[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Westerly 8-13-1991 by Ch. 15 of the 1991 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
HEALTH OFFICER
Representatives of the State Department of Health.
LICENSEE
Any person or his agent, receiving a license to conduct, operate or maintain a mobile home or trailer park or court or storage area for mobile homes or trailers.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Licensing Board.
[Amended 5-11-2009 by Ch. No. 1673]
MOBILE HOME
A unit mounted on wheels or any vehicle used for sleeping or living quarters, permanent or temporary, which may be equipped with running water, bath facilities, flush toilet or other appropriate sanitary accommodations, and which may be moved from place to place, either by its own power or by power supplied by some vehicle attached to it or to be attached to it.
MOBILE HOME or TRAILER PARK OR COURT
Privately-owned land upon which two or more mobile homes or trailers are or are intended to be used and occupied as sleeping or living quarters, permanent or temporary.
STORAGE AREA
An area set aside for dead storage of trailers.
TRAILER
Any automobile trailer designed to be moved or pulled by any vehicle, other than mobile home, used for or adaptable for use as living quarters, permanent or temporary, by any person.
No tenting camps shall be permitted in the Town, and no tents shall be used for sleeping or living purposes in the Town.
[Amended 5-10-2004 by Ch. No. 1490]
No person shall maintain or operate a mobile home or trailer park or court without having first obtained a license from the licensing authority. The application for such license shall be obtained at the office of the Town Clerk on a form provided by such office, and in the event that a license shall be issued to the applicant in due course, the fee provided in Ch. 121, Fee Schedule, paid to the Town Clerk, shall cover the period from the time of the issuance of the license to December 31 next after the issuance of the license. All licenses shall be renewed annually by December 1, and the fee shall be as designated in Chapter 121, Fee Schedule.
A. 
The following are requirements for a mobile home or trailer park or court license, to be filed with the Town Clerk at the time of application for the license:
(1) 
Name and address of applicant; and name and address of real party in interest if other than applicant.
(2) 
A plot plan made by a licensed surveyor under seal showing the site of the mobile home or trailer park or court, roads, location, size, shape and identification number of the mobile home or trailer lots or spaces, locations of sanitary provisions and the name of abutting property owners according to the records of the Tax Assessor for the Town. Such mobile home or trailer park or court shall contain not less than 100,000 square feet nor more than 800,000 square feet of area and may be located only in an OSR Zone as defined in Chapter 260, Zoning.
[Amended 5-10-2004 by Ch. No. 1490]
(3) 
Certificate of approval of the health officer as to compliance with the sanitary requirements set forth.
(4) 
Proof of ownership, option or valid lease of the premises to be used as a mobile home or trailer park or court.
(5) 
Written approval of the Planning Board and the Zoning Inspector, provided that such approval shall not be required for renewal of licenses.
B. 
No original license for a mobile home or trailer park or court shall be granted or issued until a public hearing advertised at least once a week for three successive weeks in a public daily newspaper with wide distribution in the Town shall be held by the licensing authority. The sum of $100 shall be deposited with the Town Clerk to defray the cost of advertising same. Any sum remaining after paying cost of advertising shall be returned to the applicant.
Each licensee shall keep a bound register in which the following information shall be recorded forthwith upon the letting of each mobile home or trailer lot; such information shall be furnished on request to the Town Clerk and such register shall be available for inspection by the Police Department at all times:
A. 
Full name of mobile home or trailer owner.
B. 
Make, model, size, serial number and year of manufacture of mobile home or trailer.
C. 
State in which registered and registration number of mobile home or trailer.
D. 
Date of arrival and date of departure.
E. 
Car registration number of person owning or using the mobile home or trailer.
A. 
Each licensee shall keep or cause to be kept, for taxation purposes, the following information:
(1) 
The name of the state and the registration or license number of each vehicle.
(2) 
The make, year, length, serial and license number of each mobile home or trailer stationed, maintained, occupied or registered at the mobile home park or trailer park on December 31 of each year.
B. 
Such information shall be filed with the Tax Assessor of the Town between January 1 and January 10 in each year.
Whenever in any mobile home or trailer park or court the management willfully or negligently allows and permits a condition to exist, where in the discretion of the Chief of Police the public peace or public morals are adversely affected, or in the discretion of the Fire Marshal the public safety is endangered from an unusual fire risk; or in the discretion of the health officer the public health is menaced, or in the discretion of the Director of Public Works or the Building Official the public safety is endangered, the Chief of Police, in his own discretion or on recommendation of any of the above-mentioned officials, shall notify the management of such mobile home or trailer park or court to promptly remedy such condition, and may suspend the license to operate such camp or parking site, pending future action of the Town Council. Whenever such action is taken by the Chief of Police, he or such other Town officer as may be concerned shall forthwith communicate to the Town Manager in writing, the action they have taken and their reasons therefor.
