Gulfport City Council in Florida has made progress towards amending its RV ordinance. The council reached a consensus on February 21 regarding the changes that City staff will redraft and present in late March.
The issue has been debated in several council meetings, with public opinion divided on whether restrictions on residential RV storage should be loosened. The current ordinance states that placing, keeping, or maintaining any recreational vehicle on any lot or parcel of ground within the city, except in a designated recreational vehicle park, is unlawful unless a permit is obtained from the city manager.
City Manager Jim O’Reilly presented four options for the council to consider. The first would permit RV parking in a side or rear yard, removing the current setback requirements. The second would allow perpendicular placement in front of a residential structure, as long as it does not extend into the public right of way while retaining side and rear yard setbacks.
The third option combined the first two, permitting perpendicular placement in front and allowing side and rear yard use, removing the setback requirements. The fourth option was to make no changes to the existing ordinance.
Gulfport Mayor Sam Henderson proposed a possible solution, suggesting that Class B vehicles and those grandfathered in from 2014 should remain unaffected while allowing side and rear yard parking with no setbacks except for three feet of separation from a house, as fire safety officials have recommended.
Councilmember April Thanos (Ward I) asked for further clarification on what constitutes a Class B vehicle. Several people in the audience mentioned an Amazon delivery van as the most similar vehicle that everyone recognizes.
Council member Christine Brown (Ward II) asked about the viability of concrete pads to prevent possible leakage into the ground, but other council members were not in favor, as it increases the amount of impervious surface.
Council member Paul Ray (Ward III), who brought the issue before the council a couple of months ago, fully supported Mayor Henderson’s recommendation, calling it a property rights issue. He denied pushing for the amendment to change the law just because he bought an RV and found out he couldn’t have it.
The council will continue discussing and refining the proposed RV ordinance changes. The issue has generated a lot of discussions and has significant implications for RV enthusiasts in Gulfport.