This zoning district is intended to provide standards and regulations for manufactured home parks, recreational vehicle parks, and campgrounds, which provide for affordable permanent and temporary housing and seasonal recreational developments, respectively. Manufactured home parks provide for the leasing of spaces for the placement of manufactured homes, owned or rented by tenants. This zoning district also provides for planned residential communities in the form of parks, campgrounds, camp sites, and spaces. A manufactured home park is different from a residential subdivision in that the individual spaces for manufactured homes or spaces or campsites for recreational vehicles are leased rather than platted and sold. By requiring less land per home or vehicle space, manufactured home parks are built at densities greater than those for detached dwellings. Service facilities such as laundry and leasing office are often planned and provided as a part of the park development.

It is also the intent of this article to provide for the creation of new and expansion or modification of existing recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds in unincorporated areas of Screven County that meet the needs and protect the interests of users, the recreational vehicle industry, and adjacent landowners. To assure the compatibility of planned manufactured home communities, recreational vehicle parks, and campgrounds with adjacent and nearby land uses, this article establishes development standards while providing for flexible designs.

(Ord. of 9-22-2009(1), § 2(Exh. A)

1.

Campgrounds.

2.

Planned manufactured home communities, subject to this article and the requirements of section 42-11 of the Screven County Code.

3.

Recreational vehicle parks.

4.

Community services, such as laundries, storage, garages, and a park leasing or management office.

(Ord. of 9-22-2009(1), § 2(Exh. A)

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the development standards of this section shall apply to all permitted uses. No permitted use shall be permitted until and unless a major development plan shall have been approved by the planning commission and the zoning administrator in accordance with section 66-111(b) of the Screven County Land Development Regulations. The zoning administrator shall not issue a permit for a use permitted in a PMHC zoning district unless it is in conformity with all the provisions of this article. The standards in this section shall not apply to recreational vehicle parks designed to serve and serving three or less vehicles.

1.

Site conditions. Planned manufactured home communities shall be sited on land that is not subject to hazards such as flooding, erosion, land subsidence, and areas with possible insect or rodent infestation. Recreational vehicle parks should observe similar site condition limitations. The condition of the soil, ground water level, drainage, rock formations, and topography must be appropriate for the use, to ensure that no hazards to the property or to the health and safety of the occupants occurs.

2.

Site planning. Planning for manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle parks should be adapted to individual site conditions and the type of use or uses served, reflect advances in site planning techniques, and be adapted to the trends in the design of the manufactured home or recreational vehicle itself. Site planning and improvements shall provide for facilities and amenities appropriate to the needs of the occupants, safe, comfortable and sanitary use by the occupants under all weather conditions, and practical and efficient operation and maintenance of all facilities at reasonable costs. The street and block pattern for the community or park shall be designed to attain proper sizes and shapes of manufactured home and/or recreational vehicle spaces so as to provide desirable areas and to reduce excessive length of street construction without impairing convenient circulation and access.

3.

Minimum site area, site frontage, access, and minimum width. Planned manufactured home communities shall contain a minimum area of five acres. Properties containing planned manufactured home communities shall have a minimum of 200 feet of property frontage on a public street, and directly access the public street with a minimum of 200 feet of property frontage. Planned manufactured home communities shall have a minimum lot width of 200 feet throughout the entire depth of the developed portion of the property. Recreational vehicle parks are not subject to the standards of this paragraph.

4.

Perimeter buffer or landscape screen. A minimum 20-foot wide buffer, where natural vegetation exists and provides a more or less opaque screen, or where no natural vegetation forming an opaque screen exists, a minimum 20-foot wide landscape strip with evergreen trees that will grow to a height of at least six feet within three years, shall be installed and maintained around the entire perimeter of a planned manufactured home community, except for approved access and utility crossings. Buffers for recreational vehicle parks shall be as determined by the planning and zoning commission on a case by case basis.

5.

Open space and recreational areas. A planned manufactured home community serving 20 or more dwellings, and for recreational vehicle parks serving 30 or more vehicles, there shall be a minimum of 20 percent of the site area dedicated to open space and passive or active recreation, including the required perimeter buffer or landscape screen.