A. 
Grading to ensure drainage. The park shall be located on a site graded to ensure drainage of surface and subsurface water, sewage, and freedom from stagnant pools.
B. 
Lot size. A minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet shall be provided for each mobile home or trailer lot or space, the width of such lot being not less than 80 feet on the roadway of the trailer or mobile home park.
C. 
Clearance and setback. There shall be a minimum of 20 feet clearance between each mobile home or trailer and the lot boundary line, and each trailer or mobile home shall be set back 30 feet from the front line of the lot.
D. 
Lot access road width. All mobile home or trailer lots shall abut on a roadway of not less than 30 feet in width where off-road parking is provided for, 40 feet where no off-road parking is provided.
E. 
Road drainage, surface and maintenance. All roads within the park shall be well drained, provided with gravel or hard surface, and shall be maintained in good condition by the owner or licensee of the mobile home park or trailer park.
F. 
Trailer proximity to highway. No mobile home or trailer shall be located closer than 50 feet to the nearest boundary of the traveled portion of any public highway.
G. 
Streetlights. Streetlights of not less than 1,000 lumens each shall be installed at intervals of not more than 300 feet apart.
H. 
Service buildings. Every trailer park shall provide suitably equipped service buildings located not closer than 10 feet nor more than 200 feet to any trailer coach space. They shall be permanent structures complying with all applicable ordinances and statutes regulating buildings, electrical installation and plumbing, heating and sanitation systems. They shall be well lighted at all times, well ventilated and screened. They shall be constructed of such moistureproof material, including painted woodwork, as shall permit repeated cleaning and washing. They shall be properly heated at all times. The floors of all service buildings shall be of impervious material and shall slope to a floor drain connected with a sewerage system or cesspool.
I. 
Toilet, bath and lavatory facilities. Toilet, shower and lavatory facilities for men and women shall be either in separate buildings at least 20 feet apart or shall be separated, if in the same building, by a soundproof wall. All toilets and showers shall be in separate compartments. Toilet facilities for men shall consist of not less than one flush toilet for every 15 trailer coach spaces or fraction thereof; one flush urinal for every 15 trailer coach spaces or fraction thereof; one hot and cold water shower and one hot and cold water lavatory for every 10 trailer coach spaces or a fraction thereof. Toilet facilities for women shall consist of not less than one flush toilet, one hot and cold water shower, and one hot and cold water lavatory for every 10 trailers or a fraction thereof. There shall be one slop sink in each lavatory room.
J. 
Recreation area. Each trailer park shall set aside an area of at least 10,000 square feet of the total site for recreation purposes for those accommodated in the establishment. The recreation area shall be so marked, and may include (but not be limited to) picnic tables and benches, children's play equipment, swimming pools, horseshoe pits, tennis courts, ball fields and so forth.
A. 
Water supply. An adequate and potable supply of water with a minimum of 40 pounds per square inch pressure at all times, shall be provided for each mobile home or trailer space or lot. The water source shall be capable of producing 300 gallons of potable water per mobile home or trailer lot per day from a source approved by the State Health Department.
B. 
Proximity of leaching field to water well. No part of the sewage disposal leaching field system shall be located within 150 feet of any mobile home or trailer park well water supply.
C. 
State approval of nonconnected sewer lines. Where the sewer lines of a mobile home park or trailer park are not connected to a public sewer, the means of disposal of all sewage must be approved by the State Board of Health.
D. 
Approval of sanitary and water connections. All sanitary and water connections must receive approval of the Building Official before being used.
E. 
Refuse containers; disposal. Licensees shall furnish at least one refuse can with tight-fitting cover for each occupied mobile home or trailer lot and use any approved collection method in accordance with the Town health and sanitation laws. Refuse shall be collected and removed regularly and in such manner that no nuisance shall be maintained. It shall be the responsibility of each licensee to maintain proper sanitary conditions with respect to waste and refuse disposal.
A. 
Suitable fire apparatus access road. Mobile home or trailer parks or courts shall have access to a public street or road by means of a private road suitable for access by local fire-fighting apparatus.
B. 
Hard-surfaced road width access to public streets. Mobile home or trailer parks or courts shall have access to a public street or road by means of a private hard-surfaced road not less than 40 feet wide.
C. 
Fire apparatus access to trailer generally. Trailer courts shall have roads suitable for access by local Fire Department apparatus, which roads will permit the Fire Department apparatus to approach within 200 feet of any part of a trailer.
D. 
Keeping approaches clear; overhead wires. Approaches to all trailers shall be kept clear for fire fighting. Conductors of overhead wiring systems shall have a clearance of not less than 18 feet above trailer court roadways.
E. 
Clearance between trailers. Trailers shall be so located within the trailer court that a spacing of at least 40 feet is maintained between trailers, together with their additions and appurtenances and from permanent structures or buildings.
