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Amador supervisors direct staff to craft temporary RV‑as‑ADU permit tied to existing homes
Summary
After extended discussion, the board asked staff to draft a one‑year, over‑the‑counter permit allowing an RV to be used as an accessory dwelling when connected to an existing home's water, sewer and power, with renewal and inspection conditions to address safety and misuse.
The Amador County Board of Supervisors directed staff to draft a temporary permitting approach to allow recreational vehicles (RVs) to be used as accessory dwellings in residential/agricultural zones, provided they meet specific connection and safety conditions.
Board members discussed a range of options — extending temporary camping limits, medical‑hardship permits, one‑year provisional permits, and a pilot cap — before converging on staff direction. Planning and building staff explained current code allows extended RV occupancy tied to a valid building permit or documented medical hardship, and that permanent conversion would still have to meet housing/building codes.
The board’s preliminary guidance to staff, summarized by an attendee, was: create a one‑year, over‑the‑counter permit that requires the RV to be connected to the existing home’s sewer, water and electrical service (generators discouraged), include an inspection and renewal pathway, and limit added density per parcel through setbacks and permit conditions. Supervisors debated whether to cap permitted units as a pilot (one participant suggested testing 20 permits) but did not finalize a cap during the meeting.
Board members flagged enforcement and public‑safety issues: septic suitability and leach fields, emergency‑access and addressing for EMS response, fire‑safety setbacks (fire code requires defensible space/setbacks on larger parcels), and liability/insurance concerns if an RV is used as a rental. Building staff suggested limiting one permitted RV per parcel in many cases and keeping temporary status to enable future revocation if problems arise.
What happens next: Staff will draft ordinance and permit language reflecting the board’s direction (one‑year provisional permits tied to an existing home, connection to utilities, inspection/renewal procedures, and monitoring), and return a draft for further board consideration.
