Commission opens lengthy public hearing on tiny homes-on-wheels ordinance, asks staff to reexamine ownership in residential zones

The Mount Shasta Planning Commission held an extended public hearing on June 17 on a proposed "tiny homes on wheels" ordinance that would allow tiny-home villages and set design, spacing, and building-code requirements. Planning staff described site diagrams and density calculations and told commissioners the city would use a baseline cap of nine units for tiny-home developments, with density bonuses and site-area limits applying in some cases.

Planning staff said, "we're using the max density of 9 units for any tiny home development," and cautioned that building-code requirements and unit separation standards can cap the number of units that will actually fit on a site, even where zoning density appears higher. Staff also explained that certified builders and state Housing and Community Development (HCD) standards apply to tiny homes on wheels when those homes are built to be roadworthy.

Why it matters: the ordinance seeks to treat tiny homes on wheels as an affordable-by-design…