Person County narrowly approves RV-park rules to ease worker housing pressure

The Person County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 3 approved a text amendment (TA-11-25) to permit camper and RV parks as a by-right use in the RC district, adopting written standards intended to limit impacts and address a projected need for temporary worker housing associated with industrial construction projects.

Planning staff described minimum standards in the approved language: a 2-acre minimum lot size, 2,500 square feet of land per proposed parking space, stabilized parking pads (gravel or pavement), one off-street parking space per unit, sanitary and bathing facilities, and a 50-foot undisturbed buffer from property lines with planting required if the site fronts a US or NC highway. The planning board had recommended keeping RV parks as a special use rather than a by-right use; their recommendation was not unanimous.

Commissioners debated the practicalities and unintended consequences of creating a by-right classification: some members worried that by-right RV parks could later become poorly maintained or permanent uses that degrade nearby property values, while others emphasized an anticipated need for housing tied to a multiyear construction workforce (one presenter said a contractor expected up to 1,000 workers over time). Commissioner debate emphasized buffer and planting requirements and the high cost of installing septic systems in unserved areas.

The motion to adopt the proposed by-right RV-park language passed on the Nov. 3 vote with a recorded tally of 3–2. Commissioners stressed monitoring and the existing ability for the board to require conditions when sites seek special-use approvals in other districts.