Subdivisions & RV or Mobile Home Parks

Grays Harbor County Code Chapter 16.38, Article II governs Boundary Line Adjustments (BLAs), which are used to modify or remove existing property lines between platted or unplatted lots, or a combination of both.

Boundary Line Adjustments are limited to reconfiguring existing parcels and do not create new lots. As such, they are exempt from subdivision requirements under GHCC 16.08.040.

Grays Harbor County Code Chapter 16.38, Article II governs Lot Consolidations, which allow for the merger of existing platted lots into a single parcel. Lot consolidations are exempt from subdivision requirements under GHCC 16.08.040.

This process applies only to platted lots and is intended to simplify ownership by combining multiple recorded lots into one legal parcel.

Grays Harbor County Code Chapter 16.16 governs short subdivisions, which regulate the division of land into two (2) to four (4) lots when the resulting lots are less than five (5) acres in size.

Short subdivisions are subject to County review and approval unless the proposal qualifies for an exemption under GHCC 16.08.040. These regulations ensure that smaller land divisions meet applicable development, access, and land use standards prior to approval.

Land subdivision in Washington State is governed by Chapter 58.17 RCW and Grays Harbor County Code (GHCC) Title 16, which implements state subdivision requirements at the local level.

GHCC Chapter 16.36 regulates large lot subdivisions, which apply when land is divided into two (2) or more lots where each resulting lot is at least five (5) acres in size, and at least one lot is smaller than twenty (20) acres.

Large lot subdivisions must be reviewed and approved by the County unless the proposal qualifies for an exemption under GHCC 16.08.040. These regulations ensure that larger rural land divisions meet applicable development standards and infrastructure requirements.

Grays Harbor County Code Chapter 16.20 governs long subdivisions, which apply to the division of land into five (5) or more lots where any resulting lot is less than five (5) acres in size.

Long subdivisions are subject to County review and approval unless the proposal qualifies for an exemption under GHCC 16.08.040. These regulations ensure that larger and more complex land divisions are properly reviewed for compliance with applicable land use, infrastructure, and development standards.

GHCC Chapter 16.24 regulates the development of mobile home parks in unincorporated Grays Harbor County. It establishes a site plan review process for developments containing two or more mobile homes under single ownership, ensuring compliance with county zoning, infrastructure, environmental, and public health and safety standards.

Approval of a mobile home park site plan allows development without a subdivision plat, provided the park remains under unified ownership. Any division or sale of individual lots must be processed under applicable subdivision regulations.

The review process includes pre-application consultation, site plan submission, agency review, public notice and hearing, and final approval by the Board of County Commissioners. Approved site plans must be recorded with the County Auditor before development begins.

Mobile home parks must comply with requirements for site layout, setbacks, roads and access, utilities, stormwater, fire protection, landscaping, recreation/open space, and critical areas protection under GHCC Chapter 18.06. Development must also provide adequate infrastructure and ensure compatibility with surrounding land uses.

GHCC Chapter 16.28 regulates the development of recreational vehicle (RV) and travel trailer parks in unincorporated Grays Harbor County. The chapter establishes a site plan review process consistent with mobile home park procedures to ensure compliance with county land use, environmental, and public health and safety standards.

RV parks must comply with state sanitation requirements and county development standards, including zoning, stormwater, and critical areas regulations under GHCC Chapter 18.06. The stricter applicable standard governs where multiple regulations apply.

Development standards address site suitability, including restrictions in hazardous or sensitive areas, and require buffering and landscaping along property boundaries. Parks must provide adequate common facilities, recreation space, and open areas, with at least 20% of the site dedicated to open space and recreation.

RV parks must include safe access and circulation, with private internal roads connecting to public roads, along with adequate access to all sites and facilities. Infrastructure requirements include stormwater management, water supply, sewage disposal, solid waste management, utility installation (generally underground), and fire protection systems approved by local agencies.

All RV parks must also comply with requirements for surveys, critical areas protection, and, when applicable, off-site improvements. Inspection and bonding provisions are consistent with related county development codes to ensure compliance with approved site plans and long-term maintenance of required improvements.

The Innocent Purchaser process under Grays Harbor County Code and Washington State law allows a property to be recognized as a separate lot, tract, or parcel if it was purchased for fair market value without knowledge of a prior violation of land division laws.

An Innocent Purchaser determination may be granted only once per individual. If a recorded survey is not already on file with the Auditor’s Office, a boundary survey is required as part of the application.

Approval does not waive or replace any permitting requirements, and all future development must comply with applicable county and state regulations in effect at the time of application.