8.36.020 Temporary camping program.
A. With authorization of the property owner of the property:
1. Up to three total motor vehicles or tents, in any combination, may be used for camping in any parking lot on the following types of property:
a. Real property developed and owned by a religious institution, place of worship, or public agency, regardless of the zoning designation of the property;
b. Real property developed with one or more buildings occupied and used by any organization or business primarily for nonprofit, commercial or industrial purposes;
c. Vacant or unoccupied commercial or industrial real property, after the property owner has registered the temporary camping location with the city. The city may require the site to be part of a supervised program operated by the city or its agent.
2. Up to one family may use a residentially zoned property developed with an occupied residential dwelling, with further authorization from any tenants of the property, for camping by either:
a. Using a tent to camp in the back yard of the residence; or
b. Using a single motor vehicle parked in the driveway of the dwelling.
B. A property owner who authorizes any person to camp on a property pursuant to subsection A of this section must:
1. Provide or make available sanitary facilities;
2. Provide garbage disposal services so that there is no accumulation of solid waste on the site;
3. Provide a storage area for campers to store any personal items so the items are not visible from any public street;
4. Require a tent or camping shelter in a residential backyard to be not less than five feet away from any property line; and
5. Not require or accept the payment of any monetary charge nor performance of any valuable service in exchange for providing the authorization to camp on the property; provided, however, that nothing in this section will prohibit the property owner from requiring campers to perform services necessary to maintain safe, sanitary, and habitable conditions at the campsite.
C. A property owner who permits overnight sleeping pursuant to subsection A of this section may revoke that permission at any time and for any reason.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the city manager or their designee may:
1. Revoke the right of any person to authorize camping on property described in subsection A of this section upon finding that any activity occurring on that property by the campers is incompatible with the uses of adjacent properties or constitutes a nuisance or other threat to the public welfare; or
2. Revoke permission for a person or family to sleep overnight on city-owned property upon finding that the person or family member has violated any applicable law, ordinance, rule, guideline or agreement, or that any activity occurring on that property by a camper is incompatible with the use of the property or adjacent properties.
E. Any person whose authorization to camp on property has been revoked pursuant to subsections B and C of this section must vacate and remove all belongings from the property within four hours of receiving such notice.
F. All persons participating in the temporary camping program described in this section do so at their own risk, and nothing in this code creates or establishes any duty or liability for the city or its officers, employees or agents, with respect to any loss related to bodily injury (including death) or property damage (including destruction). (Ord. 5109 §2 (Exh. 1), 2021; Ord. 5064 §1 (Exh. A (part)), 2019; Ord. 5057 §1 (Exh. A (part)), 2018).