County commissioners Monday sent a proposed ordinance on recreational vehicles and campers back to the planning board for more work.
Multiple speakers had signed up for public comments prior to the second reading and scheduled passage of the ordinance. The draft would have required that any camper trailer or recreational vehicle used as a permanent dwelling be tied down and underpinned like a mobile home, and meet storm-resistance standards.
Commissioner Ricky Bullard asked that the new ordinance be sent back to the planning board to “revisit” the proposal.
“This is not just my wish,” he said. “This is the wish of a lot of people in the county is asking for. It’s overdoing it. It’s taking away a lot of people’s rights. There’s a lot of people live in these campers. There’s got to be a better solution that will work for everybody.”
Bullard made a motion to remove the item from the agenda. Commissioner Giles Byrd seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved.
County attorney Amanda Prince noted that there were “quite a few” people signed up to speak, and they were welcome to do so. She said they could speak on March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the planning board meeting. Byrd urged the board to allow the speakers to have their say during the public comment period of Monday’s meeting, since they had taken the time to attend.
Commission Chair Laverne Coleman encouraged the speakers to stay if they wanted, but noted that their comments might be better heard at the planning board.
“And you can come back here if you like,” he said.
At the previous meeting of the board, the measure was met by outcry from residents who had concerns about illegal campgrounds and rundown camper-trailer parks, as well as concerns from others who have campers for auxiliary and primary residences for family or due to financial concerns.
The ordinance proposed by the planning board did not address unpermitted campgrounds or trailer parks.
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