Okoboji Looking At Tightening Zoning Requirements For Campgrounds/RV Parks
Okoboji Looking At Tightening Zoning Requirements For Campgrounds/RV Parks
June 20, 2022Steve Schwaller
(Okoboji)– The city of Okoboji is looking at tightening zoning requirements for campgrounds and R-V parks. The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission had some preliminary discussion along that line at a meeting this (Monday) afternoon. City Administrator Michael Meyers says new campground/RV parks that are springing up around the lakes area have prompted the city to look at the possible changes…
“I just think there’s a lot going around and it just kind of came up here and we kind of started doing a hard look at our own zoning text and trying to figure out how we fit into that puzzle. I think the feel of the community is that we want to make that a conditional use moving forward.”
Campgrounds and RV parks are only allowed in Okoboji in areas zoned commercial. Meyers says having the conditional use provision would allow for more citizen input…
“Our zoning districts are generally split into two different sections: permissible uses and conditional uses. Conditional uses generally require much more approvals from the city including going through the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as going to the Board of Adjustment; notification of neighbors; and just some heightened regulations around the specific use.”
The commission today (Monday) directed Meyers to put together a more formal amendment for consideration next month…
“The Planning and Zoning Commission will need to meet again here in the coming future. They’ll consider it formally and at that point we will do our publications in the newspaper and get the word out. And then the Planning and Zoning Commission would then either approve or disapprove of the projected amendment and at that point in time it would go to the council for consideration.”
The Okoboji City Council last week expressed some urgency in addressing the matter.
