KLICKITAT COUNTY CODE Chapter RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS

Transcription

1 KLICKITAT COUNTY CODE Chapter RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS Applicability. Every recreational park in the unincorporated area of the county shall be located, constructed, altered, expanded and operated in compliance with this chapter Exemptions. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to mobile home parks, the continued operation of existing recreational parks, nor present and future state parks Administration. The county planning director, hereinafter referred to as the administrator, is vested with the authority to administer this chapter within the unincorporated areas of the county, and may prepare and require the use of such forms as are essential thereto Definitions. General. Whenever the words and phrases set out in this section appear in this chapter, they shall be given the meaning attributed to them by this section. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense shall include the future, the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular; "shall" is always mandatory, and "may" indicates a use of discretion in making a decision. "Campsite" means an area within a recreational park designated for placement of a tent and/or a recreational vehicle. "Dump station" means a place to discharge sewage from a recreational vehicle, but not including a sewer hookup associated with an RV site. "Electric hookup" means the electrical supply to each campsite. "Grey water" means the water that is contaminated with soap, grease, etc., normally associated with washing of people, dishes, clothes, etc., and the wastewater from cooking. "Improved public road" means a road that is improved with a minimum of a gravel surface and is regularly maintained by an incorporated city, the county or the State Department of Transportation. Page 1 of 10

2 "Mobile home park" means any tract of land that is divided into rental spaces under common ownership or management for the purpose of locating two or more mobile homes for dwelling purposes. "Parking space" means a place to park a motor vehicle. "Recreational park" means any tract of land that is divided into rental spaces (with or without utility hookups) under common ownership or management for the purpose of temporarily locating recreational vehicles or tents for recreation purposes. "RV site" means a camp site within a recreational park specifically designated for placement of a recreational vehicle. "Sewer hookup" means a place where sewage can be discharged as it is generated, from a recreational vehicle while it is set up on an RV site. "Tent site" means a camp site within a recreational park specifically designated for placement of a tent or other nonvehicular sleeping apparatus. "Water hookup" means the domestic water supply to a recreational vehicle while it is set up in an RV site General procedure and applicant's responsibilities. The following general description of the recreational park approval procedures are intended to aid users of this chapter and those persons desiring to develop a recreational park in the county in understanding the basic procedures, sequence of events and responsibilities of the applicant in obtaining final approval of such: A. Applicant calls county planning department and arranges a presubmission conference with the planning director and other officials; B. Presubmission conference is held and a preliminary sketch of the proposed recreational park is discussed. The applicant learns what the concerns and recommendations of the local officials are; C. Applicant completes an application and has a binding site plan and landscaping plan prepared and then completes a SEPA environmental review checklist for the proposed park. If a conditional use permit is required within the zone the property lies within, then an application for a conditional use permit is also completed and submitted with the other documents. D. Planning department routes the submittals to various agencies and departments for comments; E. If a SEPA declaration of significance is issued, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is prepared by the applicant. If a declaration of nonsignificance is issued, an EIS is not required; F. Upon completion of environmental review, the planning department prepares a report and recommendation; G. If a public hearing by the board of adjustment for a conditional use is required, the planning department schedules a meeting with the board of adjustment thirty days in advance of the meeting. If the board of adjustment approves the conditional use permit, the binding site plan is forwarded to the board of commissioners for its signatures of approval; Page 2 of 10

3 H. If a conditional use permit is not required, the planning department schedules a meeting with the board of commissioners for its review and disposition; I. If the board of commissioners approves the binding site plan, the applicant files it with the auditor and begins construction of the park. Upon completion of construction, the board issues an operation permit which authorizes the park to open for business Presubmission conference. Prior to the submission of a recreational park application, the developer or his representative shall contact the planning department to arrange a meeting with the planning director and other officials to discuss a preliminary sketch of the proposal. The purpose of the presubmission conference is to disclose potential problems. The conference should take place prior to detailed design work being accomplished. The administrator shall prepare a written summary of the conference to the applicant within three working days Application requirements. Recreational park applications shall be accompanied by a site plan prepared in accordance with the specifications for a binding site plan as described in the county subdivision and short platting ordinance. Construction of a recreational park shall not commence until the binding site plan is filed with the county auditor. Each application for recreational park shall contain the following information in clear and intelligible form: A. The title and location of the proposed park, together with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the record owner or owners of the land and of the application, and, if applicable, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any architect, planner, surveyor, designer, engineer or other person(s) responsible for the preparation of the application and/or binding site plan, and of any authorized representative of the applicant; B. The proposed use or uses of the land and buildings; C. A proposed binding site plan drawing or drawings at a scale of not less than one inch equal to two hundred feet, unless otherwise approved by the county engineer, which shall include or show: 1. The location of all existing and proposed structures, including but not limited to buildings, fences, culverts, bridges, roads, railroads and streets, 2. The boundaries of the property to be developed, 3. All areas, if any, to be preserved as buffers or dedicated to a public or private use for open space or public use, 4. All existing and proposed easements, 5. The location of all existing utility structures and lines, 6. The existing and proposed water supply and sewage systems, 7. All means of vehicular and pedestrian ingress and egress to and from the site and the size and location and direction of flow of driveways, streets and roads, to include radii and curvature of proposed routes, Page 3 of 10

