Interim City Administrator Adam Hanks signed an Executive Order on Thursday allowing for temporary use of Recreational Vehicles (RV’s) and expanded hotel and motel occupancy to aid people displaced by the Almeda Fire.
Typically, City of Ashland code does not allow RV’s to be occupied as a dwelling on private property in the City, and hotel/motel rooms are not allowed as monthly rentals. Due to the City Council’s Emergency Declaration, which first came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and was extended on September 15 to include the Almeda Fire, the City Administrator has the authority to suspend certain ordinances for public benefit.
“The City of Ashland continues to remain involved and in a primary support role to the response and recovery for our neighboring communities of Talent and Phoenix, and especially of our even closer neighbors in rural Ashland that lost their homes. The easing of regulations is intended to provide options for those impacted while the region continues to develop longer term housing solutions that meet the needs of those who lost their homes,” said Hanks.
To host an RV on a private lot, there are conditions that must be met including, but not limited to:
- No more than one RV on lots smaller than .5 acres
- RV occupants must have access to sanitation facilities
- RV’s must be parked on a hardscaped surface such as concrete or gravel
- Lot structures and the RV must comply with Fire Codes
- RV’s must be registered and current with the State of Oregon
- On lots over .5 acres, more than one RV may be approved with an acceptable site plan addressing sanitation, utilities, spacing, affordability, and aesthetics
For Hotels and motels wanting to rent rooms for more than 30 days, there are conditions that must be met including, but not limited to:
- Fully comply with Fire and Building Codes
- Get City permits for any remodeling or construction needed
- Have written consent of the operator of the facility
- Submit a copy of agreements to rent rooms over 30 days, exempting payments from the City’s Transient Occupancy Tax.
- The Executive Order is in effect until the City Council terminates the Emergency Declaration or the Order is terminated by the City Administrator
