§ 18.4.1. Applicability, density, permits and nonconforming uses.

A.

It is unlawful for any person to construct, alter, extend, maintain or operate any campground in unincorporated Larimer County unless a valid campground permit issued by the planning director in the name of that person for that campground is held.

B.

A campground must have an area of at least eight acres and at least 15 campsites.

C.

The maximum density in a campground is eight sites per acre. The area in roadways within the campground is included in determining the density.

D.

Group sites are allowed within a campground; however, they must be at least 15,000 square feet, excluding roadways; and provide a minimum of 400 square feet of parking area for vehicles other than recreational vehicles for every two sites in the group site.

E.

No recreational vehicle or tent can be parked or attached to the ground or any other parked vehicle within any public right-of-way or within 100 feet of the boundary of any public right-of way for overnight accommodation.

F.

Application for a campground permit must be made to the planning department prior to the commencement of any construction, alteration, extension, maintenance or use of the campground. The application must be accompanied by a plot plan drawn to a scale of one inch equals 50 feet or one inch equals 100 feet upon a reproducible medium and contain:

1.

The legal description of the site; dimensions of the site perimeter; north point; and total land area within the site perimeters;

2.

The date of preparation and name and address of the applicant;

3.

The location and width of all roads and wheel barriers within the site perimeters along with the location and type of proposed accessory uses; the location of the campground entrance; the location of existing and proposed utility, water and sewer lines; and the location of comfort stations and outside water outlets;

4.

The location and dimensions of proposed parking areas and location of and total number of proposed campsites;

5.

The ownership of the campground site and the ownership of the immediately-adjoining property;

6.

A description of the adjoining land use and topography and an illustration of watercourses or bodies of water on adjoining property within a distance of at least 300 feet from the campground's boundaries;

7.

The existing zoning district of the campground and the existing zoning districts adjacent to the site for a distance of 600 feet from the site perimeter;

8.

A vicinity sketch map drawn to a scale of at least one inch equals 600-feet that shows street and highway locations in the campground's vicinity.

G.

The plot plan must comply with this Code and all other applicable laws and regulations. After review of the application and plot plan for compliance, a building permit will be issued for construction of the campground. After construction is completed and a final inspection and approval by the planning director, a campground permit will be issued.

H.

Campground permits are transferable and remain valid as long as the campground for which the permit was issued is constructed within the time designated on the permit and remains in existence and complies with this Code.

I.

Any expansion or extension of a nonconforming campground must comply with this Code.

J.

No unlawful use of property, structures or recreational vehicles existing on the effective date of this Code will be considered a nonconforming use, structure or campground.

K.

After the effective date of this Code, no campground permits will be issued for new campgrounds, unless the property where it is to be situated is zoned to allow a campground use and that zoning is recorded with the county clerk and recorder. The use must also be approved under the special review process described in section 4.5 of this Code.