
17.39.020 Permissible zones and conditional use.
(a) RV parks may be established as a permitted use in the C-2 heavy commercial district and the I-FH industrial district.
(b) The property owner shall obtain site plan approval for a new or modified RV park. The site plan shall be prepared by a licensed professional engineer in accordance with the development standards identified herein and applicable requirements of Chapter 15.52. (Ord. 1609 §1(2), 2017).
17.39.030 Definitions.
(a) "Camping party" is a person or group of not more than six persons occupying any single site within an RV park.
(b) "Recreational facilities" include, but are not limited to, park, playground, gymnasium, swimming pool, boat ramp and/or launching site, bicycle/bridle path, or any other facility, the primary function of which is to make available recreational facilities to all inhabitants of the park.
(c) "Recreational vehicle (RV)" means a vehicular-type unit designed for temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, which either has its own motive power or is mounted on or drawn by another vehicle. The term "vehicle" shall include, but not be limited to, the following: travel trailer; camper; motor home; or camping trailer.
(d) "RV site or RV space" is a plot of ground within an RV park for one camping party.
(e) "Recreational vehicle (RV) park" is any property where one or more RV sites or spaces are rented to users of RVs and/or tents and which are occupied for temporary purposes.
(f) "Service building" means a building for the purpose of housing community facilities, including but not limited to toilet facilities, bathing facilities, and laundry facilities, or any combination thereof.
(g) "Tent" means an enclosed structure or shelter fabricated entirely or in major part of cloth, canvas, plastic or similar material which is erected for recreational or vacation purposes.
(h) "Utility building" means an accessory structure intended for the storage of typical outdoor equipment incidental to the use of the RV park, i.e., lawn mower, tools, etc. Utility buildings are limited to one per RV park. (Ord. 1609 §1(3), 2017).
17.39.040 General standards.
(a) Recreational vehicle parks shall be duly licensed as a business and shall conform to all laws governing businesses.
(b) Recreational vehicle parks shall be located on a parcel of land not less than two acres in area.
(c) All vehicles within the park shall be kept mobile so that they may be moved within one hour if required. Any action toward removal of wheels of an RV, or placement of the unit on a foundation, except for temporary purposes of repair, is prohibited.
(d) No external appurtenances, such as carports, cabanas, patios or storage facilities, may be attached to any RV while it is in the park. (Ord. 1609 §1(4), 2017).
17.39.050 Length of occupancy.
(a) Persons occupying RVs properly connected to sewer, water, and electrical shall not occupy a space in an RV park for a period exceeding twenty-eight days. The length of stay in an RV space may be renewed so that persons occupying RVs properly connected to sewer, water, and electrical shall not occupy any space in an RV park for a period exceeding one hundred eighty days in any twelve-month period, nor shall the cumulative occupancy by such persons of different spaces within the same RV park exceed a total of one hundred eighty days in any twelve-month period. No RV shall remain in place in an RV park for more than one hundred eighty days in any twelve-month period.
(b) Persons utilizing tents, yurts, cabins or RVs without connection to sewer, water and electrical shall not occupy any space for period exceeding fourteen days in any twelve-month period, nor shall the cumulative occupancy of such persons of different spaces within the same RV park exceed a total of fourteen days in any twelve-month period. Tents and RVs without sanitary connections are not allowed in RV parks that do not have public bathroom facilities in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
(c) The RV park manager shall maintain a log of the names of persons, vehicle license plates and dates of occupancy of spaces. The log shall include the person’s address as recorded on a valid identification and said log shall be made available, either voluntarily or in response to a valid subpoena or warrant, to a code enforcement officer from time to time as required to verify compliance with these occupancy limitations.
(d) The city of Montesano recognizes only temporary stays under this chapter. Should Washington law no longer allow such renewal of length of stays to fall under a temporary stay, the RV park shall cease all rentals which contradict Washington law as being temporary in nature. (Ord. 1609 §1(5), 2017).
17.39.060 Temporary recreational vehicle use in residential areas.
Friends, relatives and bona fide visitors are allowed to temporarily park an RV within the side yard or rear yard of residential property for up to fourteen days in any calendar year. On-street parking of any RV is restricted based on the applicable sections of MMC. (Ord. 1609 §1(6), 2017).
