The Robeson County Board of Commissioners has reinstated its recreational vehicle (RV) park ordinance after voting unanimously to remove the measure’s expiration provision during its regular monthly meeting held Monday at the Robeson County Administration Building in downtown Lumberton, North Carolina.
The ordinance, originally adopted in 2024 to regulate the development of RV parks in Robeson County, had included a sunset clause that caused it to expire on March 31, 2025. County officials said the lapse meant there was no longer a regulatory framework governing new RV park proposals or the standards applicants would be required to meet.
The board voted 5-0 to reapprove the ordinance without the sunset clause. Three commissioners were absent from the meeting.
County Attorney Robert Davis explained that the county recently began receiving new inquiries related to RV park development and recognized that the ordinance was no longer in effect because of the expiration provision.
“We hadn’t had a whole lot of RV applications coming in; we did get some recently when we were looking at it, but we realized that in the previous, when we passed this RV ordinance, that there was a sunset clause on it that expired on March 31, 2025,” Davis told The Robesonian. “So we do not have the ordinance not to comply with, so they can’t even consider applications or any restrictions they put on applications. So we need to consider passing this ordinance and, if you see fit, just taking the sunset clause out.”
During discussion of the ordinance, Commissioner Judy Sampson asked whether it included restrictions related to the proximity of RV parks to interstate highways. Davis said the ordinance does not contain such a requirement.
However, he noted that it includes provisions limiting where RV parks may be established, including restrictions related to densely populated areas and minimum distances from residential structures, churches, and schools.
The reinstatement of the ordinance restores the county’s ability to review and regulate future RV park proposals under an established set of development standards. For campground developers, RV resort operators, and investors evaluating opportunities in North Carolina, the decision provides greater regulatory certainty by ensuring that applications can once again be considered under an active local ordinance.
Local zoning and land-use requirements continue to play an important role in site selection, project planning, and permitting timelines, making awareness of county-specific regulations an important part of the development process.
In addition to the RV park ordinance, commissioners approved amendments to the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which Robeson County maintains in coordination with neighboring Bladen and Columbus counties.
County Manager Kellie Blue said the more than 600-page document is updated annually and outlines coordinated regional responses to natural hazards, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, and wildfires.
The board also considered matters related to county facilities during the meeting. During the public comment period, Parkton Mayor Ed Lowery requested permission to install a camera system at the county-owned park in Parkton.
Lowery said he and Police Chief Hudson Chitwood believe surveillance cameras would assist in determining what occurred if incidents take place at the park. Because the town will fund the installation while the property is county-owned, Lowery sought the board’s approval. Commissioners expressed support for the proposal.
Commissioners also reappointed Audrey Hunt to another term on the Robeson Community College Board of Trustees.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Commissioner John Cummings encouraged residents to take precautions during the ongoing heat wave.
“I caution the county to please use some common sense: it’s hot out there,” Cummings said. “Be cognizant of your neighbors, and when I say that, older people — a lot of people are on meds for blood pressure and so forth, and they’re not used to this heat. So be cognizant of the neighbor that’s sitting beside you, watch everybody, and let’s take care of each other.”
The Robeson County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting at 9 a.m. on August 3.