Board opens record in Tumalo RV-park code amendment hearing after hours of testimony

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners held a de novo public hearing Oct. 22 on a proposed text amendment to allow recreational-vehicle (RV) parks as a conditional use in the Tumalo Commercial District (file no. 247-25106TA). Staff, the applicant and more than 30 members of the public presented testimony over several hours.

Associate Planner Audrey Stewart (Planning Division) explained the proposal would amend Chapter 18.67 of the Deschutes County Code to allow RV parks in the Tumalo Commercial District and add siting standards requiring an RV park to be sited on a lot or contiguous lots under common ownership that abut Highway 20 and are 2.3 to 5 acres in size. Stewart said the proposal would not itself approve development on any specific property; a separate conditional-use permit and site-plan review would be required for any project that sought to develop an RV park.

The hearings officer previously held an initial hearing June 16 and issued a recommendation on Sept. 3; the board voted Sept. 3 to hold a de novo hearing. Stewart told the board that the record submitted to the hearings officer included dozens of…