A. 
Instructions to staff. The trailer park operator shall be responsible for the instruction of his staff in the use of the court fire protection equipment and in their specific duties in the event of fire.
B. 
Instructions to tenant. It shall be the responsibility of the trailer court operator to inform all tenants about means for summoning fire apparatus, police departments and court employees.
C. 
Posting safety rules. The rules and regulations, entitled "Fire Safety of the Court," shall be conspicuously posted.
A. 
Approval of installation. All electrical systems and equipment shall be of an approved type and installed in accordance with the provisions of the Town Electrical Code insofar as applicable with exceptions noted. They must receive the approval of the Building Official before being used.
B. 
Court electrical supply. The electrical supply facilities of the trailer court shall have adequate capacity to serve the maximum connected load, subject to a demand factor determined by the inspection authority having jurisdiction.
C. 
Trailer electrical supply. The trailer court operator shall provide facilities for electrical supply to each trailer, with readily accessible means of disconnecting the electrical supply. The trailer court operator should provide for each trailer a grounding-type supply receptacle, provided with appropriate fuses or circuit breakers. Electrical connection between electrical supply and the trailer shall be made only under the supervision of the court operator.
D. 
Grounding. When the requirements of Subsection C do not accomplish the proper grounding of the trailers, a ground connection shall be provided, with clamps or other facilities for connection between ground and the body of the trailer if of metal. Such ground connection shall be a minimum of Number 8 stranded copper conductor or its equivalent, and shall be connected to a metallic water pipe or other approved ground in accordance with the Town Electrical Code. Such ground connection shall be made before connecting the electrical supply, and shall be kept in place at all times while the electrical supply is connected.
E. 
Electrical disconnection. Adequate arrangement shall be made to assure that both electrical supply and ground connections will be discontinued before the trailer is moved.
A. 
Container filling. When such service is provided, the liquefied petroleum gas containers shall be filled at a properly equipped container filling plant or from a tank truck, both complying with the applicable requirements of the NFPA Standard No. 58, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
B. 
Location of filling plant. Such filling plant may be located in the trailer court, provided that the entire operation, including the storage container, is located not less than 50 feet from the nearest trailer, buildings, or group of buildings, or line of adjoining property which may be built upon, and not less than 25 feet from any public street or highway. Such filling plant and storage containers shall be enclosed by six-foot industrial-type fencing or otherwise protected from tampering or physical damage. The access to the enclosed area shall be kept locked when unattended.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
C. 
Filling from tank truck. Containers installed at the trailer may be filled at that location by a tank truck. When containers are accumulated at the tank truck for charging, such charging shall not be done within 50 feet of the nearest building, trailer or group of buildings nor within 25 feet of public streets or highways. Private streets, roads or rights-of-way shall not be classed as public streets or highways. No vapor or liquid shall be vented to the atmosphere during the filling operation. The container filling operation shall only be performed by qualified personnel.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
In courts where gasoline, fuel, oil or other flammable liquids are stored and dispensed, their handling and storage shall comply with NFPA No. 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code.
A. 
Fire alarms. Provisions shall be made for giving an alarm in case of fire.
B. 
Fire alarm boxes. Where the services of a Fire Department are available to the trailer court, approved fire alarm boxes or approved telephone facilities or other approved methods shall be provided and shall be readily accessible at all times. Where such Fire Department services are not available, approved local fire alarm facilities shall be made for giving an alarm.
C. 
Portable fire appliances. Approved facilities shall be provided for fighting fire in ordinary combustible materials (Class A), readily accessible to all trailer occupants, in readily visible locations. Such facilities may consist of Class A extinguishers (soda-acid, pump tank, antifreeze) in accordance with NPFA Standard No. 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers, so located that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet from any trailer to reach the nearest extinguisher, or may consist of garden hose of a type usable in all weather, permanently attached or in cabinets immediately adjacent to the hose connection, so located that any part of any trailer can be reached with a garden hose stream.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
D. 
Extinguisher spacing. One or more approved extinguishers of a type suitable for flammable liquid or electrical fires (Class B and Class C) in accordance with NFPA Standard No. 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (carbon dioxide or dry chemical), shall be so located that it will not be necessary to travel more than 100 feet to reach the nearest extinguisher.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
E. 
Care of fire equipment. Appropriate arrangements shall be made to prevent freezing of fire-fighting equipment in any area subject to freezing.
A. 
Incinerators. The court operator shall provide an adequate system of collection and safe disposal of rubbish. Incinerators, when provided, shall be in accordance with NFPA No. 82, Standard on Incinerators and Waste and Linen Handling Systems and Equipment.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
B. 
Freedom from brush and weeds. The court operator shall maintain the entire area of the court free of dry brush, leaves and weeds.
A. 
