Chapter 15.52 — CAMP CARS AND TRAILER CAMPS

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2028, § 11, adopted Dec. 18, 2024, amended Ch. 15.52 in its entirety, in effect repealing and reenacting said Ch. 15.52 to read as set out herein. The former Ch. 15.52, §§ 15.52.010— 15.52.180, pertained to similar subject matter and derived from prior code §§ 6-1—6-18.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

A.

"Camp" or "camping" means to pitch, erect, or occupy an encampment, or to use camp paraphernalia or both, for the purpose of, or in a way that facilitates outdoor sheltering for living accommodation purposes or for remaining outdoors overnight.

B.

"Camp car" or "trailer" is any vehicle used for living or sleeping purposes and which is equipped with wheels or similar devices used for the purpose of transporting the unit from place to place, whether by motive power or other means.

C.

"Campground" is any place, area or tract of land upon which is located any camp car or trailer used for living or sleeping purposes.

D.

"Camp paraphernalia" means personal property used to facilitate occupancy of an area and includes, but not limited to, personal property typically associated with camping such as tarps, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, bedding, camp stoves, cooking equipment, buckets, and similar equipment, mattresses, couches, dressers, or other furniture.

E.

"Encampment" means one or more temporary, makeshift, or hand-built structures not intended for long- term continuous occupancy, including tents, that are used to shelter one or more persons or their belongings and that are not authorized by the property owner. Encampment includes, but not limited to, any camp paraphernalia and personal property associated with or located in or around the structures or tents.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to every campground within the incorporated area of the city, and it is unlawful for any person maintaining, operating, conducting or carrying on any such campground or for any person living or sleeping in any camp car or trailer located in a campground or any other person to illegally camp, store camp paraphernalia, maintain an encampment, or otherwise violate or contribute in any way to the violation of any of the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Before building or constructing any campground or any improvements thereon situated or to be situated, the owner or party intending to operate the same shall first apply for and obtain such "special use permit" or other permit from the city.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Each application for a use permit to operate shall be in writing, upon a form provided by the city for that purpose. It shall state the name and address of the applicant and a description of the property whereon or wherein it is proposed to conduct a campground. It shall also contain such other information as the city may require and it shall be filed by the applicant. It shall be filed with the city clerk not less than five days nor more than thirty days before the campground is made.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

It is unlawful for any person to establish, maintain, conduct or carry on an illegal encampment or to operate any campground unless there shall be at all times posted in a conspicuous place at the campground the

permit obtained from the city in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Every person owning or operating a campground shall maintain such campground and any toilets, baths or other permanent equipment in connection therewith in a clean and sanitary condition and shall maintain the equipment in a state of good repair, and it shall be the duty of the operator to comply with all rules and regulations contained in this chapter governing the operation and maintenance of such campgrounds, and to prevent illegal encampments from occurring on their campground site.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Every campground shall be laid out with available unoccupied space of not less than an average of five hundred square feet, but none of which shall be of an area of less than four hundred square feet for each camp car or trailer, and such available unoccupied spaces shall not be construed to include the space within any drive way. No more camping sites shall be allowed for such camping cars or trailers than the number of times five hundred square feet can be divided into the whole camping area of any campground exclusive of the area used for driveways. All camping spaces shall be designated with a separate number. Camp cars or trailers shall be arranged as near as possible, in rows abutting or facing on a driveway or clear unoccupied space of not less than eighteen feet in width which space shall have unobstructed access to a public street or alley.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Every campground shall be located on a well-drained area and the premises of every such campground or any existing campground shall be properly graded so as to prevent the accumulation of storm or casual waters.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

An adequate supply of pure water for drinking and domestic purposes shall be supplied to meet the requirements of such campground. Such water supply shall be obtained from faucets only, conveniently located in the campground. No dipping vessels or common cups shall be permitted. No camp car or trailer shall be located more than two hundred feet from a faucet.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

It is unlawful for any person owning or operating a camp car or trailer located in a campground to remove or cause to have removed the wheels or any similar transporting devices from the camp car or trailer or to

otherwise permanently fix it to the ground in a manner that would prevent the ready removal of such camp car or trailer. Any such alteration to any camp car or trailer shall be construed as removing it from the requirements of this chapter and converting it into a dwelling and it shall thereupon be subject to the requirements of the building code of the city and the State Housing Law.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Dogs at no time shall be permitted to run at large in any campground or to occupy any encampment.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

A.

Flush water closets shall be provided in separate compartments for each sex within a distance of not more than two hundred feet from any camp unit. Not less than one water closet shall be provided for each fifteen persons, or fractional part thereof, of each sex. Such water closets shall be distinctly marked "for men" and "for women" and the location of the water closets plainly indicated by signs. All water closets shall be kept clean, free from obnoxious odor, flies, mosquitoes or other insects, be well lighted and ventilated directly to the outside air.

B.

Shower baths or other bathing facilities with running water shall be provided in separate compartments for every twenty persons, or fractional part thereof, of each sex, within a distance of not more than two hundred feet from any camp unit.

C.

All water closets or compartments containing bathing facilities shall be installed in proper compartments which shall be well lighted, ventilated, disinfected and screened. The floors and walls of such compartments shall be surfaced with impervious materials to a height of at least six feet.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

There shall be provided in every campground such number of tight receptacles with close-fitting metal covers for garbage, refuse, ashes and rubbish as may be required to take care of the same, and such garbage receptacles shall at all times be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and such garbage shall be collected in accordance with provisions of this Code and other city ordinances.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

There shall be provided in every campground one or more slop sinks, properly connected with a sewer or cesspool, such sinks to be conveniently located at no greater distance than one hundred fifty feet from any camp car or trailer.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

It is unlawful to permit any wastewater or material from sinks, baths, showers or other plumbing fixtures in camp cars or trailers to be deposited upon the surface of the ground, and all such fixtures, when in use, must be connected to the city sewer system, or the drainage therefrom must be disposed of in a satisfactory and sanitary manner.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

Every campground shall be provided with means of electrically lighting the same at night, and all water closets and bath units shall be provided with sufficient electric lighting facilities, and all water closets shall be kept lighted during the time from one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)

It is unlawful to occupy any encampment, camp car or trailer for living or sleeping purposes in the city unless the same is located upon a campground licensed under the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that where a residence building is built and used for residence purposes upon any lot within the city, the family or head thereof occupying such residence house may permit any relative or friend of such family to occupy for a term not to exceed thirty days in the backyard of such lot, but not upon any adjoining or vacant lot, a camp car or trailer for sleeping purposes only, where the same is not prohibited as an auxiliary use under the terms and provisions of the zoning regulations of the city; provided, that no rent shall be charged for the privilege of so maintaining such camp car, trailer or tent in or upon the backyard.

(Ord. No. 2028, § 11, 12-18-2024)