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OR 43 Provides certain minimum standards of construction & operation of Trailer Courts/CampsORDINANCE NO. 43 AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING CERTAIN-MINIMUM STANDARDS, PRO- VISIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOE SAFE, SANITARY AND SUITABLE METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF TRAILER COURTS AND TRAILER CAMPS; PROHIBITING USE OF TRAILERS AS LIVING QUARTERS EXCEPT IN A LICENSED TRAILER COURT OR CAMP; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY OR FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF $200.00 FOR EACH OFFENSE; REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. BE IT ORDAINEl) BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS: Section 1. PURPOSE AND INTENT: The purpose and intent of this ordinance is to provide certain minimum standards, pro- visions and requirements for safe, sanitary and suitable methods of construction and operation of trailer courts and trailer camps and to assure that trailer courts and trailer camps do not become a menace to public health, morals, safety and welfare. Section 2. DEFINITIONS: Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and terms shall, for the purpose of this ordinance, have the meanings indicated in this Section: DEPENDENT HOUSE TRAILER - A dependent House Trailer means a trailer which has neither sewer or water connections nor a flush water closet, a tub or shower or a lavatory or sink within the unit. HOUSE TRAILER - A House Trailer is any vehicle used or intended to be used as a conveyance upon the public streets or highways, mad duly licensed as such, and shall include self- propelled and non-self-propelled vehicles so designated, constructed, reconstructed or added to by means of accessories in such manner as will permit the occupancy thereof as a temporary dwelling or sleeping place for one or more persons, and having no foundation other than wheels, jacks or skirtings so arranged as to be intergral to or portable by said house trailer. TRAILER COURT OR TRAILER PARK - A trailer court or trailer park is any lot, tract or parcel of land used in whole or part for the accommodation of transients by the day or week, or for a longer period of time with or without compensation and where parking facilities are provided for one or more automobiles and house trailers to be used for temporary dwellings. INDEPENDENT HOUSE TRAILERS - An independent house trailer means a trailer which has approved sewer and water connections to accommodate and containing a flush water closet and a tub or shower and a lavatory or sink within the unit. OWNER - The word "Owner" shall be construed to mean any person who has control, direction, maintenance or supervision of an automobile trailer court or trailer camp, whether as owner or otherwise. STREET - The term "Street" or "Streets" as used in this ordinance shall mean and include any street, alley, avenue, lane, boulevard, drive, public place or highway commonly used for the purpose of travel within the corporate limits of the City of Coppell, Texas. UNIT PLOT - A unit plot is that space of ground set aside and permanently marked off as provided in Section 6 and designated on the "Camp Plan" or "Site Plot Plan" as provided for under Section 4 for occupancy by a parking space in a trailer camp or court. Section 3. BUILDING PERMITS REQUIRED: No person shall erect or construct or proceed with the erection or construction of any building or structure, nor add to, enlarge, improve, alter, repair, convert, extend or demolish any building or structure or any part thereof or install any plumbing, electrical or mechanical equipment as part of a building or structure, or make any other improvement in any building or structure or cause the same to be done within a trailer court or camp as defined herein without first obtaining a building permit therefor from the Building Inspector. Section 4. APPLICATION FOR BUILDING PERMIT: (a) To obtain a Building Permit as required by this or- dinance, application therefor shall be filed with the Building Inspector in writing on a form to be furnished for that purpose. (b) Every application for a building permit shall be accompanied by two (2) copies of plans and specifications and a "Camp Plan" or "Site Plot Plan" showing the unit plots said trailer court or trailer camp will consist of, together with the unit plot which will be set aside for exclusive use of independent house trailer; the location of the proposed buildings to be erected, and all existing buildings, if any, on the property or premises. The "Camp Plan" or "Site Plot Plan" shall also clearly indicate all streets, roads, drives, property lines, administrative buildings, toilet buildings, plumbing connections for independent house trailers, accessory building and fences together with the necessary space for parking passenger vehicles. Before proceeding with the actual work of'constructing the trailer court or trailer camp, the application shall have such plans approved by the Building Inspector. (c) Plans shall be drawn to scale upon either substantial, clean, colorless paper, or shall be good blueprints. All the essential parts shall be drawn to a scale of not less than one- eighth inch (1/8") to one (1) foot. Plans and specifications shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and character of the work proposed. Section 5. LOCATION OF COURT: All land used as a trailer court or trailer camp shall be located on a well-drained site of ample size and in an area zoned for such use. Section 6. TRAILER COURT OR TRAILER CAMP PLAN AND CON- STRUCTION: (a) Each unit plot for the accommodation of one house trailer and automotive vehicle shall be not less than nine hundred (900) square feet in size, which space shall be at least twenty- five (25) feet wide and shall adjoin a road or driveway. Each such unit plot shall be clearly defined on the ground by proper permanent markers at each corner. The use of trailers provided by the management at a trailer court or camp to create what is commonly called a trailer city is hereby declared to be unlawful as it is the intent of this ordinance to provide sanitary and safe accommodations for persons who are considered transients to use trailers owned by themselves as temporary dwellings. (b) House trailers shall be so harbored on each unit plot that there shall be at least a fifteen (15) foot clearance between house trailers. No