CITY MANAGE1
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE OF THE DOWNEY POLICE CHIEF
BY: LESLIE MURRAY, CHIEF OF POLICE fwl
JAMES ECKART, CITY PROSECUTOR
SUBJECT: OPTIONS FOR REGULATING THE PARKING, STOPPING, AND STANDING OF
OVERSIZED VEHICLES (INCLUDING RECREATIONAL VEHICLES) ON PUBLIC
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
611
This report and accompanying presentation provide an initial review of options available to 92 Downey City Council to regulate the parking of oversized vehicles — including recreation�-Mr vehicles, on public streets and highways. I
The City of Downey has received complaints regarding the parking of recreational vehicles and other oversized vehicles on public streets and highways. These complaints have involved traffic and safety concerns resulting from oversized vehicles inhibiting line of sight (visibility) at intersections and driveways; decreased roadway space as a result of oversized vehicles parked along curbs that extend further into streets and highways (especially along more narrow residential streets); reduced on -street parking as a result of oversized vehicles occupying multiple on -street parking spaces; and persons living in recreational vehicles (and accompanying issues resulting from the improper disposal of waste).
The City Council and City Manager directed Staff to provide the City Council with its options to permit, restrict, and/or ban the parking of oversized vehicles — including recreational vehicles, on public streets and highways.
This report will not be addressing potential land -use regulations that the City could imposi to regulate or ban the parking of oversized vehicles — including recreational vehicles, private residential property.' I
ONTS
P, 0 41101115010106 'D! awn 5111 000110"ies tin'wai*a"ri'ei'S'Tl';'k,!Teweit' 401 4orliffiIii in height that are located within 100 feet of any intersection. ah Length: Exceeding twenty-two feet(32')
bA Width: Exceeding seven feet (7')
c) Height: Exceeding seven feet (7')
Recreational vehicles regulated by local authorities typically include camp trailers, campers, fifth wheel travel trailers, house cars, mobile homes, and trailer coaches (as those terms are defined by the California Vehicle Code), as well as boats, dune buggies, all -terrain vehicles (ATVs), and other vehicles designed, maintained, or used primarily for recreational purposes. Such regulations also typically include recreational vehicles as defined by California Health & Safety Code Section 18010.
Nny method of regulations would likely require the installation of adequate and appropriate signage regarding the regulations, restrictions, or prohibitions. The following are possible options for the City Council's consideration.
Pursuant to CVC 22507, the City Council has the authority to completely prohibit the stopping, parking, or standing of all oversized vehicles - including recreational vehicles, on public streets and highways within the City of Downey with some exceptions. �.i) Oversized vehicles that are actively engaged in loading or unloading of goods, wares, or merchandise (e.g., moving trucks, delivery vehicles, etc.); 4)) Oversized vehicles that belong to a Federal, State, or Local governmental agencies or public utilities, while the operator is conducting official business; ` It should be noted. however, that the City has enacted Zoning regulations that restrict the parking of self-propelled and other types of recreational vehicles on private property — including within Single -Family
OPTIONS FOR REGULATING PARKING OF OVERSIZED VEHICLES
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022
PAGE 3
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�401116i*] moil 6!y;R2 W114 161111M Wits Yk E-712111-motoll 111sul 11--gslifflimm d) Oversized vehicles involved in an emergency or that are being repaired under emergency conditions; and,
e) Oversized vehicles engaged in activities allowed under a permit issued by the Department of Public Works.
within the City, the City Council could impose additional limitations on these vehicles. For example, the City Council could impose a requirement that oversized delivery vehicles or oversized vehicles providing services (e.g., contractor services) must be parked within a certain reasonable distance of the location to where they are making a delivery or providing a service.
The City Council could also impose reasonable limits upon the duration of any time in which the oversized vehicle is parked, stopped, or left standing. �M7F—C�W C lim, 7 EY F V -& T F r, 7 'lel rf7TF
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City — however, the City may (and actually has) limit the roadways that can be used by overweight vehicles.
As with standard parking regulations for typical vehicles, the City Council may also enact regulations that limit the hours during which oversized vehicles may be parked on streets and highways within the City.
A very typical practice amongst other jurisdictions is to eliminate "overnight" parking of oversized vehicles by prohibiting the parking of such vehicles during nighttime hours (e.g., 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
The City Council could also impose reasonable limits upon the duration of any time in which an oversized vehicle is parked, stopped, or left standing. or standing of oversized vehicles, but it might assist in decreasing their impact upon the community.
