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Commissioners review camper ordinance rewrite, debate hardship exemptions and temporary permits
Summary
A proposed camper/RV ordinance prompted debate over a hardship exemption that could permit long-term occupancy of older campers; commissioners sought stricter review, suggested temporary 30‑day permits, and emphasized septic, power and tagging requirements before approvals.
Haralson County commissioners reviewed a rewritten camper ordinance that would regulate when campers and RVs may be used as temporary residences.
Several commissioners expressed concern about the ordinance’s hardship clause, arguing it could be used to shelter dilapidated units for extended periods. "I'm just worried that having a full blown hardship clause... is going to lead to essentially people go into the urgent care to give them something written down," one commissioner (Speaker 6) said, urging clearer language and an avenue for board review of hardship cases.
Staff and other commissioners discussed procedural safeguards: routing hardship requests first to the zoning board, issuing a temporary 30‑day hardship permit from planning/permits while a full review proceeds, and requiring campers to be tagged for the current year and to meet septic, power and water standards. Several commissioners opposed adding additional fees tied to hardship approvals, describing them as an extra tax.
The board directed staff to revise the ordinance language to clarify hardship criteria, add procedural steps for temporary approvals and ensure the zoning board or the permitting office reviews cases before long-term exceptions are granted. The item will return to a future meeting after redrafting.