house trailer shall be located closer than ten (10) feet from any property line bounding the park. Each trailer space shall be provided with at least an 8' X 18' X 4" concrete slab. (c) No building, structure or house trailer shall be located nearer a public street than the building line as provided in the Zoning Ordinance for the use district in which the premises are located, and in no case shall such structure be set closer than fifteen (15) feet to the front property line or closer than ten (10) feet from any side street property line. (d) The premises shall be surrounded by a wall or other solid structure not less than three and one-half (3½) feet in height with openings therein that are only necessary for entrance and exit facilities. Provided, however, a fence of a type ap- proved in writing by the Building Inspector of the City (or in the absence of a Building Inspector, the City Council) may be used in lieu of a solid structure or wall. (e) Well-drained driveways which are paved in accor- dance with City standards shall be provided in each court or park. These driveways shall be not less than eighteen (18) feet in width, and well marked in daytime and lighted at night and so located that each unit of the court or camp is easily accessible. Lateral or branch driveways less than fifty (50) feet in length may be not less than ten (10) feet in width. All entrances and exits from the premises shall be well marked and shall be located and so arranged that they are easily controlled and easily supervised. (f) Each site or tract of ground occupied by a trailer court or trailer camp shall be a separate entity and shall contain thereon the administrative facilities, service buildings, unit plots and other facilities required herein. Only one electrical service connection, water service connection or gas service con- nection shall be permitted for each trailer court or camp, provided, however, that sub-metering from such services to individual plots may be provided at the option of the owner, and provided further that the master meter for either electrical service, Water service or gas service connection shall, at all times, be assigned to the person, firm or corporation in whose name the permit for the operation of the trailer court or camp has been granted. Section 7. TOXLET BUILDINGS AND SANITARY FACILITXES: (a) Each trailer court or camp shall be provided with a toilet building for each sex, each of which toilet buildings shall be located not more than two hundred (200) feet from any unit plot. The toilet buildings shall be roofed and shall be provided with light and ventilation by means of windows with an area of not less than one-eighth (1/8) of the floor area of the room which they serve. The openings shall be screened with mesh not less than sixteen (16) per inch. The toilet building shall be provided with artificial lights of not less than 75 watts which lights shall be kept burning all the time at night. The toilet buildings shall have floors and sidewalls to a height of six (6) inches of concrete or other impervious material. Each of such buildings shall have the following facilities as a minimum: (1) One slop sink; (2) Floor drain; (3) Hot and cold running water; (4) One laundry tray for each fifteen (15) unit plot shall be provided in a separate compart- ment from the water closets and lavatories. Automatic washing machines may be substituted for each laundry tray required, (b) In addition to the above mentioned facilities, the toilet building for males shall contain the following minimum facilities based upon the number of unit plots set aside for use by house trailers: (1) One flush water closet for every fifteen (15) unit plots or fraction thereof. (2) One urinal for every fifteen (15) unit plots or fraction thereof. (3) One lavatory or wash basin for every ten (10) unit plots or fraction thereof. (4) One shower bath for every ten (10) unit plots or fraction thereof. (c) Each toilet building for females shall P~ve the following facilities based on the unit plots set aside for use by house trailers: (1) One flush water closet for every ten (1) unit plots or fraction thereof. (2) One lavatory or wash basin for every ten (10) unit plots or fraction thereof. (3) One shower bath for every ten (10) unit plots or fraction thereof. (d) All plumbing shall comply with the Plumbing Code of the City of Coppell. (e) Unit plots occupied by independent trailers which have a minimum of one flush water closet, one tub or shower, and one sink or lavatory integral within the unit shall be connected to the public sewer through an approved sewer connection or other- wise to an adequate septic tank constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Health Department and provided with an ample and adequate supply of water of safe, potable quality and when such unit plot is set aside as provided in Section 4 for the exclusive use of such trailer, such unit plot may be disregarded in the counting of the unit plots for determining required sanitary facilities in Paragraph (b) and (c) of this Section. It is hereby declared to be unlawful to locate a depen- dent trailer upon a unit plot unless the sanitary facilities as required in Paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section are sufficient to accommodate such dependent trailer. (f) Provided, however, that parts (a), (b) and (c) of this Section shall not apply to any trailer court or camp accommodating only "independent house trailers" as tha~ term is defined herein. Section 8. WATER SUPPLY: Each site used as a trailer court or camp shall be supplied with water from the City of Coppell water lines if such lines are within 150 feet of the site; other- wise, they shall be provided with an ample and adequate supply of water of safe, potable quality approved by the City Health Officer. Water supply faucets shall be located not more than one hundred (100) feet from any camping space. Section 9. WASTE DISPOSAL: (a) All waste water from trailer courts or camps shall be wasted into a public sewer through an approved sewer con- nection where within 150 feet of a public sewer, or otherwise to an adequate septic tank constructed in accordance with the require- ments of the Health Department. (b) All garbage and trash shall be placed into garbage cans with tops. A screened enclosure shall be provided of sufficient size to accommodate all garbage cans. This screened enclosure shall be equipped with a self-closing screen door and the owner shall maintain this enclosure in a clean and sanitary condition at all times. (c) It shall be unlawful to permit garbage, waste water or material from sinks, showers or other fixtures or utensils in house trailers to be disposed of on any street or premises in any other manner except as above provided. Section 10. