Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Rv Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Liberty County adopts UDO change allowing guests to live in RVs on residential lots for up to 2 weeks
Summary
The Liberty County Board of Commissioners adopted an amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance clarifying where RVs may be parked and allowing guests to live in an RV on residential property for up to two weeks. Commissioners discussed, but did not adopt, draft language for homeowners to live in RVs during construction or repairs.
The Liberty County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt an amendment to the county's Unified Development Ordinance that clarifies when recreational vehicles may be parked and adds a short-term exception for visitors.
The amendment, read into the record by county planning staff member Marty, says in part: “This notwithstanding on residential properties in unincorporated Liberty County only, guests and visitors of residents of the property may bring their RV and live in it temporarily for up to 2 weeks.” A commissioner moved to adopt the amendment and a second was recorded; the chair called for a show of hands and stated, “I think everybody has it,” after which the board adopted the language as presented.
The change responds to a section of the zoning ordinance that was inadvertently omitted from a prior update, planning staff told the board. During discussion, commissioners and staff raised related issues the amendment does not yet resolve: whether property owners may live in an RV on their own lot while building or repairing a home; how wastewater (“gray” and “black” water) would be handled; and whether temporary power connections should be allowed.
Planning staff offered draft language to let owners live in an RV while their house is under construction or repair “for up to 6 months from date of permit issuance,” with the timeframe potentially extendable another six months if work is being “diligently pursued.” Commissioners debated other options earlier in the meeting—one suggested one year, others favored shorter review periods or a requirement that permit holders show demonstrable progress. No separate board vote on a construction/live-in provision appears in the transcript; the board directed staff and county administration to refine the wording and return with recommended procedures, including inspection or permit tracking.
Board members also noted existing procedures for special exceptions and hardship cases would remain available. Commissioners discussed that requests have been handled on a case-by-case basis in the past, including emergency situations and disaster recovery, and that applicants seeking longer stays might be required to come before the board.
Planning staff and commissioners discussed practical matters such as hauling or pumping RV waste to local facilities (examples mentioned: Richmond Hill and Fort McAllister area facilities) and limits on temporary utility service. Marty said the planning office would prepare more precise language addressing start times, permit fees, reporting intervals and sanitary requirements before bringing any construction/live-in proposal back to the board.
The adopted UDO text will apply to unincorporated Liberty County residential properties; staff will circulate the finalized amendment language for record-keeping as part of the county code update process.
