Woodland’s effort to bring long-standing recreational vehicle parks into compliance with city code took another step forward Monday, May 5, as the City Council unanimously approved the first reading of a zoning change for Woodland Shores RV Park.
The park, located on the corner of Millard and A streets bordering Lewis River, has operated since 1992 but was never zoned to allow permanent residency. While Woodland Shores has long been home to many year-round residents, city law capped RV occupancy in the highway commercial (C-2) zone at 90 days.
In August 2024, the council approved an ordinance permitting RV park operators to request a zoning change to neighborhood commercial (C-3), which does allow year-round living. The 2024 ordinance did not automatically rezone any existing parks. Instead, it allowed RV park owners to pursue the change through individual applications and council approval. Woodland Shores was the first RV park to pursue this option, applying for the city’s planning commission, which then forwarded it to the council in April.
The change came after mounting pressure to address a gray area in the city’s zoning code, which city leaders said placed long-term RV park tenants in a legal limbo. City Attorney Emily Guildner previously explained that establishing zones and approving rezones are the city’s only legal tools to allow long-term RV residency. Any attempt to override zoning regulations without formal changes would not hold up under state land use law.
“I kind of started this whole thing a couple of years at least now,” Council Member Melissa Doughty said during the meeting. “Just making sure that we were doing the right thing… as we had more RVs coming into the area. And so I’m really happy and excited to see that you guys are coming in the right way and that we’re getting you guys to be more of a permanent place in our town.”
“I kind of agree with the sentiments of solidifying what’s there and making sure that that’s written into place so that [you] continue where you’re at and not have any issues going forward,” Council Member Jason Friend added.
The council is now poised to finalize the change at its May 19 meeting, clearing the way for Woodland Shores to legally function as year-round housing. If approved, the rezoning would mark the first implementation of the 2024 ordinance. If other RV parks seek similar status in the future, a zoning change would require a City Council majority vote for approval.
