By Pete Parker
The Norwalk City Council held a study session before its council meeting on Tuesday night to review parking restriction policies for commercial and recreational vehicles.
Mayor Marcel Rodarte and other city councilmembers discussed the cities regulations on the vehicles and if future limitations where implemented, what impact would it have on community members who own the popular travel units.
Councilmembers discussed the implementation of increased parking restrictions for commercial and recreational vehicles and reviewed associated costs to post new signs citywide.
City Manager Mike Egan posed the question to the city council, “Do you believe that recreational vehicles are an issue for the city? I feel we will need more strict regulations.”
Councilmember Luigi Vernola stated during the study session that, “I don’t, recreational vehicles should not be on the streets at all.”
In accordance to CA Vehicle Code there is a 72 hour parking limit on commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles and trailers. It is the responsibility of Public Safety Officers to make routine responses to complaints and to enforce a notice on the vehicle (a red tag) notifying the owner the vehicle must be moved within 72 hours or it is subject to being towed.
Additionally, the Norwalk Municipal Code requires a vehicle be moved a minimum of 300 feet when “tagged” for 72 hours parking. Unfortunately, this does not resolve the issue as the problem simply moves around to different areas.
It was also discussed that other agencies have initiated no overnight parking for recreational vehicles without a permit and have limited the number of permits allowed. Permits allow resident recreational vehicle owners to load and unload the vehicle or trailer for trips or allow them to have out of town visitors for short periods of time.
Additional complaints centers around people living in recreational vehicles on the streets of Norwalk. The city has no regulations regarding the matter. The previously stated restriction on overnight recreational vehicle parking would largely address the concern.
Recently, one municipality in California outright prohibited parking recreational vehicles for habitation on its streets.
Councilmembers also discussed that in 2013 Public Safety Officers responded to approximately 70 calls for service involving a recreational vehicle. Many of these calls pertained to vehicles found to be used in a transitory manner or by homeless individuals, were not registered in Norwalk, or were not parked near the registered owner’s Norwalk address.
“One of the major issues is that they dump on the properties and the city,” City Manager Mike Egan said.
Reported violations included persons living in the vehicle on the street and on private property, the holding tanks being dumped in the street, being parked for extended periods of time, and parked obstructing drivers’ view to make turns or exit a driveway.
Councilmember Mike Mendez stated, “I feel that it’s ridiculous for these vehicles to be parking on residential streets. They have been constantly leaking fluids on the streets.”
Mayor Rodarte also expressed, “I am not looking to ban recreational vehicles on the streets, and I am merely looking for a more environmentally friendly solution.”
As a result of these calls for service, approximately 28 parking warnings were issued for 72-hour parking, 15 verbal warnings were issued, four vehicle abatement cases initiated for unlawful storage of a vehicle on private property, three parking citations issued, and one vehicle was stored for expired registration over six months and having more than five delinquent parking violations.
Councilmember Mendez continued, “It’s been an issue for a long time. If you have an RV you should park it on a driveway or store it somewhere. I know it’s hard out there but doing our 72 hour thing has not worked.”
“If I had a motor home parked in front of my house, I’d question it.”
Additionally, 51 citations were issued for unattached trailers, which included commercial trailers and recreational trailers (travel trailer, horse carrier, and boat or personal watercraft).
“These RV’s take up 4 to 5 parking spots in the city and it’s a problem in the entire community. I would want them to be able to park in front of their homes simply to load/unload,” stated Councilmember Cheri Kelly.
City Staff conducted a survey of current parking restrictions in eight surrounding cities. The cities surveyed include Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, La Habra, La Mirada, Lakewood, Long Beach, and Paramount and recommends City Council discuss potential additional regulations and provide direction to staff to either prepare modifications to the municipal code or maintain current standards.
Vice Mayor Shryock stated, “I feel that 70 calls is skewed and I feel we should figure out how many RV’s are in the city of Norwalk.”
Councilmembers will discuss the matter in public at a upcoming city council meeting.
RV ownership, along with lightweight commercial vehicles, are all part of diversity in the city populous. When you start exempting or limitations for said units, cities are creating less than a diversified community. Will Norwalk CC object to :
• Limo’s.
• Large SUV.
• Vehicle Banners.
• Antique and Collector Cars.
• Taxis.
• Hertz Wagons for funerals?
Many families depend on RV camping, and enjoy the unit close to their house. It’s harder to find an RV storage yard, plus many RV insurance carriers- mortgages, will not allow RV parking-storage for off site locations. Regarding lightweight commercial vehicles, residential dwellers, depend on these vehicles for daily transportation.
RV owner here, and object to all the chaos cities are trying to create, to restrict RV parking on public roads or on private property.
Also, RV ownership brings much needed sales tax revenue to the city, not only for the original purchase, automotive license registration and fueling costs.
If city truly wants to be diversified, RVs ownership / parking is part of the equation. People purchased properties in a city, with Bill of Homeowners Rights and ownership ………parking is part of the bill of rights to home ownership. Public roads and parking are for everyone.
If property owners of any city object to RV’s; then live in a HOA-CCR’s or purchase property in a private road zoning.
http://cerritospublicworks.blogspot.com/
Norwalk has plenty of breached and dumpy public works projects citywide, along with Cerritos which need attention. Clean up your own backyard municipal projects, as the blite caused from the cities sector is wearing out the city to NORWALK MENOPAUSE. Far worse blite is the non english scriblings being advertised on storefronts-grafitis; plus all of the homeless camps near 605-Firestone Interchange. Norwalk being Sanitarium hospitals capital have always kept negative lid on Norwalk, from rising to the levels of Downey and Cerritos. The Apartments Projects in the heart of Nwk, divide the city in to ghettos from the 1950’s forward.
Norwalk CC: Do you even have an RV Park, in order to capture all of the tourism passing thru your highway on 5?
It’s interesting that the one photo of an RV that you use in your article is one that is legally parked in a campground connected to hookups for water, electricity and sewer.