Draft RV and mobile-home ordinance draws questions on street camping, generator use and nonprofit housing

The Bluff Planning & Zoning Commission presented a draft ordinance that lays out where recreational vehicles (RVs), mobile homes and RV parks may be located in town, accompanied by charts that specify allowable lot sizes, setbacks and park design standards.

Commissioner Marshall said the intent is to accommodate RVs while protecting neighbors’ health and safety and neighborhood character. The ordinance includes charts for zone-specific allowances, conditional-use criteria for larger parks and basic design standards for RV parks.

Public commenters raised several concerns. Josh Ewing urged clearer language to avoid allowing long-term occupied camping on town streets and suggested the phrase "unoccupied parking" where appropriate; he also asked for consistent definitions of "long term" and "driveway" (the draft references both 30-day and six-month thresholds in different sections). Ewing recommended limiting generator use to electrical-outage scenarios.

Nicole Croft, director of operations for Verziers Partnership, asked whether nonprofit volunteer or short-term staff housing provided at her organization’s property would qualify as an RV park or require additional permitting; she requested clearer definitions so nonprofit operators can come into compliance.

Staff said the draft is under legal review and that commissioners want further public feedback before returning the ordinance for additional editing. No formal vote was taken at the hearing.