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Bluff hearing draws concerns over street camping, generator use and unclear definitions in RV ordinance
Summary
Planning and Zoning commissioners presented a draft RV and mobile-home ordinance intended to allow and regulate RVs for housing and economic use. Public commenters pressed for clearer definitions (driveway, long-term vs. short-term), limits on generator use and exemptions for volunteer/staff housing.
Bluff’s Planning and Zoning Commission presented a draft ordinance on Oct. 28 that lays out where recreational vehicles, mobile homes and RV parks would be allowed and how they would be regulated. The measure is framed as a public-safety and land-use effort to prepare for existing RV uses and potential use of RVs as economic or housing resources.
The commission’s presenter said the draft includes a zoning- and size-based chart governing where RVs are allowed and sets basic standards for RV parks to ensure compatibility with neighbors. "The purpose was the RVs are here. We want to make sure they're in a good place and are used to help the economy of Bluff as well as be comfortable for those who come to stay," a Planning & Zoning commissioner said.
Public commenters urged clearer language and stronger protections. Josh Ewing, who identified himself at the hearing, said the draft’s current wording risks allowing occupied camping on town streets and urged adding the word "unoccupied" to 24-hour parking allowances to avoid unintended overnight camping. He also flagged inconsistent definitions of "long term" (one reference uses 30 days; another allows occupation for up to six months in driveways) and asked the town to define "driveway" and clarify how many RVs are permitted in a private driveway.
Nicole Croft, who identified herself as director of operations at Verziers Partnership, asked whether volunteer or short-term staff housing operated by nonprofits would fall under the RV-park definition and sought clarification to ensure compliance. Commenters also urged a prohibition on generator use except during electrical outages to reduce nighttime disturbance.
Planning and Zoning staff said the draft came from public input and prior hearings and that legal review is under way; they asked for written feedback through Nov. 7. No final action was taken at the Oct. 28 hearing.
