Planning commission forwards RV parking ordinance to council with no recommended changes

The North Platte City Planning Commission on Aug. 28 voted to forward proposed changes to City Code section 76.22 — governing parking and storage of recreational vehicles — to the City Council without recommending any of the draft edits.

Planning staff presented a set of possible edits, including clarifying that slide‑outs on RVs “remain fully retracted subject to all existing setbacks” and striking a specific subsection (e3d). The commission held a public hearing and received multiple comments both for and against changes before returning the item to the council without a recommendation.

Residents at the hearing urged opposite outcomes. "I stand in opposition to the amendment for side yards for the setback on the side yards," said Dale East, a Sequoia Drive resident who said many neighbors rely on side‑yard driveways to park campers and that a five‑foot setback would prevent that use and push RVs back onto narrow streets. Stuart Simpson, who read a letter into the record, urged enforcement of the ordinance as written, citing RVs blocking sidewalks and the code’s 10‑foot setback requirement from the curb.

Commissioners debated two practical issues raised at the meeting: what constitutes a ‘‘hard surface’’ for on‑lot RV parking (options discussed included gravel, crushed concrete, pavers or aggregate) and whether requiring setbacks for retracted slide‑outs is enforceable or an overreach in smaller‑lot neighborhoods. Planning staff noted that enforcement often depends on complaints from the public and that stricter requirements could be cost‑prohibitive for some homeowners.

After discussion, Commissioner Jeff moved, seconded by Commissioner Nelson, that the commission not recommend any changes and forward the ordinance as drafted to the City Council. The transcript records the motion and the chair’s announcement that the commission will forward the item to council with no changes; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. The item will next appear on the City Council agenda for further consideration and any formal vote.

The ordinance text under consideration includes language about parking on driveway pads outside the required front yard, a 10‑foot setback behind the curb, and a seasonal 72‑hour limit for street parking from April through October; the draft amendments would have clarified slide‑out and hard‑surface language and deleted one subsection. Planning staff recommended forwarding the material but sought the commission’s guidance on the precise definition of “hard surface.”