After holding two public hearings this summer, the Summit County Council is still considering code changes to govern campgrounds and RV use.
But representatives of one neighborhood that would be affected by the changes—Manor Lands near the Mirror Lake Highway—say their story hasn’t been told.
They say they want to partner with the county to develop reasonable restrictions.
This week, County Development Director Pat Putt said it’s likely they will reach out soon to the residents.
Putt told KPCW on Thursday the county will probably contact property owners and homeowner associations to set up additional discussions.
The code changes have been prompted by allegations about multiple RVs on private lots causing problems with sewage dumping, noise or junk. The criticisms center on Manor Lands and Uintalands near Highway 150 as well as the Samak neighborhood near Kamas.
After a hearing in early August, County Council Member Doug Clyde said Manor Lands was “a poster child for subdivisions that cannot police themselves.”
But in a KPCW interview, Shar Code, president of the Manor Lands Property Association, said Clyde has given them a bad rap. She said they’ve provided evidence to the county that they can govern themselves and have done so.
“We submitted our CC and R’s. We have rules and regulations. We have by-laws. We have in 2018-- well before the county started this effort—we had written a proposal on trailer restrictions. We recognize that it needs work and it wasn’t passed as of yet. But we’ve been working on this before Summit County got involved.”
Code said her family bought property in Manor Lands back in 1976. Her property has a cabin.
She said property owners have sent e-mails and attended public hearings but have had almost no response from the council. She said the county’s staff planners have been more responsive.
Concerning the stories about sewage dumping, she said only one specific complaint was made to the county. In early August, Code said, county planner Ray Milliner came to the neighborhood, with a health department representative and a code enforcement officer. She said they found no evidence of a violation.
Manor Lands has about 470 lots. It was founded in the early 1960’s.
Some members on the county council said it was envisioned as a cabin development. The association’s Treasurer, Belinda Taylor, said that out of 20 subdivisions in Manor Lands, the original covenants specified that one was for cabins only. She said under the current CCR’s, trailers are allowed, but just for the summer season.
The proposed code amendments would allow temporary parking for one RV on a lot for up to six months, and an additional RV would be allowed for up to 14 days within a month.
Code said she doesn’t think the changes would be feasible.
“The restrictions that they are proposing, one trailer per lot. Our lots range anywhere from just under an acre to 40 acres. Does that make sense? You can have one family reunion a year. It just doesn’t seem to be like it’s workable.”
Chris Valdez, vice-president for the association, has owned property in the neighborhood for a decade, but has visited Manor Lands for 30 years.
He said people have the wrong idea about RVs in the community.
“I think there’s a misconception that these lots just have hunting trailers parked on em. These are substantially nice fifth-wheels that—the trailers that have three or four spots on em, like mine, we have probably a quarter of a million dollars worth of trailers on that lot with three trailers. But it’s not that we’re not improving the lot. So we have a 20 x 30 pavilion that is, I think is something that a lot of people come up there to look at, to envision on their own property. We have an outdoor kitchen. We have a 12 x 12 shed, a garage for our vehicles. The property is bring improved.”
Valdez said the issue isn’t about trailers vs. cabins. He said Manor Lands is a community that helps to maintain family values.
“Yes, there is four-wheelers and OHVs inside Manor Lands. But it reduces traffic, reduces dust, provides a safe environment for kids to learn how to ride and learn how to camp and learn what it is to be with their family. I credit Manor Lands with really saving my family in terms of keeping us together, from going our separate ways and doing our own family things. We’ve decided that we keep all our family together and we’d do things together as a family. And many of those within Manor Lands are family.”
Chris Valdez, Vice-President of the Manor Lands Property Association.
