Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Two Palouse residents have been granted more time to live in an RV with a city sewer and water hookup while they build a house.
At an Aug. 12 meeting, the Palouse City Council elected to allow a 60-day extension while a new zoning code is adopted, after which the couple would need to apply for a conditional use permit.
Scott Storch and Ardis Wraspir were granted their first 60 day exception to the city’s 29-day RV limit policy June 10 so they could advance work on their house project. The deadline to be out of the RV and unhooked from the city was to be Aug. 10.
At the Aug. 12 city council meeting, Wraspir read a letter outlining their construction progress, among other comments.
Councilman Mike Hicks then pointed out what he deemed inaccuracies and untruths in their letter – indicating that no one on the council said on June 10 that they thought Storch and Wraspir would have their house completed.
Chris Boyd, a resident who was at the meeting, then proposed that the council rewrite their policy and Title 17 zoning to allow property owners to live in RVs onsite during construction.
The council later discussed rewriting Title 17 to allow temporary owner occupancy of self-contained housing. However, since the new Title 17 was not expected to be adopted for awhile – it’s under public review after submission from the planning commission – there would need to be a measure in the meantime.
Hicks moved to extend permission to Storch to keep his RV hooked up to city sewer and live in it for another 60 days from that day’s date, Aug. 12, until the new zoning measure is adopted when Storch would be required to apply for a conditional use permit. Council member Senja Estes seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Conditional use permits are decided by the town’s board of adjustment.
Storch said he thought the house should be liveable before winter.
He and Wraspir pled their case for their current extension on the same night the council was discussing the proposed changes to zoning codes.
“It’s not uncommon, and with good intentions, there was no better day on the planet to discuss this,” said Mayor Michael Echanove. “So the system really worked well.”
Storch, who has been building the residence at Eighth and B streets since August of last year, was asked by city officials in early June to unhook the RV.
The hookup violated a town policy prohibiting RVs being connected to the city sewer system outside a mobile home park.
Storch has been paying the sewer rates on the property, similar to any residence. He also pays for a water hookup.
When the matter was discussed at city council June 10, council members Rick Wekenman and Bev Pearce suggested that Storch use his RV’s waste reservoir and haul it to the free RV dumping site at the Palouse RV Park.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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