Plan Would Restrict Big Vehicles on Street

Oversized vehicles parked day after day on city streets have angered neighbors and may be prohibited in Thousand Oaks under a plan being considered by city officials.

City Council members voted 4 to 0 on Tuesday to schedule a public hearing to discuss the proposed ordinance, modeled after a law in Agoura Hills. Councilwoman Judy Lazar was absent.

The council is considering the ordinance in response to numerous complaints about recreational vehicles and other oversized vehicles parked on public streets. Thousand Oaks has a law that bans parking by large vehicles on city streets for longer than 72 hours.

But as long as the cars are moved once every three days, the owners can skirt the rule, said Cmdr. Kathy Kemp of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

“We’re taking considerable and valuable time for our police officers to go out on this exercise, which is futile,” said Councilwoman Elois Zeanah. “We need to take action on this.”

City officials will prepare an ordinance similar to the one approved by Agoura Hills in 1985, which prohibits vehicles exceeding 20 feet in length or 82 inches in height from parking on public streets between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Mayor Andy Fox said he was not opposed to the ordinance, but thought it would be fair to wait before making a decision and to schedule a public meeting to let residents know about it.

Councilman Mike Markey also said he was not opposed to the ordinance, but expressed concerns that people who use recreational vehicles to get to work would be affected. Kemp explained that the ordinance would only be enforced during the day--and then only after resident complaints--so people who use the vehicles for basic transportation would not be affected.

A date for the public hearing has not been announced.