UPDATE:
FINAL CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
COUNCIL MEETING AT 7PM ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH
How many Campers and Mobile Homes can you have in Miami Springs?
That was one of the big questions at Monday’s Miami Springs City Council Meeting. How many Campers and Mobile Homes can you have in the backyard of a Miami Springs residence?
Why is this an issue?
Unfortunately, some RV Campers have been used as housing. Now that’s illegal in Miami Springs, but also difficult to enforce. So the City of Miami Springs has been looking at options to curtail this activity.
What is a Recreational Vehicle?
While all of us think of a Recreational Vehicle as an RV or camper, the City of Miami Springs has a broader rule for what is an RV. A Recreational Vehicle according to the City of Miami Springs includes all of the following:
- SLEEPING RVS
- Camping trailers
- Motor homes
- Pickup (slide-in) campers
- Chassis mounts
- Converted vans
- Chopped vans
- Mini-motor homes
- Trailer coaches
- TRAILERS
- Fifth wheel trailers
- Utility trailers
- Carry-on trailers
- Trailers
- WATERCRAFT
- Boats
- Personal watercraft
- Airboats
- GOLF CARTS
- Golf carts
- Low speed vehicles (LSVs)
- OTHER RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
- Swamp buggies
- Dune buggies
- Racing cars
- Racing stock cars
- Aircraft
HOW MANY SLEEPING RVS or CAMPERS?
At the first reading, the ordinance had limited the number of “Sleeping RVs” to just one. Sleeping RVs include Campers, Mobile Homes, Mini Motor Homes, or basically any non watercraft recreational vehicle with sleeping accommodations.
However, for the second reading, that number had changed to two Sleeping RV Campers.
Councilman Jorge Santin had suggested if you can have four recreational vehicles, he had no problem if all four were Sleeping RVs or Campers. “If we’re going to put four, it doesn’t matter what kind of four are going to be in the back…They have the right…What’s the big deal?”
On the other hand, Councilwoman Jacky Bravo was standing firm at limiting the number of Sleeping RVs or Campers to just one per household. “I don’t care how many boats you have. I don’t care how many trailers you have. So long as it’s just one motorhome or potential livable vehicle.”
Councilman Walter Fajet stated that the limit for Sleeping RVs “should be left at two rather than one. It really hurts people who already live here and have two.”
Councilman Victor Vazquez also expressed his desire to keep the restriction on Sleeping RVs or Campers at just two.
Mayor Mitchell agreed with Councilwoman Bravo. “After giving it some thought, I agree it should be one overnight vehicle per property.”
What do you think? How many Sleeping RVs, Mobile Homes, or Campers should be allowed in the backyard of a Miami Springs home?
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS
Many residents spoke up against restricting electrical connections to their trailers. Many residents expressed how the South Florida heat will destroy their RV if they don’t run the air conditioning inside their Sleeping RV or Camper.
The majority on the council seemed to be in favor of allowing RVs to be connected to electrical power, but nobody wanted any other connection for water, sewage, cable, etc.
We believe allowing an electrical connection makes sense and support the council allowing for this.
What do you think? Should an electrical connection be allowed for an RV?
REGISTRATION
The city is proposing that any recreational vehicle (camper, boat, trailer, etc.) be registered to the property owner or tenant. The idea is to deter residents from renting space to outside owners of recreational vehicles. Our city shouldn’t turn into an RV parking lot.
However, this can cause issues. I know of residents that have an RV on their property, but it’s registered to a family member that doesn’t live at the home. Is that wrong?
What do you think of the registration requirement?
FRONT YARD PARKING
Parking your RV in the front yard will be allowed for a 24 hour period. This will allow for boaters to prep their boat the night before a boat trip. It will also allow a resident to pull a Motorhome to their front yard and extend the pullouts as they prepare to take a trip.
What do you think? Is 24 hour parking sufficient or too much?
NEXT STEPS
The City Council voted 4-1 to move forward with changes to the ordinance that would restrict the number of Sleeping RV Campers to just two. Councilwoman Bravo stood firm with the desire to restrict Sleeping RV Campers to just one.
The ordinance now moves to a second reading on Monday, February 24th. The ordinance can still undergo changes at the next meeting.
