Moving to your RV? You may need a permit
Staff writer
The trend some county residents are following by leaving their homes to live in recreational vehicles may end before it begins.
According to planning and zoning director Tonya Richards, county residents cannot use an RV or camper van as a full-time residence unless in a designated park. The nearest residential parks are in McPherson and Emporia.
Richards said the county currently is aware of three such cases — north of Goessel, southwest of Hillsboro, and southeast of Marion. She said sometimes the appraiser’s office will come upon campers when doing field inspections, but two complaints came from the public.
“We’ll send a notification to the property owners that they’re in zoning violation and see what they’re doing,” she said.
With a permit, residents are allowed to move into campers in instances where they are re-building a house or their home suffered damages.
“If they plan to live in an RV permanently they’ll have to apply for a (conditional use permit) to the zoning board and county commissioners,” Richards said.
She said people in that situation would have a hard time receiving approval, because of the precedent it would set.
“The zoning board would have to change its regulations,” Richards said. “Chances are slim they do.”