“Our most valued citizens” who have amassed such items that use them to spend time traveling or vacationing with the families are those being punished, said Steve Van. “These are fine folks who have stress relief.... If we’re talking about having quality of life” unique to small town, “why put in big city laws?” RV storage facilities often have “outlandish business hours and vandalism,” and other issues - such as graffiti or people keeping farm animals on their property - should be the subject of crackdowns, he added.“I have a boat and a motor home” that Luna said required him to reconfigure his property to allow their storage. There is a fine line between property maintenance and such storage issues: “I spoke to Wally about it this morning... he didn’t agree with me. I felt that if a responsible developer comes in” and provides such an RV storage facility, it would quickly be filled to capacity. “How we’re going to fix this I don’t know,” Luna added.Others also complain about quality of life issues, including about the storage of RVs and utility trailers in their neighborhoods, noted Cook, although he did agree that some issues, such as screening, could be changed. The enforcement of storage was prompted as “an attempt to beautify Santa Paula... neighbors who don’t have a motorhome don’t like it.” Ventura has a similar law that it is enforced based on the volume of calls, Cook noted.Councilman John Procter said that although for each person who is objecting to the city’s storage enforcement there are “ten complaints about the RVs,” the issue should be reexamined.The city receives numerous complaints about such parking issues, noted Councilwoman Mary Ann Krause. “The ones that are the most vehement are those” who pay to store their RVs. A lack of enforcement can lead to people living in RVs, and if the next Council “goes through a process and decides they want to reduce the standard” the housing shortage will mean an increase of RV dwellers, she noted.Bobkiewicz said he would return to the Council with a suggested structure for such a committee to consider the issue.“A new broom sweeps clean, so we’ll see,” joked Cook. “Whether it comes back next month of January,” the new Council will “get a taste of your evil eyes.”
RV, trailer storage ordinance could spawn committee to deal with issue
December 08, 2006
Santa Paula City Council
The issues related to recreational vehicle and trailer storage will be considered by the new City Council, after numerous citizens attended the meeting to show their opposition to the city’s crackdown on those storing their vehicles illegally.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe issues related to recreational vehicle and trailer storage will be considered by the new City Council, after numerous citizens attended the meeting to show their opposition to the city’s crackdown on those storing their vehicles illegally.Mayor Rick Cook noted that Vice Mayor Ray Luna had requested that the item - recently refined by the Council - be brought back for discussion.“As the Council is aware, the Building and Safety Department has been enforcing this law,” noted City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz. “I think there has been an inconsistency over the years” that has led to confusion of the ordinance and what it applies to.Public speakers asked the Council to allow time for a citizens’ committee to develop criteria to correct what several said was an unfair and outdated law.One speaker, Richard Barnett, said he regularly uses his RV, including driving it to work. “I understand about parking on the street, but when it comes to parking on my own property I think I have certain rights,” he noted. “I’m not talking about junk,” but those RVs that are major investments that many owners want close by.Santa Paula city streets lack parking overall; Barnett said he also has a trailer he uses for motorcycles behind a fence, and questioned if whether or not it can be seen from the street is too restrictive.