The Brownwood City Council amended and approved an ordinance Monday to allow a longer stay for some at area RV parks.
The Council passed the amended ordinance on first reading two weeks ago, but after feedback from the public at Monday’s meeting and discussion from the council members during the meeting, the Council further amended and passed a new revision in a unanimous vote.
In the newly approved and amended ordinance, new RV parks in the city will have half of their spaces designated for a maximum length of stay in park of 180 days and the other half 90 days. This will include a 15 day wait before customers are able to stay in the park again.
The ordinance became an issue as local RV parks have filled up with not only vacationers but also temporary residents brought to the area by jobs such as those related to construction of the BridgeTex Pipeline and temporary medical positions.
Developer Ross Setzler is purchasing the “Banks of the Bayou” Subdivision to develop a new RV park, an approximately 3 acre property just on the edge of Riverside Park. In order to set up the infrastructure of this RV Park, Setzler needed to have the property rezoned from R1B Patio Home Residential District to C1 Local Business District, which the council approved in a previous vote as they considered the new restrictions on new RV parks.
Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes said that he was not in favor of this new provision and preferred a 90 day limit, but wanted to see a compromise reached so Setzler could move forward with his plan for development.
“I still don’t like that proposal, I would prefer not to have it, but I will agree to it in the spirit of compromise and try to get this issue passed,” Haynes said. “The one thing I don’t want to happen is that we leave here today with no ordinance because that would be the worst outcome.”
The new ordinance also includes an exclusion of new RV parks along major corridors in Brownwood, a minimum park size of 2 acres; minimum size of each space within the park; minimum space between RVs; the use of each space restricted against residential use; construction material requirements for roads and pad sites within the park; parking requirements; landscaping requirements; utility requirements regarding drainage; sewerage; water refuse and electricity; fire protection requirements; park supervision requirements and inspections.
In other action by Brownwood City Council Monday:
*City Council passed a resolution approving the City of Brownwood Personnel Rules and Regulations Policies.
*City Council cancelled the May 10th election since no opponents filed.
*City Council authorized Mayor Haynes to sign an agreement with SVB Holdings, LLC, aka Brownwood Country Club dedicating certain sewer infrastructure improvements to the city.