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY: No building or trailer court or camp or other permanent structure within the meaning and scope of this ordinance shall be occupied in any part thereof unless or until a Certificate of Occupancy shall be filed by the owner or his agent with the Building Inspector who shall cause an inspection to be made to determine whether the premises comply with the requirements of this ordinance. Section 11. LOCATION OF CONVEYANCES: (a) No person shall park, place or locate any automobile, truck, house car, trailer, trailer house or other unit which is designed or used as living or sleeping quarters upon any street or public park within the City for a longer period than four hours. (b) A house trailer space shall not be rented or leased unless a license to operate a trailer court or camp has been obtained by the owner as outlined herein. (c) A small trailer used for traveling or hunting may, when not in use for said purpose, be parked on the property of the owner. Section 12. LICENSE REQUIRED: (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to open, maintain or operate within the City of Coppell a trailer court or trailer camp, as defined in this ordinance, for use of transients or other persons by the day or week, or for a longer period, for or without compensation, without first having secured a license from the City. (b) Any person desiring to open, maintain or operate a trailer court or camp shall make application for a license to the Building Inspector on a form furnished by the City of Coppell. Said application shall furnish complete information as to the owner- ship and management and shall show the location within the City. (C) The application referred to herein shall state whether the applicant seeks to operate and maintain a trailer court or trailer camp and it shall be accompanied by two (2) copies of a "Camp Plan" or "Site Plot Plan" as provided in Section 4. Section 13. LICENSE APPROVAL A~fl) ISSUANCE AND FEE: Upon approval of the application provided for in Section 12 of this Ordinance, a license shall be issued upon payment of a base fee of $2~.00 plus $5.00 for each unit space designated on the plan of the trailer court or camp. This license shall be for a period of one year and shall be payable in advance on January first of each succeeding year after date of the first license. The fee for the first license shall be prorated according to the quarter of the calendar year in which the license is issued. The base fee of $25.00 shall be paid only once in connection with the issuance of tl~II~de'hse for the first year. Thereafter, the annual license fee shall be $5.00 for each unit space designated on the plan of the trailer c~u~'~'~r camp. If additional unit spaces are to be used, an amended plan must be submitted and ap- proved as in the case of a new trailer park being licensed for the first time. Section 14. MANAGEMENT: Each trailer court or trailer camp shall have on the site an office in which shall be kept copies of all records pertaining to the management and supervision of the premises and such records shall always be available for in- spection by a member of the State and County law enforcement agencies, the Police Department, the Health Department, Building Inspector, Fire Marshal and other agents of the City of Coppe11 authorized to inspect. Section 15. REGISTRATION OF GUESTS: It shall be the duty of the owner of each trailer court or camp to keep a register of all persons furnished acconnnodations. Said register shall in- clude the names of all persons furnished accommodations, the per- manent home addresses, the license numbers and makes of their automobiles and trailers and the duration of their stay. Section 16. PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE: (a) Camp fires shall not be permitted; (b) The use and handling of gasoline or flammable liquids shall conform to the requirements of the Fire Code; (e) An adequate fire extinguisher shall be provided for each ten unit plots or fraction thereof. Section 17. OCCUPANCY OF LIVING QUARTERS: It shall be unlawful to use any unit plot for more than one family concurrently. Section 18. ZONING: At the time of the passage of this ordinance, the City of ~ does not have a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, therefore, reference to such Zoning Ordinance as made herein shall not be applicable until such an ordinance has been adopted by the City. That from and after the passage of a Compre- hensive Zoning Ordinance for the City of Coppell, it shall be unlawful to use any property within the limits of the City for a trailer camp or trailer court except in an area where such use is permitted under such Zoning Ordinance of the City. Section 19. INVALIDITY: If any section, paragraph, subdivision, clause, phrase or provision of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or held unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity of this ordinance as a whole or any part or provision thereof other than the part so decided to be invalid or unconstitutional. Section 20. PENALTY: Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction in the Corporation Court, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed the sum of $200.00 for each offense, and each and every day that said violation con- tinues or is permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense. Section 21. REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES: That all ordinances of the City of Coppell which conflict with the pro- visions of this ordinance be, and the same are, hereby repealed. Section 22. EMERGENCY: The fact that the present regulations of the City of Coppell do not adequately regulate or control the use of property for trailer camp and trailer court purposes, and the need for such regulations, creates an urgency and an emergency in the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare and requires that this ordinance shall take effect immediately from and after its passage, and publication of the caption of said ordinance, as the law in such cases provides. Texas, DULY RECORDED: APPROVED AS TO FORM: tt ~