Commission debates renaming and rewriting "travel trailer courts" ordinance to cover recreational vehicles, tents and cabins
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Summary
In a prolonged work session, commissioners revised draft zoning language to replace "travel trailer courts" with "recreational vehicle courts," add cabins and tents to the definition, require a minimum lot size of one acre and adopt bond/financial-assurance language and an appeals timeline that mirrors subdivision rules.
Cleveland planning commissioners spent the meeting's work-session block rewriting the town's large-scale development language for what the draft now calls "recreational vehicle courts." The discussion covered terminology, permitted zones, operational limits, financial guarantees and appeals timelines.
Chair read proposed language that borrows from state code and prior local ordinances: the draft defines a recreational vehicle court to include recreational vehicles, camping tents and cabins, sets a minimum site size (one acre), and proposes a maximum occupancies tied to state definitions (30 days). Commissioners discussed replacing references to "travel trailer courts" with "recreational vehicle courts" throughout the chapter for consistency.
Commissioners also debated process and oversight: the draft requires a public hearing before the planning commission and then a town-council approval or denial, with an appeal available in writing to an appeal authority within 30 days. The chair said preliminary plan approval would likely mirror subdivision rules (valid one year) and suggested pulling certain subdivision procedures into the RV court rules to keep timelines consistent.
Financial assurance language drew particular attention. The draft would require the developer to post a bond, mortgage or other acceptable assurance equal to the estimated cost of constructing required improvements (landscaping, roads, curbs, water and sewer). Duration proposed in the draft is two years from approval, with possible extension on application and council discretion to declare forfeiture and use funds to complete improvements.
Next steps: staff will fold commissioners'edits into the draft ordinance, copy relevant subdivision language where appropriate, and return a revised draft for a future meeting. The commission intends to forward the final draft to the town council for adoption after public hearings.