Recreation vehicle dwellers: visit, but don’t stay long.

That’s the message City officials are delivering as they continue to reshape regulations affecting how many days people who live in RVs may stay in a neighborhood.

The City Council unanimously amended an ordinance at its Oct. 19 meeting, limiting an RV dweller’s stay on a residential property that already has a single-family home to 15 days, with an allowance for a single 15-day extension. The ordinance had allowed RV dwellers a 90-day dwelling period, with a 90-day extension.

Residents have complained to City officials about RVs – occupied by another family, friends or renters – sitting on residential properties for long periods of time.

Those complaints have led City officials and staff to reexamine the relevant parts of the Auburn City Code and their enforcement.

While the City Code provides definitions, permitting requirements and development regulations for RV parks, it does not provide guidance on how RV living should be regulated outside of those parks.

Planning commissioners and the City Council suggested that provisions should be included that allow an RV to be placed and used on a residential property that already has a single-family home for a limited time. Staff incorporated a provision that creates a no fee, registration program to be implemented that allows for an RV to be temporarily placed on a residential property.

The ordinance allowed for 90 days, but that appeared to be problematic and too long of a period, the council decided.

“Under 90 days, with a 90-day extension, that would include one-half year that a person could be on property living in an RV, and I don’t think that’s appropriate,” said Councilmember Wayne Osborne. “I think we should start out with a shorter time … 15 (days) is something we can handle at this time.”

Councilmember John Holman said the 15-day allowance is consistent with similar policies in Federal Way, Renton and Tacoma.