Council to Consider Parking Limits for RVs, Trailers

The city may crack down on the long-term parking of recreational vehicles in response to complaints that they are eyesores and potential safety hazards.

The City Council tonight will consider banning all street-side parking of RVs and trailers between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Only owners and visitors with temporary parking permits would be allowed to pull them up to the curb during those hours.

“What’s of concern to us is the fact that they’re oversized and out in the roadway,” Ventura Police Lt. Quinn Fenwick said. “We get complaints every week on those things.”

Ventura currently allows RV owners to keep their vehicles parked on the street for 72 hours before moving at least a mile away. But Fenwick said many residents simply move the vehicle every three days from spot to spot.

If the proposal passes, the city will join Camarillo in having one of the most restrictive laws on RV parking.

Thousand Oaks has the same 72-hour time limit as Ventura. Oxnard allows them to be parked only for loading and unloading, and only for 24 hours. Simi Valley allows 72 hours for loading and unloading.

The ban would include any vehicle longer than 25 feet, exceeding 80 inches in width or taller than 82 inches.

Owners could still park the RVs in their driveways.

Vehicles with handicapped placards would be exempt from the restrictions with a permit, as would people who have permits to load or unload their vehicles. Residents could also apply for temporary permits for out-of-town visitors.

“We’re allowing enough leeway for repairs,” Mayor Sandy Smith said. “This is keeping people from camping out in neighborhoods.”