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Lake County staff propose code changes on building-height measurement, minor subdivisions and camping
Summary
County planning staff told the Lake County Planning Commission they will draft amendments to clarify how building height is measured, add a pathway for subdividing attached housing, and update rules for group camping and RV parks, and will return with proposed language for review.
Lake County planning staff presented a package of proposed land development code amendments to the Lake County Planning Commission during a Jan. 27 meeting, asking the commission and the Board of County Commissioners for buy-in before drafting final language.
The package would (1) change how building height is measured — replacing a standard that references “the average of the natural occurring grade prior to construction” with a measurement from finished grade, (2) create a streamlined minor-subdivision pathway for attached residential units such as townhomes and duplexes, and (3) update camping regulations to address modern group camping and dispersed camping uses.
The change to height measurement is intended to simplify enforcement at the framing inspection. Planning staff said current practice requires verifying a pre-construction grade and then re-checking grade during framing, a process that has proved difficult to administer. “So what the requirement is ... we want it field verified before the port of the footer,” the planning staff explained in the meeting and added, “we'd like to do it from finished grade.” Staff also proposed a clause to prevent manipulation of grades: “The grade shall not be artificially changed solely to affect the building height measurement.”
Commissioners pressed staff for clearer definitions if the code is changed. One commissioner asked how “finished grade” would apply to sloped lots and walkout basements; another raised practical questions about using the footing or base of the foundation as a reference where basements extend below grade. Staff responded that they will draft a proposed definition, circulate it to engineers and the commission for review, and fine-tune the language before formal adoption.
On housing, staff proposed a procedural pathway for converting attached units into separate legal lots — for example, allowing townhomes or duplexes to be subdivided into distinct parcels where current code lacks that mechanism. Staff noted technical nuances such as lot-line placement, setbacks for attached walls, and whether conversions of existing single-family homes to duplexes would be eligible; they said draft regulations will clarify eligible building types and sequencing (subdivision after conversion vs. before).
Staff described the camping review as a response to increased dispersed camping and property-owner requests to allow managed group camping on private land. The department is surveying models used elsewhere and consulting public-land partners to identify appropriate zones and standards. Staff said they will initially study recreational, agricultural and forestry zones and noted existing standards: group camp density is currently 5 units per acre under county rules and RV parks are regulated at 25 campsites per acre. Staff flagged likely issues to address, including access, sanitation/human-waste management and site design.
No code changes were adopted at the meeting. Staff asked for a “thumbs up” to proceed with drafting the amendments and to return with proposed definitions and ordinance language for further review and public hearing. Staff said they will circulate proposed text to commissioners and consult engineers and other stakeholders during the drafting process.
Next steps: staff will prepare draft code language for each item, circulate the language to commissioners and technical reviewers, and bring the drafts back for additional discussion and a formal hearing when ready.