17.39.070 Development standards.
Development standards identified below shall apply to new RV parks approved after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. Any existing RV park that adds or reconfigures RV spaces after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall also be subject to the development standards. Modification of the development standards contained herein may be granted by the city council only when it determines that such modifications will not be detrimental to the public interest or incompatible with surrounding land uses.
(1) Sanitation, Hygiene and Utilities.
(A) Recreation vehicle parks shall connect to city water and sewer systems in accordance with applicable codes and design standards.
(B) Water service shall be supplied through a master meter and approved backflow prevention device. All water distribution piping downstream of the master meter shall be owned and maintained by the RV park property owner. The water distribution system for an RV park shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with all applicable state and local codes and regulations. Fire protection measures shall be provided as approved by the city fire department.
(C) The RV park property owner shall provide easements for STEP tanks and pressure piping from the STEP system(s) in the standard form as provided by the city. Tanks and pressure piping shall be constructed by the property owner in conformance with city standards and owned and maintained by the city. All gravity collection piping to the STEP tanks shall comply with city standards and be owned and maintained by the property owner.
(D) Each RV space within the RV park shall be provided with a separate sewer, potable water and electrical "hook-ups." Central sewage disposal sites or "dump stations" within an RV park shall not be permitted.
(E) Every RV park shall contain at least one public bathroom and laundry facility. A shower, lavatory and sink shall be provided for each increment of ten spaces. Hot and cold running water shall be provided. Toilets shall be water flush type. One washer and dryer per twenty RV spaces or fraction thereof shall be provided.
(F) All utilities shall be underground.
(G) Central trash collection and storage areas shall be provided and screened. Trash containers shall be located within three hundred feet of every RV site and enclosed with a solid wood or masonry fence six feet in height.
(H) Electrical Supply System. Each RV park space shall be provided with an underground electrical system (thirty-amp minimum) which shall be installed and maintained in accordance with all applicable state and local codes and regulations. Use of private generators shall not be allowed after ten p.m.
(2) Layout, Common Facilities, Recreation Areas, and Open Spaces.
(A) Each space for each RV camping party unit shall not be less than one thousand two hundred fifty square feet. Each space for a camping party without water, sewer and electrical hook ups shall not be less than one thousand square feet. Recreational vehicle spaces shall contain an asphalt pad that is ten feet by forty feet. Spaces shall be so designed as to allow ten-foot widths between successive RVs. Front, rear and side setbacks are required for RVs. Placement of RVs on lots to provide setbacks of varying depths is encouraged. Minimum front, rear and side yard recreational space setbacks shall be ten feet.
(B) All RVs shall have direct and free access to roads within the park. No more than one RV may occupy an RV space, with the exception that two tents, or one tent and one RV, may occupy an existing space provided clearances to adjoining vehicle spaces are maintained.
(C) Common facilities such as service buildings, sanitary sewage disposal facilities including sewage tanks, recreation space, open space, roads, paths, permanent buildings, and facilities for other general purposes shall be designed commensurate to the level of full use of the campground development.
(D) At least twenty percent of the total land area within an RV park shall be set aside for open space. The amount of open space shall not include roads, but may include land devoted to common facilities or land left undeveloped or preserved.
(E) No less than ten percent of the total land area shall be provided as defined recreational space. This limitation shall not include any open land less than ten feet wide between sites or include public facilities, sanitary facilities, etc., in its total. The recreational space shall be easily accessible and shall be improved and maintained in such a manner so as to provide adequate recreational facilities for the residents of the RV park. Park owner-constructed fire pits may be allowed in the area(s) defined as recreational space if approved in writing by the city fire department. Recreation equipment, such as a pool, playground, and picnic tables, and a service building, including toilets, showers, and laundry, can be located within the recreational areas.
(F) A total of not more than twenty thousand square feet may be used to provide space to accommodate the residence of the park owner/custodian and his family, storage area and required maintenance facilities. All setbacks and separations applicable to the R-1 zone shall apply for a single-family dwelling and accessory buildings for custodial use.
(G) Off-Street Parking. A minimum of one off-street parking space shall be required within each space. In addition, one off-street parking space per every four spaces shall be required for guest parking. The guest parking spaces shall be grouped and distributed evenly throughout the park.
(H) All setbacks from streets and other areas in an RV park not used for driveways, parking, buildings, and service areas shall be landscaped in accordance with the conditions of the conditional use permit. Walls, earthen berms and landscaped buffer strips shall be used wherever possible to minimize noise from highway sources.
