La Palma Man Seeks Change in Law : Front-Yard Trailer Runs Afoul of City’s Code

Bob Jordan was somewhat miffed when he got a letter from the La Palma Building Department last March warning him that he could not park his trailer on his front lawn.

Jordan said he had been parking the 18-foot Prowler trailer on the concrete slab in front of his home since 1979.

“The concrete slab was already there when I moved here (in 1975), and I bought a trailer that size just so it would fit there,” Jordan said. “When I moved to La Palma, I was not aware of the ordinance. It looks like I made a poor choice to move to La Palma because I had every intention of leaving it (the trailer) there.”

But the current city code, written in 1975, does not permit storage of motor homes, trailers, boats, vans or campers in front yards. It does allow temporary parking for unloading or maintenance. Additionally, La Palma’s code requires parking behind a fence or a wall.

On Monday, a 10-member advisory committee, two appointed by each member of the City Council, will meet for the second time to discuss changing the ordinance.

Last June, Jordan went to the City Council to request that the city allow “special considerations.” Jordan’s request was threefold: He asked for a personal variance because the concrete slab was already in place; an amendment to the city code to exclude those who owned recreational vehicles before the ordinance was written, and an amendment to allow RVs on paved surfaces on private property.

The council made no decisions on those requests but formed a citizens’ advisory committee to study the ordinance.

“At that time, we felt that (Jordan’s request) was unworkable,” said Mayor Keith Nelson, who added that “any way to regulate and control it was impossible. How would we identify in the community who had one before” the ordinance?

The advisory committee will “look into all matters regarding recreational vehicles,” including storage, parking and a “clear” definition of RVs, said Mary O’Neil, assistant city manager and city clerk. “It’s not clear by our current code what it all includes,” she said.

Nelson said that before last year enforcement of the RV parking and storage ordinance depended on complaints.

In La Palma, O’Neil said, most residential lots “have narrow side yards and very small backyards. Most don’t have street access from the backyards. So most of the lots just can’t accommodate RV storage.”

“Very few homes in the community have space for RV storage,” Nelson said. He said La Palma has “small, postage-size lots” that are not appropriate for parking RVs.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Center meeting room, 7821 Walker St.

Nelson said he hopes the committee will conclude its work by April.

Like most committee members, chairman Ed Byrne said he will recommend revising the ordinance “only if it needs it.” Councilman Dan Collins agreed that “unless they come out with something better than what we already have, I can’t see changing it (the code).”