Another method of eliminating some of the concerns resulting from the parking, stopping, and/or standing of oversized vehicles is to restrict the areas of the City in which such vehicles may be parked, stopped, or left standing.
For example, the City could prohibit (or limit) the parking, stopping, and/or standing of oversized vehicles in residential areas of the City — where such vehicles present a greater harm to health, safety, and welfare, while allowing oversized vehicles to be parked, stopped, or left standing in commercial or industrial areas of the City — where the impacts might not be as severe to the community.
OPTIONS FOR REGULATING PARKING OFOVERSIZED VEHICLES
GEPTEK8BER27.2U22
PAGE 4
Avery common method of regulating the pandng, etopping, or standing of recreational vehicles on public streets and highways ietOenact a recreational vehicle parking pamnk program.
The City currently has provisions with the Downey Municipal Code to establish "residential parking permit districts" —xvhiCh is designed to require parking permits for the parking Of all vehicles on designated streets within residential areas of the City in an effort to provide parking relief to residents ofthose streets. See D&YC83Y99.6.
A recreational vehicle parking permit program vvmu|d typically be enacted irrespective of the residential parking permit districts — and would a||ovv residents of the City to obtain o nnmxinnunn number ofparking permits for recreational vehicles that would authorize the parking, stoppinQ, or standing of such vehicles on public streets for m limited period of time. For example, the City Council could authorize residents to obtain up to 12 or 15 permits that would authorize the parking mfrecreational vehicles Dnpublic streets for eperiod ofu9to72hours.
Such a program could also impose other reasonable parking restrictions upon such recreational vehic|es—inc|uding the requirements (i)todisplay the parking permit on the recreational vehicle while parked on the public street; /ii\ to require the recreational vehicle to be parked within a certain distance of the permnittee'e residence; and (iii) to prohibit parking of recreational vehicles — irrespective of the issuance of a parking permnit, in manners that would block or hinder traffic |aneo, critical sight lines for driveways, m||eys, or streets, and that would otherwise block or hinder visibility of traffic control devices.
If the City Council were to enact such m recreational vehicle parking permit program, the City would need to provide alternative reasonable and accommodating regulations for recreational vahio|aa that have disabled license plates or disabled placards as issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
,Regulations Enacted in Other Jurisdictions
Several local municipalities have enacted some degree of regulations pertaining to the stopping, RESTR
Anaheim Prohibited in entire
Prohibited in entire
No
city with limited
city with limited
exceptions
-dell —Gardens
exceptions
Prohibited parking
Yes
between 2 am and
No more than 6 3-day
5 am
permits and 6 7-day
permits per calendar
Long Beach Prohibited parking
Prohibited in
Yes
between 2 am and
residential areas
No more than 72 hours
5 am in non-
20 permits/year
residential areas
OPTIONS FOR REGULATING PARKING OF OVERSIZED VEHICLES
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022
PAGE 5
Los Angeles Prohibited parking
.............
Yes
between 2 am and
No more than 3
6 am
consecutive days
Pomona Prohibited parking
No parking at City
Yes
between 8 pm and
parking lots or parks
0 4 permits/month or 12
7 am; no longer
permits/year
than 4 hours all
0 No more than 48 hours
other times
San Diego Prohibited parking
Yes
between 2 am and
0 No more than 24 hours
6 am
0 72 permits/ ear��
-Santa-'— Prohibited parking
Yes
Monica between 9 pm and
1 permit per 30-day
6 am
period
Santa Prohibited in entire
Prohibited in entire
Yes
Barbara City where signs
City where signs
0 5 consecutive days
posted with limited
posted with limited
0 No more than 10
exceptions
exceptions
consecutive days in 90
calendar days
Different permit program
for contractors
oversized vehicles
South Gate
Prohibited in entire
No
Naturally, the City Council must carefully consider the impacts upon the health, safety, and welfare of the community resulting from the parking, stopping, and standing of oversized vehicles — including recreational vehicles, upon the public streets, and determine which, if any, of the proposed options would balance those impacts with the residents' desire to own and use oversized vehicles — including recreational vehicles.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact of this report (however, there would likely be a financial impact as a result of any regulation the City Council desires to enact).