According to the Athens-Clarke County Government, thousands of new residents are expected to move to the area in the next two decades. With housing scarcity already an issue, the mayor and commission considered changing local code to facilitate using RVs as a housing solution during a meeting on March 11.
During a four-hour work session, the mayor and commission of Athens-Clarke County heard from Bruce Lonnee, Director of the Planning Department. He explored how local zoning code may be changed to facilitate the use of recreational vehicles, or RVs, as a housing source. Lonnee said that currently, people are only allowed to live in RVs in one zoning type.
“We have one zone in green where RV parks can happen, and that’s commercial rural. We have a handful of zones where they’re permitted, but only with special use approval.”
Lonnee also presented several recommendations, including changing code to allow RVs in already-existing and new mobile home parks. He predicted that the public may push back if the Commission decides to consider allowing RVs in other parts of the county—especially in single-family residential districts.
“The RS zones are gonna get defended. We’re gonna have some hard conversations to allow this type of use by right, or even as a special use, frankly.”
The Commission allowed Lonnee’s staff to move forward with drafting amendments to code, which will be presented at future meetings.
The Planning Department will finish its Future Land Use Plan, which guides zoning and development around the county, in 2028.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
