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Clarkdale committee reviews broad zoning-code edits for ADUs, RVs, parking and signs
Summary
At a July 17 meeting the town's Zoning Code Update Citizen Advisory Committee reviewed revisions to chapters 4, 5 and 7, including moving accessory-structure standards into district development standards, clarifying ADU setbacks, limiting RV temporary-occupancy to 18 months, and updating parking and sign rules.
The Zoning Code Update Citizen Advisory Committee met July 17 to review proposed edits across chapters 4, 5 and 7 of Clarkdale's zoning code, focusing on accessory structures, accessory dwelling unit setbacks, temporary RV occupancy, parking standards and sign rules.
Ruth, the staff presenter, told the committee staff's "suggestion is that we delete this here and put it into the development standards for each zoning district," moving accessory-structure rules into district-specific development standards rather than a standalone section. She said the change aligns accessory standards with setbacks, height limits and lot-coverage provisions that are already listed per district.
On ADUs, Ruth said the legislature recently "passed a law last year and they said thou shalt have these setbacks for ADUs," and staff recommended making the accessory-structure setback consistent with that requirement (five feet) as the committee works through district-level standards. The draft also clarifies that when an occupancy or a change of use is sought, both a zoning compliance check and a building-safety clearance must be obtained before initiating the use.
The committee discussed rules for recreational vehicles and campgrounds. Ruth proposed a specific limit on temporary RV occupancy during construction: as long as a valid building permit remains in force but for no longer than 18 months, and occupancy must end by issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Parking standards drew many technical questions. The draft expands the off-street parking table to cover additional uses (including gas stations) and to provide consistent parking requirements. Committee members flagged conflicting aisle-width and lane-width figures between narrative text and the table; Ruth said the narrative will be corrected to match the table. Committee members also asked that the code explicitly reference federal ADA requirements for accessible parking; Ruth agreed to add that clarification.
Ruth noted practical implementation issues: Clarkdale does not have an on-staff engineer to review large commercial plans, so outside plan-review is contracted and applicants are charged for those reviews ("I think they're up to $280 an hour now," she said).
Finally, Ruth said the draft makes numerous editorial and consistency fixes across chapters and flagged several sections for additional coordination with the building official (notably swimming-pool setbacks, where state law may require a different minimum distance from lot lines than the draft shows).
The committee did not take final ordinance action at the meeting; it approved the May 15 minutes and agreed to further edits before returning for additional discussion. The group scheduled a joint meeting with the housing stakeholder group next Thursday to review a housing needs assessment and related incentives.
Next steps: staff will reconcile numeric conflicts in the parking sections, add explicit ADA references, confirm applicable state pool-setback requirements with the building official, and carry proposed district-specific development standards back to the committee for further review.
