California Outdoor Hospitality Association’s (CalOHA) president and CEO, Dyana Kelley, provided an update on recent advocacy efforts that could impact private campground owners in California.
In a newsletter sent to association members on Wednesday, one of the bills discussed was AB 22, which aimed to amend the Vehicle Code (section 396) relating to “mobile coaches.”
The bill would have given motor coach owners the ability to build home equity if they parked in a mobile home park for at least nine months.
However, the equity part of the bill has been stricken, and only the size requirements will move forward. Specifically, the bill will increase the width of what should be defined as “mobile homes” from 102 inches to 110 inches.
Current law defines “mobile home” for the purposes of the enforcement of highway safety laws and regulations as a trailer coach which is in excess of 102 inches in width or in excess of 40 feet in overall length measured from the foremost point of the trailer hitch to the rear extremity of the trailer.
Another bill discussed was AB 1472, which would amend the RV Park Occupancy Law in Imperial Beach, with an aim to expand to a statewide ordinance.
The bill has two parts.
The first part would mimic the rent restrictions of a mobile home park by limiting rental increases to 3% plus CPI, not exceeding 5%, and limiting it to two increments over a 12-month period.
The second part would prohibit the practice of limiting a tenant to a period of time under nine months to prevent residency. Any park that would require a tenant to leave and re-register would be subject to fines and legal action that would award attorney’s fees to the prevailing party.
Mentioned in the newsletter, a governing body may establish inspection, reporting, and recordkeeping to ensure compliance.
Kelley noted that the bill could be “extremely detrimental” to RV parks with extended stay offerings. CalOHA is working with Assemblyman Alvarez’s staff to offer opinions on the legislation.
Lastly, the update mentioned SB 620, a bill introduced by Hipcamp that would provide a pathway for low-impact camping in rural areas, AG land, and private property.
CalOHA and CalTravel presently oppose the bill and are working with Senator Mike McGuire’s office to offer their opinions on the legislation.
The Special Occupancy Parks Act, establishes requirements for the construction, maintenance, occupancy, use, and design of RV parks and campgrounds.
The proposed bill, however, specifies that a “special occupancy park” does not include a low-impact camping area.
A “low-impact camping area” is sought to be defined by the bill as any area of private property that provides for the transient occupancy rental of a shelter, recreational vehicle, or other temporary sleeping accommodation, as defined, for recreational purposes that is not a commercial lodging facility and meets specified requirements such as less than nine sites.
These updates provided by the association highlight its ongoing efforts to regulate and manage private campgrounds in California, but most of all look after the well-being of California’s outdoor hospitality industry. Campground owners in the state should stay informed on these bills as they could impact their businesses.