4 8. The location and direction of flow of all drainage, streams or waterways when determined by the county engineer to be sufficient in representing the topography of the entire tract and surrounding area, 9. Where the county engineer determines that contour lines are necessary to describe the topography, such contour lines shall be included at intervals approved by the county engineer; D. The existing zoning district of the proposed development site and any other zoning district within three hundred feet of the site; E. Fire districts, if any, in which the proposed development will be located or any fire districts which are contiguous to the proposed development; F. Where needed to enhance aesthetics, insure public safety, and protect neighboring property, recreational parks shall be enclosed by a fence, wall landscape screening, or other designs approved by the administrator which will complement the landscape and assure compatibility with the adjacent land. In such cases, landscaping plans shall describe the type, height and location of proposed screens or fences; G. Filing fees as may be established by the board of county commissioners by ordinance Approval procedures. Upon receipt of the application and binding site plan, the administrator shall affix a file number and date of receipt and forward copies to any applicable departments, agencies or individuals for review, to include but not be limited to the Klickitat County public works and health departments. Upon completion of review, the administrator shall forward the application and binding site plan to the board of commissioners for approval along with a report and recommendation incorporating the recommendations of applicable departments an d agencies with jurisdiction unless the board of adjustment must first approve a conditional use permit for the proposal, in which case the conditional use permit must be issued by the board of adjustment prior to the board of commissioners approving the binding site plan with the conditions as may be required by the board of adjustment. The board of commissioners may attach conditions or stipulations to its approval as may be deemed in the public interest. A recreational park shall not be considered legal and finally approved until filing the binding site plan with the county auditor and an operation permit is issued in accordance with Section Compliance. The development of the recreational park shall be in conformance with the approved application and the binding site plan as finally approved and filed. Any development, use or density which fails to substantially conform shall constitute a violation of this chapter as well as other applicable county ordinances as may pertain. The administrator may approve minor alterations if in his opinion the alterations do not substantially affect the original approval. When the administrator determines that the proposed alterations are of a substantial nature, the developer shall submit a new application to be processed in accordance with this chapter. (Ord (Vol. 43, page 200) 2.70, 1987). Page 4 of 10

5 Operation permit. When the recreational park has been brought into compliance with the approved plan, the board of commissioners shall issue a permit to operate. The permit may be revoked by the board after withdrawal by the owner, or after public hearing if it is found not to be in compliance Location. Recreational parks shall only be permitted where allowed by zone classification and shall not be permitted in any area found unsuitable for such development because of poor or undesirable drainage, physical topography, soil characteristics, public access or other features that may be harmful to the public health, safety and general welfare. Parks should be located where proper sewer and water systems can be developed and approval obtained for such systems from the jurisdictional health department Permitted uses. Permitted uses include the following: A. Temporary occupancy of camp sites by RVs or tents for a period not to exceed sixty days. Permanent occupancy of camp sites is prohibited; B. Office and storage buildings necessary for the operation and maintenance of the park; C. One single-family residence for the use of the owner, manager or caretaker which may be a manufactured, modular or site-built home; D. Dump stations. E. Recreational vehicles and recreational park trailers are authorized for temporary occupancy under this title if compliant with this section. For purposes of this section only, temporary occupancy is any duration of time which is less than three hundred sixty-five days. ( Ord. No. O043013, ) Size. The minimum size of any RV park shall be 1.5 acres, unless it is demonstrated that lesser concentration of the use would be compatible with the surrounding property and its use, and that such variation is in the interest of the public health, safety and general welfare. Page 5 of 10

