Sometime next spring, The Dalles will be a little more welcoming of recreational vehicles.
On Aug. 18, The Dalles Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a 10-space RV park that will be located on a one-acre site at 3821 W. 10th Street, directly east of Chenoweth Creek.
The project applicant, Linda Heath, said her development would provide flexibility to those using her site.
“It’s not going to be a fit for every RV coming down the highway, but we do have a lot of variables so we can accommodate different RVs,” Heath told the commissioners.
The application is the first the planning commission has addressed since the city’s RV ordinance was revised in June, with an eye toward encouraging more RV parks.
Nick Kraemer, associate planner with the city of The Dalles, said the ordinance changes allow RV parks in residential zones and provides more flexibility in terms of size. Previously, they could be no less than one acre and no larger than 15 acres.
The parcel where the RV park would be sited is zoned residential medium density and is located on the edge of the city’s urban growth boundary.
Kraemer told planning commissioners that each site at the proposed RV park would have electricity, water and sewer service. Four spaces would be available for monthly rentals not to exceed one year, and the rest would be for nightly or weekly parking not to exceed one month.
One of the possible negative impacts associated with the RV park were increased noise levels for the area, but Heath pointed out that the park would have a “quiet time” f from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day, and those in the park will want quiet.
“Most people are very quiet in the private areas,” Heath explained, adding that the park would also have fencing and landscaping designed to mitigate noise concerns.
Commissioner Mark Poppoff said, “I’d like to see the trash bins moved somewhere else. That can be a bone of contention with neighbors. And I’d like to see the pet area moved further from the creek.”
The RV park plans to use an existing driveway to provide entry and exit onto West 10th Street. No on-street parking would be allowed.
Heath said she wanted to have a roadway of crushed gravel within the RV park itself, but Kraemer said that could create problems with dust.
“With any community development, our policy is to require paving,” Kraemer said. “So at the minimum, the first 20 feet where the driveway connects to West 10th Street should be paved.” Heath said there would not be much traffic coming and going, and the gravel helps keep dust to a minimum.
“There is no dust impact; it’s not that type of facility,” she said. “If I have to put in a lot of pavement, I’d lose some of what I’m trying to develop.” Planning Commission Chair Bruce Lavier said he was impressed with Heath’s proposal.
“I’m pretty pleased with what you’ve put together here,” Lavier said. “And I personally like the gravel.”
Heath’s daughter, Michelle Harmon, said working to develop an RV park is a natural for her mother. “The reason why this is a goal for her is, she moved here with her RV, and there were not great places to park it,” Harmon explained. “She has a huge amount of experience with RVs.”
The commissioners did not object to the gravel, provided 20 feet at the entrance are paved. On Friday, Heath said she was satisfied with the conditions required by the city.
“They are really common sense, and will not present any problems to meet that I can foresee,” Health said, adding that she was especially grateful the city did not require the interior roads at the park to be paved.
“I’m very excited about that,” she said. “It just looks a lot nicer as gravel, and asphalt generates additional heat.”
Heath said she hopes to have the park operational by early spring.
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