Local business requests city permit framework to allow small‑scale off‑street mobile lodging

A Mount Shasta property owner urged the council during public comment Jan. 13 to create a permitting pathway for limited off‑street mobile lodging (overnight stays in vans, campers or similar vehicles) on private property such as parking lots and driveways.

Tim Belton, who said he owns Springfield Nursery and Gardens, described a plan to permit up to four vehicles per night in a portion of his lot for properly equipped guests, with restrictions against tents and fires and with sanitation and safety oversight. “This is a chance to capture more overnighters due to more options,” Belton said, adding that properly managed off‑street sites could reduce street‑side encampments and give the city more ability to enforce sanitation and safety rules.

Belton proposed the city consider modest compensation or utility fee reductions for property owners who offer approved spaces; he also suggested the city could run a dedicated municipal lot for a similar purpose. He said private owners could be encouraged through a permitting process and that the city should monitor sanitation, fire safety and nuisance issues.

Councilmembers did not take action but asked staff to note the idea for future policy discussion and permitting analysis. The council’s staff packet did not include an agenda item on mobile lodging; Belton’s remarks were received as public comment only.

Belton left the council with contact information and a written summary for staff review. Other public speakers at the meeting also urged creative approaches to tourism capacity and housing, but no regulatory proposals were introduced during the session.