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Collegedale pauses enforcement of resident's canvas boat shelter; schedules ordinance review
Summary
A Collegedale resident asked the commission about a canvas 'garage' beside his house; staff and commissioners agreed to delay enforcement for 60 days while the city reviews whether the accessory-structure definition should change.
Michael Campbell, a Collegedale resident, told the Board of Commissioners that a canvas “garage” he uses to shelter a boat and two bicycles has been at his home for about four years and that he wants guidance after a recent code visit.
The issue drew a detailed exchange between Campbell, building-code staff and commissioners over whether the tarped frame constitutes a prohibited structure or a permissible vehicle/boat cover. Campbell said the shelter “is 4 years old and still looks like a brand new” and that he keeps the yard neat and worries that being forced to remove it will hurt resale value when he sells his home next year.
City staff said temporary covers solely draped over a boat are treated differently than a multi-piece structure with metal framing. A staff member noted, “The ordinances are all published on the website and available through muni.com. And if they reach out, we can give them a copy prior to the installation of a structure.” Building-code staff also said that once tarps are combined with metal framing and anchored, the item becomes a structure subject to the code.
Commissioners discussed options including permitting a carport, moving the shelter behind the house, or changing the accessory-structure definition. A member of the commission suggested giving staff time to review the ordinance and to bring proposed language back for the commission to consider at a workshop.
As an interim step, the commission asked the city manager to instruct the building codes officer to exercise discretion and not to enforce the code against Campbell’s shelter for 60 days to allow staff to research whether the shelter is legally nonconforming or whether the ordinance definition should be amended. Staff said they would notify Campbell and invited him to attend the public workshop where the item will be discussed; the commission noted the workshop will be a public meeting open to residents but that there is not a public-comment period at the workshop itself.
The commission emphasized that any permanent change would require amending the city’s ordinance; they said they cannot waive the code for an individual property without changing the law.
The matter will return to a public workshop within 60 days for further discussion and possible direction to staff.
