Hearing examiner weighs conditional-use permit for 67-site RV park on Belmont Loop

The City of Woodland hearings examiner heard testimony on a conditional-use permit for a 67-site RV camper park at 1880 Belmont Loop, with staff recommending approval subject to conditions addressing garbage enclosures, signage and propane-tank safety.

Travis Goddard, the city’s community development director, told the examiner the project covers about 3.69 acres and was revised from an initial 17 sites to 67. Goddard said the site has completed sidewalks, driveway approaches and utility hookups but identified four areas needing correction — landscape survivability, a garbage/recycling enclosure shown with cans outside it, unpermitted signs, and unsecured propane tanks — and recommended approval with conditions to remedy those items. “We recommend approval with condition and that it meets Woodland Municipal Code,” Goddard said.

Why it matters: Neighbors and city reviewers raised safety and community-character concerns tied to longer-term occupancy. The city’s code limits any camper to 90 days on the site in a calendar year; Goddard clarified the 90-day limit applies to the site as a whole, not per space, to prevent rotating the same camper among spaces to extend stays.

Fire-safety officials told the hearing some tanks on the property appear to require permits and physical protection. Mike Lackey, a deputy fire marshal for Clark (transcript: Clark Helps/Callets) Fire Rescue, said he observed a commercial-size propane tank without a permit or bollards and that he noted multiple larger tanks and other LP containers positioned on the site. “They do have a commercial size propane tank that they do not have a permit for nor is it installed correctly nor does it have ballards,” Lackey said. He cited the International Fire Code 2021 (chapter 61) and NFPA 58 on allowable amounts and protections for site tanks and said “daisy chaining” containers is not allowed.

Goddard said staff added conditions to address propane tanks, including a cap on ground-mounted tanks and reflective protection if tanks remain on-site, and that larger vehicle-mounted tanks used as part of an RV would be regulated as part of the vehicle. He described the 90-day occupancy as “90 days in a calendar year.”

Neighbors and business owners said the site’s history of noncompliance and longer stays has affected the area’s character. Sam Nigro, a Woodland resident with commercial buildings on Belmont Loop, warned of a “slippery slope” if long-term occupancy were allowed and asked whether tenants were aware of the 90-day limit. Doug Freimark, who identified himself as city council position number 4 but spoke as a resident and property manager, said he had observed units staying for a year and urged an on-site manager, posting of the occupancy limit and background checks for longer stays. “I am very seriously concerned about the multiple violations of non-reporting and compliance to the city code,” Freimark said.

The applicant, Steven Warner, identified himself as the property manager for the site and said recent family health issues had forced a management transition; he asked for a continuance so he and his land-use attorney could pursue the required fixes. “I put me now as the manager of the entity,” Warner said, and requested more time to address the propane, garbage and signage issues.

Procedural next steps: The hearings examiner said he would consider a continuance to a date certain and check his calendar; there was no final decision recorded in the hearing. Fire-rescue and staff recommended permitting and timeline expectations: the transcript shows the examiner and a fire official discussing a 14-day window for permit submittal or temporary barriers for commercial tanks as part of the operational conditions under consideration.

The hearing continued with staff and public comments; the examiner did not issue a final ruling during the session. If the record is held open or the hearing continued, participants will have an opportunity to submit additional written evidence before the examiner issues a decision.