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Board moves to allow regulated backyard gravel pads for boats, trailers and RVs
Summary
The board signaled support for allowing boats, trailers and nonmotorized campers to be stored on framed, specified gravel pads in backyards while keeping stricter standards for motorized RVs and front yards; staff was asked to define dimensional limits and surfacing standards and to consider the town's 35% backyard coverage rule.
Board members discussed how best to allow storage of recreational vehicles, boats and trailers without degrading neighborhood appearance or risking groundwater contamination. Several members proposed limiting gravel parking to nonmotorized trailers in backyards and requiring framed edging and a compacted base.
Members referenced the municipality’s general yard-coverage rules and suggested using a yard-percentage cap (e.g., existing 35% building/impervious metric) to limit the total area used for storage. They also discussed differentiating between motorized RVs — which may need paved pads to control leaks — and nonmotorized trailers that could be parked on a framed, defined gravel pad.
The board asked staff to survey other municipalities’ standards, propose dimensional limits and base-depth specifications, and to draft grandfathering language for properties that already have gravel pads.