6.

Community services. As part of the development plan review process, the developer may propose and the county may approve one or more other structures for manufactured home or recreational vehicle occupants, such as laundries, storage, garages, and a park leasing or management office. Any structure that draws its trade from outside the park boundaries is prohibited.

7.

Interior access roads, addresses, and signs. The road system within the planned manufactured home community or recreational vehicle park shall be designed to meet the requirements of the county fire marshal and the traveling public to include the following. All interior roads shall be private but constructed to provide fire apparatus access. Roads within planned manufactured home communities shall be paved. Within recreational vehicle parks, roads, access driveways, and parking spaces shall be surfaced to provide drainage and to avoid dust; such surfacing may consist of cinder, gravel, or comparable non-dust creating, semi-permeable, all-weather surfaces. Signs shall be installed as required by the county road department and approved in the development plan review process.

8.

Road specifications. One-way interior roads shall be constructed with a minimum surface width of 12 feet, with three feet of shoulder on each side, and shall be designated "no parking." The right-of-way for said one-way interior roads shall be 24 feet including ditches. Two-way interior roads shall be constructed with a minimum surface width of 20 feet, with three feet of shoulder on each side, and shall be designated "no parking." The right-of-way for said two-way interior roads shall be 40 feet including ditches. Interior roads shall be clearly marked at each intersection with signs to identify traffic directions and space numbers served by the road. Driveways shall be provided on the site where necessary for convenient access to service entrances of buildings, to delivery and collection points for refuse disposal, and elsewhere as needed.

9.

Guest parking. In addition to on-site parking, guest parking spaces shall be provided as part of the development, at a ratio of one parking space per each two manufactured homes in a planned manufactured home community and one space for each six recreational vehicles in a recreational vehicle park. Guest parking spaces shall be grouped and distributed evenly throughout the community or park.

10.

Utilities. All planned manufactured home communities, and each manufactured home space within the park, shall be served by approved water system, sanitary sewer or community sewerage system, and electricity. Water systems shall be approved by the county health department and, shall provide for adequate fire flow as approved by the fire chief when serving 20 or more manufactured homes. Fire hydrants shall be installed at 1,000 foot intervals along so that no manufactured home space is more than 500 feet from a hydrant. All utilities shall be installed underground with above-ground connections.

11.

Drainage. Drainage facilities shall be designed by an engineer and are subject to the approval of the planning commission as part of the development plan review process. Recreational vehicle parks shall not be subject to this provision and drainage facilities shall be approved by the county road department.

12.

Refuse collection. Each manufactured home park shall provide refuse collection pads at locations convenient to each manufactured home space.

13.

Walkways. Sidewalks shall be required along one side of all interior streets and in areas where pedestrian traffic is expected, such as around recreation, management, mailbox groupings if provided, and community services areas for manufactured home parks and planned manufactured home communities.

(Ord. of 9-22-2009(1), § 2(Exh. A)

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the development standards of this section shall apply to all permitted uses.

1.

Design. Each manufactured home, recreational vehicle space, or camp site shall be designed and constructed at such elevation, distance, and angle with respect to its access to provide for safe and efficient placement and removal of manufactured homes or recreational vehicles, as the case may be. Spaces for manufactured homes or recreational vehicles shall be designed with no more than a five-percent gradient and compacted with appropriate material to support maximum anticipated loads during all seasons.

2.

Width, depth, and size of spaces and markings. Each manufactured home space shall be at least 40 feet wide and 75 feet in depth. The minimum area for a manufactured home space shall be 3,000 square feet for single-section home and 6,000 square feet for a multisection home. Multisection homes shall require space widths of at least 75 feet. The corners of each manufactured home space shall be clearly marked on the ground by permanent flush stakes, markers, or by other similar means. Spaces served by community or public water and individual septic tanks shall contain a minimum space area as established and as approved by the health officer.

3.