(I) Adequate lighting shall be provided for all walkways, streets, parking areas, sanitary facilities, storage areas and recreational facilities. No lighting shall be constructed or positioned so as to cause direct or undesirable illumination of adjacent property or RV spaces within the park.
(3) Access and Circulation.
(A) Access and circulation shall be designed with appropriate consideration for existing and projected roads, anticipated traffic patterns, topographic and drainage conditions, public convenience and safety, and the proposed use of the land served.
(B) Recreational vehicle parks shall have an access road connecting to an existing public road. Such access roads shall be designed in accordance with the applicable city road standard.
(C) Access. An RV park containing more than four RV lots shall have at least one interior road having direct access to either a primary or a secondary arterial having a minimum right-of-way width of sixty feet. If located on a secondary arterial, the park, regardless of the number of lots contained therein, shall not be more than one-half road mile from a primary arterial.
(D) Pedestrian Walkways. Pedestrian walkways having a width of not less than four feet shall be provided from the RV spaces to all service buildings and facilities, refuse collection areas and recreation areas. The walkways shall be hard surfaced, well drained and well lighted. Paths or trails to common facilities shall not interfere with or cross a camping vehicle site, and shall be designed for safe pedestrian use at those points where the trails or paths intersect roads.
(E) All roads in an RV park shall be private roads, owned and maintained by the owner of the park. Roads within the RV park shall be paved to city standards. No two-way road shall be less than twenty-six feet wide within the park. One-way roads may be eighteen feet in width.
(F) Security fences or other means may be employed to ensure the use of private roads by appropriate parties.
(4) Drainage and Stormwater. All RV parks shall have drainage facilities as specified in the current edition of State Department of Ecology’s "Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington."
(5) Screening and Landscaping.
(A) Screening and landscaping areas shall be established with a minimum width of twenty feet along all boundaries of the land of the RV park.
(B) Such areas shall not contain any constructed facilities, erected or placed, with the exception of utility lines, fencing, or security posts.
(C) Such areas shall be left in their natural state or supplemented by plants and trees as approved on the site plan.
(D) A screening wall of eight feet in height shall be provided to effectively screen the park from adjoining land uses and to ensure privacy of patrons and adjacent residences.
(E) All signs and advertising devices shall be prohibited in an RV park except:
(i) One identifying sign at the entrance of the RV park which may be indirectly lighted, but shall be non-flashing, and which shall not exceed sixty-four square feet in area;
(ii) Directional or informational signs for the convenience of tenants and the public relative to parking, office, traffic movement, etc.; provided such signs are not larger than four square feet in area.
(iii) Maximum Height of Identifying Sign. The maximum height of the identifying sign shall be eight feet. (Ord. 1609 §1(7), 2017).
17.39.080 Accessory uses.
An RV park may include the following accessory uses, provided such uses are designed to be clearly accessory to the RV park and intended for the convenience of the occupants and their guests:
(1) Building or buildings designed for indoor assembly and/or recreation;
(2) Commercial structures and uses such as a general store, restaurant, lunch counter, and/or snack bar;
(3) Service buildings and facilities incidental to and customarily accessory to permitted uses, including saunas and swimming pools;
(4) Storage area may be provided for the storage of vehicles belonging to park occupants. Storage area shall be paved and enclosed by solid wall or fence not less than six feet in height. (Ord. 1609 §1(8), 2017).
17.39.090 Park control regulated.
(a) All RV spaces shall be well marked and numbered.
(b) RV parks must have a full-time resident manager on the park site. The park owner and/or custodian shall be responsible for the control of nuisances within the park. The owner and/or custodian will ensure that rules of order for the park patrons are posted and enforced. Rules of the park shall include the applicable provisions of Chapter 6.08. The park owner shall be responsible for nuisance violations.
(c) A quiet period within an RV park shall be enforced by the RV park owner and/or attendant during the period between ten p.m. and seven a.m. The owner of the RV park shall be legally responsible for preventing excessive and uncorrected noise as well as disorderly conduct during the quiet period. Additionally, if necessary to correct excessive noise problems, be they animal or human caused, the owner of the RV park shall evict the offending individuals and their vehicles from the park if solution of the noise problem is not possible. (Ord. 1609 §1(9), 2017).
17.39.100 Violation--Penalty.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any part of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is committed or permitted, and upon conviction of any such violation, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable as per MMC. (Ord. 1609 §1(10), 2017).