Planning staff previews zoning code revisions: RV occupancy during active permits, shipping‑container storage and other clarifications

Iredell County planning staff presented a package of proposed zoning text amendments for information on Oct. 1, 2025. The Planning Board did not take action; staff said the board will get another chance to review the draft at a later meeting.

Planner Jake Lohman summarized several changes staff is proposing or clarifying in the county code: expanded clarity on accessory structures and accessory dwelling units; language to allow a recreational vehicle (RV) to be occupied while a single‑family dwelling is being constructed, so long as a valid building permit is active (the RV must be moved off the site after a certificate of occupancy is issued); allowance of one shipping container per parcel for storage on lots of at least one acre (with limits on smaller lots); and updates to reflect that the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality will oversee decommissioning plans for certain solar facilities.

On RV occupancy, Lohman said the intent is to align local code with changing state practice and pending legislation: “If you don't see it this year, you might see it next. So we're sort of getting ahead of it and adding it in,” he said, referring to draft state language that staff expects to be enacted. Lohman and board members also clarified that an RV may remain on site while construction continues under an active building permit and that, after the dwelling receives a certificate of occupancy, the temporary RV occupancy ends unless a separate temporary permit is obtained.

Staff also noted an adjustment tied to state legislation (House Bill 926): the draft removes local waiting periods that previously limited how soon an applicant could reapply after a denial. Lohman said the legislature’s change will allow immediate reapplication after a denial, though applicants must still pay application fees and undergo the full public‑hearing process.

Other draft changes include editorial and structural revisions to improve clarity in the zoning code, consolidated tables to reduce confusion, modestly larger allowed sizes for some accessory dwelling units, and a new limited allowance for one shipping container per parcel for storage. Lohman said the shipping‑container provision is primarily to address small‑scale storage requests while retaining restrictions for lots under an acre.

The Planning Board asked clarifying questions about enforcement, homeowners’ associations and practical limits on RV occupancy; staff said county permits would still be issued even when an HOA prohibits a use and that HOA enforcement would be a private civil matter. No board action was taken; staff said the board will have further review and a formal vote on the amendments at a later meeting.