Clallam County delays RV ordinance vote, extends written public comment to Jan. 20

The Clallam County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 25 announced it will delay adopting a proposed recreational-vehicle ordinance and extend the written public comment period to Jan. 20 so residents can review new draft language.

Chair (speaker 1) told the meeting that policy-level changes discussed at a recent work session included removing a 180-day occupancy limit, allowing two RVs to be visible where only one was previously allowed, and possibly treating a second occupied RV as a conditional use. "We're going to pause, continue, and we're probably going to act to continue our written public comment period until January 20," the chair said.

The board formalized that direction later in the meeting. Commissioner Johnson (speaker 4) moved to "extend the hearing to January 20, including written testimony on the ordinances," the motion was seconded and the board approved it.

Residents who addressed the board urged widely different approaches. Chris Nicholas (speaker 10), who said he operates a legally designed RV site for temporary workers, told commissioners, "I'm providing a service to people who provide a service to our community," and asked for a balanced ordinance that preserves lawful, well-managed RV housing options.

Other commenters pressed for enforcement of existing blight and code violations before adding new limits. "Instead of prohibiting or limiting RVs as dwellings, why don't you stand down and let the community help with the homeless problem," said Dale Baker (speaker 7), who criticized inconsistent code enforcement on derelict properties.

Several speakers asked the board to soften technical requirements that can be expensive for property owners. Carrie of Joyce (speaker 14) urged exemptions for septic hookups and acknowledged the proposed code's stated flexibility but warned that written standards can be applied unevenly. "Septic systems are not in the budget for a lot of people who are living in RVs," she said.

County staff said the draft code is intentionally flexible on utilities and sewage: the proposed language requires ‘‘potable water supply and means of adequate sewage disposal to the satisfaction of the Washington Department of Labor and Industries and the Clallam County Environmental Health Division’’ and staff said that could include pump-outs rather than a permanent hookup.

The extension keeps the ordinance on the board's agenda but delays any final vote until after the written-comment period closes on Jan. 20, 2026. The board invited additional written and oral comments during the remaining public hearings and outreach.

What happens next: the board will accept written submissions through Jan. 20 and consider final action on the ordinance at a subsequent meeting. The record will remain open for additional input during that interval.