Location of dead storage areas. Any storage area for dead storage of trailers or mobile homes shall be located only in an OSR Zoning District.
[Amended 5-10-2004 by Ch. No. 1490]
B. 
License for dead storage. No person shall operate or maintain a storage area for the dead storage of trailers or mobile homes without first having obtained a license from the licensing authority. The application for such license shall be obtained at the office of the Town Clerk on a form furnished by the office. The initial fee for such storage area shall be as provided in Chapter 121, Fee Schedule, shall be paid to the Town Clerk and shall cover the period from the time of the issuance of the license to December 31 next after the issuance of the license, and for a renewal each year between December 15 and December 31, the fee shall be the same as the initial fee, paid to the Town Clerk.
C. 
Limiting number of trailers. The licensing authority shall within its discretion limit the number of trailers or mobile homes permitted in storage areas and no trailer or mobile home may be used for living or dwelling purposes while in such storage area.
D. 
Taxation information. The operator of such storage area shall keep or cause to be kept, for taxation purposes, the following information: the make, year, length, serial and license number of each mobile home or trailer station in the storage area on December 31 of each year. Such information shall be filed with the Tax Assessor of the Town between January 1 and January 15 in each year.
E. 
Approval of license issuance. Written approval from the Town Planning Board and the Zoning Official shall be given before the issuance of any license for the dead storage of trailers or mobile homes.
Any mobile home or trailer park existing on October 20, 1964, shall be exempted from the provisions of this chapter, except that each such mobile home or trailer park shall obtain a license from the licensing authority. The application for such license shall be obtained from the office of the Town Clerk on the same form as those used for other mobile home or trailer parks. The initial fee and the renewal fee each year, paid to the Town Clerk, between December 15 and December 31 shall be as provided in Chapter 121, Fee Schedule. It is further provided that the sanitary provisions of each mobile home or trailer park shall conform to the State Department of Public Health regulations and shall be approved by the Department. Each such mobile home or trailer park shall be inspected by the Town Fire Marshal and in his discretion such reasonable measures as are necessary for fire protection shall be made mandatory. No additional trailers or mobile homes to those already provided for shall be permitted in any existing trailer camp without first obtaining written permission from the licensing authority. The operator of each such existing mobile home or trailer camp shall maintain a register similar to and containing the same information as that required in this chapter for other mobile home or trailer parks and it shall be available for inspection by the Police Department at all times. Nothing contained herein shall prevent the expansion of an existing trailer camp up to an additional 20,000 square feet, provided that the licensee held title to the land as of October 20, 1964, on which the addition is to take place and provided that the licensee complies with the provisions hereinbefore mentioned.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
RECREATION VEHICLE
An enclosed detachable camper unit carried on the back of a motor vehicle; or a trailer-type vehicle mounted on wheels and drawn by a motor vehicle; or a vehicle mounted on wheels that is designed and equipped for use as temporary living quarters and propelled by its own power; and does not exceed 32 feet in length; and which is primarily designed to provide temporary living quarters during periods of travel and camping. Such vehicles are commonly known as "camping trailers," "recreational vehicles," "travel trailers," "motor homes" and "truck campers."
B. 
No person shall park or store any unoccupied or occupied recreation vehicle on any lot, tract or parcel of land located within the Town unless authorized by the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
No person shall park or store any unoccupied recreation vehicle on any lot, tract or parcel of land located within the Town unless it complies with the following:
[Amended 8-17-2009 by Ch. No. 1683]
(1) 
No more than one recreation vehicle may be parked or stored on the premises of any occupied dwelling.
(2) 
The recreation vehicle must be owned and registered to the occupant of the dwelling.
(3) 
No recreation vehicle, while parked or stored, shall be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping or business purposes and shall have no water, sewer, electrical or other utility hookups.
(4) 
The recreation vehicle must be in a condition for the safe and effective performance of the function for which it was intended and be generally well maintained.
(5) 
That the recreation vehicle shall be parked or stored as required by the Zoning Official and/or in accordance with Chapter 260, Zoning, of the Code of the Town of Westerly.
D. 
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this chapter, a person may park an unoccupied recreational vehicle in a duly licensed commercial parking lot or a public parking lot or area subject to all other regulations regarding traffic, parking, etc., except between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.
[Amended 8-17-2009 by Ch. No. 1683]
E. 
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to reduce or eliminate the other requirements or provisions of this chapter as related to the license for a mobile home or trailer park or court or for a legal dead storage area of trailers or mobile homes.[1]
[Amended 8-17-2009 by Ch. No. 1683]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsections F, G and H, which immediately followed, were repealed 8-17-2009 by Ch. No. 1683.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall upon conviction be punished as provided in Chapter 1, Article II, General Penalty, for each offense. Each day such violation shall continue beyond one day from original conviction shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense. Continued violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute grounds for licensing authority revocation of license.