Temporary solutions proposed for dispute around permanent RV dwelling within TNRD

Amending bylaws to allow for open-ended RV stays on approved, appropriately zoned land (e.g. campgrounds & RV parks) and allowing park model RVs in manufactured home parks;
Amending Board Policy to specifically enable short-term stays in RVs on residential properties for vacationers and guests; and
Enabling longer-term, multi-year RV dwelling use via a TUP (temporary use permit) application.

Electoral Area ‘P’ Director Mel Rothenburger says the details of the approach would be decided on more of a case-by-case basis.

“Which probably will have certain basic criteria that will have to be met, and then other conditions depending on the situation,” he explains, “For example, is the use of a wood stove unsafe in a particular dwelling? Well you could make a condition for that, and you can make conditions around potable water supply, and septic and those kinds of things.”

However, due to concerns around RVs being forced out when the permits expire, the Rural Rights Association of BC is not applauding the proposal.

The permits could be renewed, allowing for six years on a single permit taken out, but Rural Rights spokesperson Tom Coles says that would be problematic for people who actually own the land upon which the RV would be parked.

“So in essence, what that says to a rural landowner who had entertained hopes of being able to use an RV as a residence, is you can purchase the land, you can invest tens of thousands of dollars into the property, and then you get to ‘rent it’ in a sense, for six years from the TNRD, and then vacate it.”

TNRD representatives meanwhile, recognize the current bylaws need adjusting to work with the situation at hand, and Rothenburger says they’re determined to get a solution in place. It just might take some time.

“Life is a compromise. Not everybody can get everything they want. There are still some reservations on the board for example, with the fact that RVs can’t be taxed as improvements on land. So therefore, it creates an inequity with more traditional dwellings that do pay tax,” he notes, “So you do the best with what you’ve got, and I think we came to a reasonable solution for the time being.”

With the costs associated with the permit applications, and maintaining the criteria around the permits, Coles says the issue should be looked at in a broader scope to accommodate people living in RVs out of financial need.

“Even the board members themselves during the meeting, there were a couple of comments made that the bylaws are not reflective of the current economic situation. That stagnant wages and lack of affordable housing and homelessness are huge issues,” stresses Coles, “And it’s not something that is going to go away; if anything, it’s going to increase.”

Support numbers have been steadily increasing for RV-dwelling concerned residents throughout the regional district. Coles says the Facebook group has now grown to nearly 1,600 members, and another page for a group in the Merritt / Nicola region has started up as well. Moving forward, Coles hopes the TNRD will consider some of the proposed solutions the Rural Rights group has presented.

“I mean the most obvious thing is to eliminate the bylaw that says it’s illegal to live full time in an RV. It’s important to understand that these bylaws that we’re discussing have nothing to do with any of the towns or cities, they’re strictly rural bylaws,” explains Coles, “The cities have their own and in Barriere for example, it is permissible to live in an RV. There is an RV park there that has residents full time. All year long it’s at 100 per cent capacity, and many of them are seniors. We had put forward some proposals, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears.”

At yesterday’s gathering, many of the regular spokespeople and representatives from the Rural Rights Association of BC were not able to attend, and Rothenburger says he hopes those impacted will continue to talk to the TNRD about their concerns.

“I would like to have heard more from them before we made our decision. I sense there’s some unhappiness already just based on what I see and hear from that particular group, and that’s going to be understandable,” Rothenburger says. “I just hope we’re at the point now where we can have reasonable, respectful discussions around the details of it because we’re all really working for the same thing. I sensed a real willingness on the part of the board, to try to accommodate as much as possible within what we’re able to do.”

At the end of the day, Rothenburger notes that the items discussed at the TNRD yesterday will need to be explored further.

“A temporary use permit is temporary, so it’s not the ultimate solution because a TUP goes for three years, then can be renewed for three years. We don’t know what the average residency is for people in RVs who use them over an extended period of time. So we may get to six years from now and the problem is back,” Rothenburger says. “Hopefully in the meantime, various provincial regulations, as well as our own, can come into sync and provide a more long term solution.”

TNRD staff will have to go over the details of how the proposed permitting could work, and should the decision move forward, Rothenburger says the temporary solution could take effect in February of 2020.

by Dylana Kneeshaw

Temporary solutions proposed for dispute around permanent RV dwelling within TNRD

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