Nevada County planning panel backs ordinance to allow RVs as dwellings amid safety and cost concerns

The Nevada County Planning Commission voted on Nov. 14 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt an ordinance allowing a single recreational vehicle to be used as a permanent dwelling on qualifying rural parcels, after a daylong staff presentation, commissioner questioning and a lengthy public‑comment period.

Brian Foss, director of planning, told the commission the draft ordinance is intended to create a permitting path and health‑and‑safety standards for RVs used as homes, not to promote short‑term rentals. "This ordinance creates a path to compliance," Foss said, summarizing the proposal’s core elements: a site permit, an initial two‑year approval with two‑year renewals, a minimum parcel size of three acres in specified rural zoning districts, and requirements for water, sewer, electrical hookups, screening, tie‑downs and a fire protection plan.

The ordinance would allow one permitted RV per parcel, require hookups verified by building and environmental health staff, and impose inspection and renewal checks. Environmental Health staff…