Duncan rejects request for commercial RV park

DUNCAN — The Duncan City Council has denied a request to allow a permitted use on review for a commercial RV park near the intersection of Osage Road and U.S. 81. The council voted 4-1 Tuesday to reject the request, director of communications LoisDawn Jones said in an email Wednesday. Mayor Robert Armstrong was the only “Yes” vote. Three people in the audience opposed the proposed RV park, citing concerns about property values, potential traffic problems and the loss of the area’s tranquil setting, Jones said. A developer approached Duncan’s Department of Community and Economic Development about establishing a commercial RV park on the south side of Osage Road, about 600 feet east of U.S. 81, Community Development Director Nate Schacht said in a memo to the council. The property is currently classified as agricultural and industrial, and the proposed RV park would have been located in the section zoned for agricultural uses. City regulations do not allow commercial RV parks in industrial zones. “Staff provided several public hearings to discuss the proposal,” Schacht said. “The first public meeting was originally intended to be a hearing for a variance of use given the city codes at that time did not have any mention of a commercial RV park as a permitted use or a use permitted on review, thus creating a hardship that staff believes meets the tests set for by state statute.” After discussing the issue internally, city staff decided that the proper way of handling it would be to amend the city’s zoning code to include commercial RV parks as a permitted use and a use permitted on review in some existing zoning classifications, Schacht said. The Duncan Planning Commission discussed the developer’s request on Aug. 18 and voted 3-1 to send a favorable recommendation with conditions to the council, Schacht said. Those conditions included: •Fencing and screening requirements. •Stormwater and drainage controls. •Traffic and intersection safety measures along Osage Road and on U.S. 81. In related developments, the council: •Voted 4-1 to amend city code to allow commercial RV parks as a permitted use within the city’s tourism commercial district, Jones said. Armstrong cast the only “No” vote on that issue. •Voted 4-1 to amend city regulations to allow commercial RV parks as a use permitted on review within the general agricultural district, Jones said. Councilman Gene Brown voted “No” on that proposal, but the other four councilmen all voted “Yes.” A permitted use for a property is allowed automatically by right if it meets basic zoning rules. A use permitted on review requires review and approval by a planning commission or governing body.