Los Alamitos : Vote Planned on the Use of Driveways for Storage

Storage of boats, trailers and camper shells in driveways is at stake in measures to be put before city voters sometime early next year.

If a special election to fill the 33rd Senate District seat left vacant by Paul B. Carpenter is set for March 3, the city plans to place three measures on that ballot, including two advisory measures concerning what can be parked in driveways.

Under the state election code, a special municipal election in March may be held only on the first Tuesday. So if the Senate election is held on another date, the city will delay its ballot measures until the next general election, said Gerard Goedhart, director of administrative services for the city.

The date of the special Senate election to fill the seat of Carpenter, who was elected to the state Board of Equalization in November, has yet to be announced by the governor.

Measure A calls upon the City Council to pass an ordinance under which only motorized vehicles could be parked in residential driveways--leaving out boats, trailers and camper shells. Measure B calls for an ordinance that would allow both motorized and non-motorized vehicles in driveways.

A third ballot measure would allow the city to change its elections from April to November, saving the city the expense of special elections and increasing voter turnout, Goedhart said.

Los Alamitos is one of only four cities in the county that don’t hold city elections in November.