Pads for manufactured homes. Sites for manufactured homes shall be prepared according to standards of the state fire marshal and placement and permitting requirements adopted by the county in chapter 42, "Manufactured Homes," of the Screven County Code.

4.

Pads for recreational vehicles and campsites. Cinder, gravel, or comparable non-dust creating, semi-permeable, all-weather surfaces of a size approved by the zoning administrator shall be provided for all recreational vehicle pad areas. Primitive campgrounds do not require all-weather surfaces.

5.

Use of spaces. No more than one manufactured home or recreational vehicle shall occupy any individual space. Accessory uses and structures on individual spaces may be permitted, subject to compliance with the development standards provided in this article.

6.

Space identification numbers. Manufactured home space numbers at least four inches in height shall identify each space and shall remain readily identifiable while in use.

7.

Parking. Two on-site parking spaces shall be provided on each manufactured home space or immediately off-site.

8.

Walkways. A walkway at least two feet wide must be provided from each individual space to connect the manufactured home with the common walk or street. This provision shall not apply to recreational vehicle parks.

9.

Setbacks. No manufactured home or recreational vehicle shall be located closer than five feet to the home or vehicle space boundary, and spaces shall be designed to provide for a minimum of 15 feet of separation between manufactured homes or recreational vehicles on abutting spaces.

10.

Additions and accessory structures. Decks, porches, outdoor storage, or other exterior additions may be constructed or erected on a manufactured home space, subject to the approval of the community or park management. No such accessory structure shall be located closer than five feet to a manufactured home space boundary.

11.

Maximum density. The total number of spaces and total number of manufactured homes or recreational vehicles within the manufactured home community or recreational vehicle park shall not exceed eight manufactured homes or eight recreational vehicles, as the case may be, per acre. Densities are subject to the limitations imposed by the health official and local health rules based on the type of sewage disposal serving the community or park.

(Ord. of 9-22-2009(1), § 2(Exh. A)

(a)

Water. All recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds shall meet the following standards: A water supply serving a recreational vehicle park or campground shall conform to the requirements of the county health official, as now enacted or hereafter amended. Where an existing public water supply of satisfactory quantity and quality is reasonably available, the health official may require connection to that supply for all domestic water purposes at the recreational vehicle park or campground. Recreational vehicle parks shall provide either individual water connections at campsites or spaces, or a centralized water source with adequate quantity of storage. Recreational vehicle parks shall provide a central sewage disposal dumping site, meeting applicable health rules. Development of a recreational vehicle park or campground without an approved domestic water supply shall require written approval from the health official.

(b)

Sewage disposal and public restrooms. All recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds shall discharge sewage and gray water to sewage disposal systems approved by the county health official. Recreational vehicles may be connected to a public sanitary sewer system or an on-site sewage system if approved by the owner/operator and the health official. Connection to a public sewer system may be required where reasonably available. Unless each camping space allows for connection of camping units to potable water and waste water disposal systems, there shall be at least one sewage pump-out station conveniently located with access from the service driveway and with easy ingress and egress for recreational vehicles in each recreational vehicle park or campground that is designed to accommodate recreational vehicles. For camping spaces not connected to a sewage disposal system, there shall be clearly identified and approved dumping stations and facilities for the disposal of gray water convenient to each camping space. Alternate sewage disposal systems may be installed in lieu of conventional means of sewage disposal, subject to approval from the health official. Minimum sanitary facilities, including toilets, urinals, and hand washing sinks, for new recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds shall be provided as required by the health official. Public restrooms shall be constructed to meet all applicable building codes.

(c)

Solid waste disposal. One or more solid waste collection areas shall be required. The number of spaces shall be used to determine the number of dumpsters required. The locations shall be proposed by the applicant and as approved in the development review process; provided, however, that the location shall be reasonably close to the entrance of the development at a county road. Collection areas having more than one container may require screening with a sight-obscuring fence. The development applicant shall pay a fee to the county for purchase of new dumpsters serving the development, and the dumpsters required to serve the development shall be rented from the county.

(Ord. of 9-22-2009(1), § 2(Exh. A)