Council approves RV measures

The City Council approved on final reading an ordinance that allows homeowners who are remodeling their homes to live on-site in recreational vehicles for up to a year at a time. The ordinance, requested by Clifford Williams Jr., passed at the April 24 Council meeting. Mr. Williams is remodeling at 814 S. Avenue C and wants to live in his RV while he fixes up the house.

The Council also approved a zoning change for 516 S. Ave. B from a recreational vehicle park district to an industrial district on April 24. Owner, John D. Cumpton, had planned to build an RV park on the property but changed his plans and now wants to build a storage facility for RVs and boats, said City Administrator Arpegea Pagsuberon.

The Council also discussed and passed on first reading an ordinance that would place a moratorium on placing shipping containers in residential zones inside to remedy a lack of rules in the City code about using metal containers as outbuildings. The moratorium would not apply to industrial and agricultural zones, which would nonetheless, require a 180-day per- The Council also discussed whether to disallow containers in those areas from being brightly colored or having signage painted on them. Councilmember Harrison Wellman noted that some residents use the containers for tool sheds or to store equipment or supplies when remodeling homes, and suggested they be allowed to continue to do this as long as the containers were not visible from the street. Mayor Rue Rogers said the Council expected to amend the measure on second reading. Councilmember Tommy Kimbro, who opposed the moratorium, said the Council needed to set a time limit on the moratorium. The Council discussed revisiting it two months after it passes.