The City of Woodland may soon officially allow for year-round occupancy at one of its recreational vehicle (RV) parks.
In its Aug. 5 City Council meeting, members examined a zoning ordinance allowing “neighborhood commercial” (C-3) zones within city limits to permit RV parks to maintain year-round occupancy. RV parks in “highway commercial” (C-2) zones will continue to have a 90-day occupancy limit.
All established Woodland RV parks maintain a 90-day occupancy limit according to city code, but this has rarely been enforced, Woodland’s City Attorney Emily Guildner said. Council members, including Melissa Doughty, aim to allow Woodland Shores, a 57-lot RV park to maintain year-round occupancy. The site has operated for 30 years.
“All of our citizens were very vocal that anything coming forward needs to stay short term, and I think we need to respect what our citizens and what our town want moving forward. But we need to respect the ones who have been here decades [by] keeping the one [park] long-term,” Doughty said.
Although the Woodland Planning Commission suggested the council extend occupancy to 180 days for highway commercial-zoned RV parks, the council agreed to maintain its 90-day occupancy limit. The council was asked to change RV occupancy from 30 days to year-round in 2019. Instead, members raised the limit from 30 to 90 days. Under the current council’s direction, Woodland should maintain this precedent at RV parks other than Woodland Shores.
Neighborhood commercial zones are rarely used in Woodland. Two parcels in city limits are zoned C-3 along Lewis River Road, although neither are RV parks. Currently existing parks, all of which are in C-2 zones, can apply to rezone C-3 to allow year-round occupancy under this ordinance. Council members intend to approve an application from Woodland Shores should the new ordinance be approved.
Councilman Douglas Freimarck asked why the council could not make an exception for Woodland Shores RV Park instead of going through the rezoning process. Guildner explained that establishing differences in zoning and approving rezoning is the only legal option for Woodland.
“They are technically considered the same zone and [for] same conditional use,” Guildner explained. “In order to change that, we have to establish that they actually are different, and [that] their neighborhood characteristics are different.”
RV parks must apply for a new conditional use permit through Woodland’s hearings examiner if the council approves their rezoning to C-3.
The City Council will hold a public hearing and consider establishing the ordinance at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 19.
