Siting permits are being considered in Sicamous after receiving a number of RV and park model resort proposals, with the most recent from Todd Kyllo of Twin Anchors Manufacturing at its former marina on Riverside Avenue.
At the March 6 planning and development meeting, development services manager Nicole Hansen recommended the district add siting permits for park model trailers to its Building Regulations Bylaw. She explained that a building permit addresses the technical aspects of construction compliance, safety and building codes, while a siting permit deals with land use, zoning regulations and setbacks, which was the main focus of discussion.
Silver Sands RV Resort developer Terry Gould attended the meeting to speak at the request of Kyllo who was out of town, explaining the two are “on the same page” in park models being singled out.
“I guess the argument we have… the building permits, in resorts like ours, there should be no distinction between park models and RVs of any kind,” Gould said. “We have all kinds of fifth wheels, motor coaches, trailers that are skirted, they’re there full-time, so all of a sudden to come up and say, ‘well park models have to have this special permit’ is not logical in our minds. It’s maybe a money grab.”
Gould said this isn’t done in other resorts in the province, and pointed out that if there’s an RV or park model that’s not conforming to the setbacks, both can be corrected. He said park models can easily be jacked up and moved over within a couple of hours. Chief administrative officer Kelly Bennett, however, explained it is more because they’re allowing year-round use of something that’s meant to be seasonal, as RVs tend to be.
“There’s no difference between an RV and a park model – if they sit there, they sit there. So if you’re going to have a requirement, I would suggest it would have to apply to all RVs,” Gould countered, referencing an RV-only development proposed on Old Town Road. “That one, does everyone have to get a permit to set them? No. How are you going to know if they’re sitting within their setbacks?”
Committee member Deb Heap, who owns Riverside Landing mobile park, reiterated Bennett’s comment.
“We can call it a cash grab, but at the end of the day… people are living in these full time… ” she said. “And part of what we’re talking about with approving Todd’s development was that we were not going to have as much tax base as we would with condominiums… but that we would actually have assessments on those park models so that we aren’t losing out totally on the improvement part of that site.”
Committee chair Coun. Gord Bushell thanked Gould for his input, adding they might need to do some more homework on the matter, to which Hansen agreed.
“What I hear is that Osoyoos might have a similar situation, and I’m suggesting that the building department contact their department and see how that’s working,” she said. “So yes, more work is required before we take it to council… as we learn more and kind of form what we want to propose.”
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