Chris Henry
Kitsap Sun
Published 9:00 AM EDT Apr 22, 2019
SOUTH KITSAP — Ask Dave Baus about typical recreational vehicle owners today, and he’ll tell you they probably don’t have kids, they almost certainly will have pets and they may or may not be part of the 55-and-older crowd.
Millennials, in particular, are embracing a mobile lifestyle related to their jobs, a quest for affordable housing or both, said Baus, whose company, Agile Living of Orting, plans a 105-space RV park on Bethel Road just outside Port Orchard’s city limits.
Sidney Park RV Park is set to open in early October.
“The millennials today are just all about affordability, moveability,” Baus said.
He has studied the market and sees a shortage of parks to accommodate the growing number of RV owners.
“The need is overwhelming,” Baus said. “The calls that we get, and we get them all the time, is, ‘I’ve bought an RV and I’ve got no place to put it.'”
Kitsap County is reviewing plans for the park on two parcels totaling nearly 10 acres. Amenities include wired high-speed Internet at each lot, an off-leash dog park with heated dog wash station, clubhouse with laundry facility, security cameras and an on-site manager. Spaces to accommodate a variety of vehicle sizes will be about 30 feet by 50 feet and will be landscaped for privacy.
The average monthly rent will be $650 to $700; weekly rent will be $220 to $250. No daily rate has been set.
“It’s a place whether they’re working or they’re visiting or they’re just passing through,” Baus said.
About 16 spaces will be set aside for tiny houses on wheels, which are permitted in Kitsap County like RVs. Baus said his market research shows older RV parks haven’t accommodated this growing trend.
“We get a sense that the tiny house community isn’t being served, and we want to encourage people that own and live in tiny houses that they can come and camp there,” Baus said.
Don’t confuse these small but often upscale abodes — typically around 150 to 300 square feet — with the tiny structures proposed in South Kitsap for a Tiny House Village for the homeless on a church property.
Baus has had a career in the affordable housing industry and has been involved with projects for seniors and families in rural and urban settings. If people with a tiny home or RV want to lease at Sidney Park for affordability, he’s fine with that. Modular homes are not part of the plan.
“We’re open to fulfilling any need,” Baus said. “It is affordable in the fact that you can have an RV and rent a spot and your RV spot is less than $1,000 per month. But each house is portable, on wheels. It’s temporary. The key word is ‘temporary.'”
The name for the park comes from “Sidney,” the original name for Port Orchard. Baus touts the proximity to the Fred Meyer shopping center and ferries to Seattle.
Traffic plans submitted to Kitsap County show the project will generate an estimated 336 trips per day. Baus doesn’t expect residents as a group to add to rush hour traffic. No pocket turn lane is planned.
Agile Living will pay at least $34,880 in traffic mitigation fees, among other permitting fees.
Among the rules: the park only allows vehicles certified by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (no pop-ups or tents). Vehicles must be in good repair and working order at all times. Vehicles must be connected to the sanitary sewer; composting toilets are prohibited. Insurance must be current.
The park has quiet hours and speed limits.
Children age 6 and older are welcome; younger children are not allowed. No more than four people (including children) per lot; no more than three pets per lot. Aggressive dogs will not be allowed.
For information or to reserve a space, visit http://www.sidneyparkrvpark.com.
MORE FROM CHRIS HENRY:
- County negotiating with potential operator for Village Greens Golf Course
- Grocery Outlet coming to Port Orchard’s Towne Square Mall
- New Port Orchard distillery staying local with its spirits
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
