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Green River council approves ordinance allowing vacation vehicles as temporary homes while houses are built
Summary
City council approved Ordinance 2024-07 to permit a single vacation vehicle to be used as a temporary residence while a permanent home is constructed, with ownership and utility-connection requirements and a cumulative one-year habitation limit; council directed staff to refine enforcement language and trailer-park zoning details.
The City of Green River council on Nov. 26 approved Ordinance 2024-07 to allow a vacation vehicle to serve as a temporary residence on a lot while a primary dwelling is constructed.
Planning staff presented the amendment as a mirror of the existing manufactured-home allowance, with the same requirement that any temporary unit be connected to water and sewer and titled in the property owner’s name. “We used the exact same wording that approved manufactured homes onto lots and just changed the verbiage to vacation vehicles,” Speaker 2 said, explaining the intent was to make it easier and less expensive for homeowners who are building to live on-site.
Council members raised enforcement and abuse concerns. Speaker 7 moved approval but proposed language limiting the period of habitation to “not exceed 1 cumulative year.” Council and staff discussed tying that limit to the building permit so the temporary occupancy could be extended only if the building permit itself was extended. Speaker 6 questioned how officials would prevent someone from moving off for a short period and returning to reset the 12-month count; Speaker 5 said the council could clarify the rule to treat the year as cumulative.
The council also asked staff to consider whether trailer parks should be explicitly allowed to host vacation vehicles under altered park-code language and noted potential safety and egress code requirements (skirting and escape routes) that might need examination. The motion to approve the ordinance with the one-year cumulative limitation passed on roll call. Council members said they will return to tighten draft language and address trailer-park zoning and enforcement mechanics if problems emerge.
The ordinance approval is intended to provide a lower-cost option for residents building new homes and to reduce the need to place a manufactured home and then find a relocation site after construction. The council did not set an immediate change to enforcement procedures; staff were directed to draft clearer cumulative-period language and investigate trailer-park code changes for a future meeting.
