Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
2 <br /> <br />B. RATIONALE <br />1. Purpose/Mission <br />In accordance with the provisions of Section 2.8 Zoning Atlas and Unified <br />Development Ordinance Amendments of the UDO, the Planning Director has <br />initiated text amendments to allow for creation of a new Conditional Zoning District <br />allowing for temporary residential units, namely Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and <br />Tiny Homes built to RV park standards. <br />The proposal will also seek to amend existing mobile home park regulations to allow <br />for a maximum percentage of RV stands to be created within an established park. It <br />will also create a Temporary Residential Unit Conditional Use District (TRU-CZ) to <br />allow for the same type units. <br /> <br />2. Analysis <br />As required under Section 2.8.5 of the UDO, the Planning Director is required to: <br />‘cause an analysis to be made of the application and, based upon that analysis, <br />prepare a recommendation for consideration by the Planning Board and the Board of <br />County Commissioners’. <br />A Recreational Vehicle (RV) is currently defined within Article 10 of the UDO as: <br />A self-propelled or towed vehicle, qualified to be licensed by the <br />appropriate State Agency, and is built on a single chassis, 400 square feet <br />or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection, providing short <br />term recreational living accommodations, designed primarily not for use as <br />a permanent dwelling, but as temporary living quarters for recreational, <br />camping, travel, or seasonal use. <br />The only land use category allowing for the development of RV stands would be <br />Camp/Retreat Center as detailed in Section 5.7.4 of the UDO. This section makes <br />references to allowing for the development of ‘camp sites’ which staff has interpreted <br />allows for the development of RV stands for camping purposes only. Currently there <br />are no ‘camp’ sites with RV stands. <br />On recent inspections in several mobile home parks staff discovered parked/moored <br />RVs, which is inconsistent with current regulations/standards. <br />There has been increased interest in allowing for RV parks providing opportunities for <br />temporary residential uses. This includes locating tiny homes, built on a chassis and <br />classified under State building regulations as an RV, in both mobile home parks and <br />as standalone uses of property. In some instances staff is fielding inquiries from <br />individuals with family members receiving treatment in local hospitals looking for <br />areas where an RV could be parked to serve as a temporary residence. <br />RVs are not currently permitted within mobile home parks as they do not meet <br />established criteria (i.e. they are not classified as a manufactured home consistent <br />with HUD standards). <br />This proposal would establish a new district that could address many of these issues <br />and provide options to those looking for temporary housing. This includes allowing for <br />tiny home structures, constructed on a chassis and meeting the definition of an RV. <br /> 4