POLICIES AND INFORMATION ON TRAILER PERMITS IN THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD

§ 100-239.2. Tourist camps, camp cottages and trailers.

A.                 Permits required. No tourist camp shall be established, maintained or operated in any district nor shall any tent, tent house, camp cottage, house car or trailer to be used or occupied as a place for living, sleeping or eating, whether charge is or is not made, be erected or placed therein, unless authorized by the Town Board pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 88, Tourist and Trailer Camps.

B.                 Automobile trailers or house cars. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a single automobile trailer or house car may be located outside a tourist camp only when authorized by the Town Board and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Town Board.

C.                 Exemptions. This section shall not be deemed to apply to the temporary or seasonal camp of any unit of the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts of America or other such organizations under the leadership provided by said organizations, respectively.

WHEREAS, Section 100-239.2 of the Southold Town Code authorizes the Town Board to issue permits for an automobile trailer or house car; and

WHEREAS, the proliferation of these trailers is not encouraged, and is the policy of the Town Board to issue such permits only upon an adequate showing of necessity and hardship, subject to such conditions relating to permit term and use as the Board shall deem appropriate; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the Town Board hereby determines that the following are appropriate reasons for issuance of a trailer permit:

1.                  Use of the trailer by a watchman in order to ensure the security of a site. There should be no rent collected in association with such a use. The applicant should present evidence of a history of security violations on site which necessitate a watchman on site.

2.                  Use of the trailer as temporary housing during the construction or rebuilding of a residential structure. The permit shall only be issued for the period necessary to effect the repair. The applicant shall present evidence of a building permit and an estimated construction schedule.

3.                  Use of the trailer has existed prior to the adoption of the code in 1957. The applicant shall provide evidence that the trailer has been on-site and used since 1957 or earlier.

4.                  Use of the trailer for seasonal farm laborer housing. The permit shall be issued for this limited purpose and will be discontinued if the need for housing decreases. The applicant shall provide evidence of need, availability of existing housing, and other relevant information.

5.                  Use of the trailer for residential purposes, under a previously issued permit, after destruction of the trailer by an Act of God, if the presence of the trailer is consistent with the character of the neighborhood.

The Town Board may impose other conditions on permits as it deems necessary, based on the facts associated with the individual applications.