6 Density. Density of the recreational park shall not exceed that which can be accommodated by the site. A minimum of eight percent of the gross site area should be set aside and/or developed as common use areas for open or enclosed recreational facilities. (Common areas do not include campsites, roads, buildings and other permanent structures.) Layout. The general layout and requirements shall be site specific and shall not exceed the following: A. Setbacks shall observe the applicable zoning district requirements pertaining to setbacks from property lines and public roads. Additional setbacks and fencing may be required where a landscaped buffer is desirable to protect public safety, neighboring property or aesthetics. B. Areas designated for placement of RV's or tents within the camp sites shall be separated from adjoining camp sites or interior park streets by a minimum of ten feet Road system. The road system shall be designed to meet the requirements of the traveling public to include the following: A. Recreational parks shall have access to an improved public road. B. All park roads, access driveways, parking spaces, and unit spaces shall be on an adequate base, graded and surfaced to facilitate drainage and to reduce dust. Cinder, gravel, or a comparable nondust-contributing material shall be used to provide an all-weather surface. C. One-way interior roads shall be not less than twelve feet wide. Two way interior roads shall not be less than twenty-two feet wide. D. Turns shall be adequately designed for recreational traffic. E. Cul-de-sacs are not permitted. F. RV sites shall be designed to allow easy parking and access of RV's Parking. Parking spaces are necessary and required in addition to the actual parking spaces for recreational vehicles. The following shall apply: A. Off-road parking spaces shall be a minimum ten feet by twenty feet in size; Page 6 of 10

7 B. Each campsite shall have a minimum one off-road parking space in additional to the area designated for parking of RV's or placement of tents; C. A recreational park and its associated office shall have a minimum of the following additional off-road parking: 1. Eight hundred square feet for registration, 2. One space per employee Sewage disposal and water supply. All full-service recreational parks shall discharge sewage into a sewage disposal system and shall have a public water system, both approved by the jurisdictional health department. The following shall apply: A. Each RV park which has twenty-five or more RV sites shall have adequate and conveniently located sewage dumping stations designed and developed to standards established by the jurisdictional health department; B. Provisions for the disposal of grey water shall be made at one hundred fifty foot radii from those sites not connected to a sewer system; C. For recreational parks catering to tent camping and dependent RV's, utility buildings providing toilets and showers for each sex shall be provided at convenient intervals throughout the recreational park. Use of sealed vault toilets, chemical toilets or pit privies rather than utility buildings shall be subject to approval from the Southwest Washington Health District. Where RV spaces are not provided with individual sewer connections, utility buildings shall be located within four hundred feet of those spaces; D. Unless otherwise approved by the jurisdictional health department, minimum sanitary facilities required for dependent RV and tent use should be according to the following table: Number of Toilets Urinals Handwashing Sinks Sites Men Women Men Men Women Page 7 of 10

8 Number of Showers Sites Men Women E. Areas catering to only independent self-contained units should have, separate for each sex, at least one toilet, handwashing sink and shower for emergency use; F. Water service risers shall be protected from freezing and shall not be located in such manner as to be contaminated by sewage. Sewer risers shall be capped when not in use and be constructed so as to prevent entrance of storm drainage. Page 8 of 10

9 Solid waste. The storage, collection and disposal of solid waste in the RV parks shall be the responsibility of the park operator and be in conformance with the minimum functional standards set forth by the Washington State Department of Ecology and administered by the jurisdictional health department. Approved solid waste containers shall be located not more than two hundred feet from any campsite Electrical and other hookups. Electrical hookups may be provided to each or any campsite in an approved recreational park. Other services, such as TV cable may be permitted, but must be shown on the binding site plan and constructed in safe position. The following apply: A. All shall be in compliance with applicable local and state codes. B. All shall be in close proximity to the user and only one electrical service per camp site shall be permitted. C. Adequate drainage shall be provided in proximity of hookups Miscellaneous. The entire recreational park shall be designed and laid out as a planned unit to ensure continuity. These standards are not intended to be all inclusive. Alternate designs are encouraged to meet the intent of well-organized recreational parks Injunctive relief. Whenever any parcel of land is developed and used for the purposes of operating a recreational park or whenever an existing recreational park is expanded or altered after January 11, 1988 without having approval for same in accordance with this chapter, then such action is declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance, and the prosecuting attorney may commence an action to restrain and enjoin further operation and compel compliance with all provisions of this chapter. The costs of such action shall be taxed against the person, firm, corporation or agent in violation Assurance of discontinuance. In the enforcement of this chapter, the prosecuting attorney may accept an assurance of discontinuance of any act or practice deemed in violation of this chapter from any person engaging in or who has engaged in such act or practice. Any such assurance shall constitute prima facie proof of violation of this code. Page 9 of 10

10 Unapproved recreational parks not to be filed. The auditor shall refuse to accept for filing any binding site plan for a recreational park which does not bear the board's certificate of approval. Should such be filed without such a certificate, the prosecuting attorney shall apply for a writ of mandate on behalf of the board, directing the auditor to remove the unapproved site plan from the auditor's files Violation Penalty. Any person violating the provisions of this chapter is subject to penalty pursuant to Klickitat County Code Chapter The planning department shall be the primary enforcement officials for this chapter. The planning department may request the assistance of the sheriff's department and/or the building department, and in such instances they shall have full powers pursuant to Klickitat County Code Chapter (Ord (Vol. 56, page 878) Q, 1994: Ord (Vol. 55, page 86)(part), 1993). Page 10 of 10