RV Storage Facility in Planning Stage

A Simi Valley businessman who owns RV storage facilities in Marina del Rey and Santa Clarita has signed a lease for nine acres of property where he hopes to store between 650 and 950 motor homes and recreational vehicles.

Sandy Bass said he’s been looking years for land in the city where he could open a storage lot. When the City Council passed a law banning oversized vehicles on city streets in June, he redoubled his efforts with the help of Mayor Bill Davis and Councilmen Steve Sojka and Glen Becerra.

Davis found a site east of 1st Street and south of Agnew Street. He then put Bass in touch with the Ventura County Transportation Commission, which owns the land. Officials there agreed to sign over a lease to Bass for $13,750 a year.

The ordinance, which takes effect in January, allows for some exceptions. Visitors to Simi Valley will be allowed to park in the street as long as they have obtained permits through the city.

They also will allow tow-truck drivers to park at home as long as they’re on duty.

Moorpark, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo have all passed similar laws.

Bass said he’ll spend $1.2 million to $1.3 million to prepare the lot.

City officials said they chose to give RV owners a six-month grace period so they could find storage facilities or retrofit their driveways to park the vehicles. The council will soon consider a Becerra proposal to distribute notices to RV owners informing them of the new law.