§ 21.64.080. Requirements for approval.

A.

Each homeless encampment shall be a minimum of one thousand square feet in size, and each camping unit separated by a minimum of ten feet from any property line and have necessary onsite facilities, including, but not limited to the following:

1.

Sanitary portable toilets in the number and pumping interval required to meet capacity guidelines;

2.

Hand washing stations by the toilets and by the food areas;

3.

Refuse receptacles with capacity to handle pickup intervals without overflowing and vector proof;

4.

Food tent and security tent. Food needs to be stored in vector proof containers.

B.

The host and sponsoring agencies shall provide adequate potable water source with backflow prevention to the homeless encampment, as approved by the local water district and the county.

C.

No homeless encampment shall be located within a critical area or its buffer.

D.

No permanent structures shall be constructed for the homeless encampment.

E.

No more than forty residents shall be allowed. The county may further limit the number of residents as site conditions dictate.

F.

Adequate onsite parking shall be provided for the homeless encampment. No offsite parking will be allowed. The number of vehicles used by homeless encampment residents shall be provided. If the homeless encampment is located on a site with another use, it shall be shown that the homeless encampment parking will not create a shortage of onsite parking for the other use/s on the property as estimated by the host.

G.

The homeless encampment shall be within a quarter mile of a bus stop with seven days per week service, whenever possible. If not located within a quarter mile of a bus stop, the sponsoring agency must demonstrate the ability for residents to obtain access to the nearest public transportation stop (such as carpools or shuttle buses).

H.

The homeless encampment shall be adequately screened from any adjacent right of way and residence. Screening shall be a minimum height of six feet and may include, but is not limited to, a combination of sight obscuring fencing, landscaping, or the placement of the homeless encampment behind buildings. The type of screening shall be approved by the department.

I.

All sanitary portable toilets shall be screened from adjacent properties and rights of way. The type of screening shall be approved by the county and may include, but is not limited to, a combination of fencing and/or landscaping.

J.

All temporary structures within the homeless encampment shall conform to all building codes.

K.

At minimum, the homeless encampment shall conform to the following fire requirements:

1.

Material used as roof covering and walls shall be of flame retardant material;

2.

There shall be no open fires;

3.

No heating appliances, except electric heaters, within the individual camping units or temporary structures are allowed;

4.

No cooking appliances other than microwave appliances are allowed within the individual camping units or temporary structures;

5.

An adequate number and appropriate rating of fire extinguishers shall be provided as approved by the fire department;

6.

Adequate access for fire and emergency medical apparatus shall be provided. This shall be determined by the fire department;

7.

Adequate separation between camping units and other structures shall be maintained as determined by the fire department, but in no case, less than ten feet; and

8.

Electrical service shall be in accordance with recognized and accepted practice. Electrical cords are not to be strung together and any cords used must be approved for exterior use.

L.

No homeless encampment shall be permitted on public rights-of-way.

M.

Because a homeless encampment is a non-traditional living arrangement and therefore provides less privacy and more complex living arrangements than traditional homes, a distance requirement that provides visual separation and buffering from other sensitive land use activities is considered appropriate. To satisfy this concern, no shelter shall be permitted within three hundred feet of a licensed child daycare facility or any public or private pre-school or elementary, middle, or high school. However, in the event that a daycare or school is located within the property of a potential host agency, this requirement may be waived by the director if the owner of the daycare or principal of the school agrees to the waiving of the distance requirement.

(Ord. No. 14402, § 3, 9-7-2010)