Planning commission advances revisions to Willard RV-park rules; schedules public hearing

The Willard City Planning Commission continued an extended discussion July 17, 2025 on proposed revisions to the city's recreational vehicle (RV) park code (zoning code citations discussed at the meeting include 24 92 0 3 0 and related sections). The commission directed staff to prepare a clean draft for public review and to schedule a public hearing.

Key points the commission asked staff to incorporate or clarify before a public hearing: a 12-month maximum occupancy standard for a single recreational vehicle on park property (closing an identified drafting gap in an earlier 90-day/12-month discrepancy); a proposed reduction in the minimum adult supervision age for shared restrooms and laundry facilities from 18 to 16; changing an agricultural setback that read "100 feet from property boundary" to a more practicable 50-foot setback for agricultural-exemption situations; removing references that would convert RV parks into mobile-home parks; and adding operational requirements such as perimeter fencing, defined green/open space requirements, refuse containment, and clear waste-disposal connections to the sewer system.

Commissioners discussed enforcement and fee mechanisms to address fiscal impacts. Staff and commissioners explored options including an extended-stay application fee (examples discussed by staff from other cities ranged from roughly $75 to several hundred dollars for an extended stay authorization) and charging the park for sewer/water based on equivalent residential units (ERUs) or measured peak flow. Staff said they would research methods municipalities use to allocate sewer/water impacts for parks (including the possibility of flow meters or ERU-based charges) and bring recommendations back.

Several commissioners noted the policy trade-offs: some favored limiting long-term occupancy to avoid shifting service costs to city taxpayers, while others said regulated, long-term stays may provide stability and reduce transient disturbance. The commission asked staff to (1) prepare a clean single draft that removes old/struck material and incorporates agreed changes, (2) confirm whether proposed setback and age adjustments apply across zones or only to agricultural parcels, (3) supply model language for an extended-stay application fee and for sewer/water billing options, and (4) schedule a public hearing so the city can receive public comment on the draft ordinance.

At the meeting's close commissioners voted to set a public hearing (staff to post notice and deliver a reviewable draft) and to return a clean copy of the code changes. No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the changes remain subject to public hearing and council action.