RVs on lots in Coaldale

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Sunny South News

At a recent Town of Coaldale council meeting held July 14, a report was submitted to council for consideration from Douglas Bergen.

The report asked council to consider allowing owners of vacant lots in mobile home parks in Coaldale to park RVs on the lots for the purpose of providing temporary accommodations until a mobile home is delivered to the lot.

The report stated, RVs would tie into water and sewer hook-ups and the owner would be responsible for the bill.

“We’ve developed two manufacturing housing communities here in the town. Often people come to us with the dilemma of not having sold their house in town and our lot sale is subject to their house selling and then when their house sells, only then can they pull the trigger on ordering a home and that home takes about 90 days to build,” said Bergen.

In summer months, Bergen noted, he’s had a few requests from lot owners waiting for their new manufactured home asking if they could set up an RV, rather than renting something else only temporarily.

“We’re reluctant because we don’t want park lots to become campgrounds and we’re reluctant to see the lawn chairs and the awnings,” said Bergen.

Town administration offered recommendations of eligibility criteria for temporary RV dwellers to be in effect including no overnight camping, only the owner of the empty lot is permitted to live in an RV parked on a lot, only one RV per lot and a development permit must be issued before occupancy of a lot.

“A lot of the ground rules for this sort of arrangement would be outlined in the development permit. We would put conditions in and an expiration date, a lot of that would be formalized,” said Kalen Hastings, former interim chief administrative officer (CAO) for the Town of Coaldale.

The way we solved it last time, Bergen added, was a professional sign was printed and erected on the lots stating the RV on the lot was a temporary installation due to conditions.

“We let the public know these people aren’t camping here and it’s not someone down the road that just thought they could set up and let their in-laws move in for a while. It’s basic hospitality — is what we’re calling it,” said Bergen, adding the temporary RVs would only be on the lots during summer months, rather than in the fall or winter.

It was recommended in the report, council direct administration to write up a formal policy on the matter. With amendments made to the recommendation and a proposed change from 60 days to 90 days for having a temporary RV on a lot, council passed the motion.