By Ashley McLeod, Senior staff writer
Jun 11, 2016, 12:07
COLONIAL HEIGHTS — City Council held a work session on Tuesday, June 7, to discuss changing a city ordinance involving commercial and recreational vehicles on citizens’ properties.
The ordinance change has been a hot topic for citizens in the past year, with many filing complaints having to do with the ordinance, as well as posting on Facebook feelings about the current ordinance.
While the work session did not allow for public comment, every seat in the council room was occupied, with the overflow going to the hallway.
Several complaints have been filed in the past about a line of commercial vehicles from one business parking on a neighborhood street, which was not in agreement with the current ordinance. The ordinance states that only one commercial vehicle, weighing less than 10,000 pounds, may be parked at a residence, and it must be parked behind the front line of the home. Any vehicle or trailers weighing more than 10,000 pounds are not to be parked in residential areas at all.
City Manager Thomas Mattis said that residents want the city to be “more aggressive” and that changing the ordinance, as well as enforcing it, will “enhance the overall appearance of the city.”
The goal of changing the ordinance is to simplify and clarify the rules and regulations relating to recreational vehicles, trailers, commercial vehicles, boats, and campers.
During the work session, council discussed changes to the ordinance, such as the weight restrictions, limitations on how many should be able to be parked at each residence, whether they need to be parked behind the front plane of the house, and whether or not commercial vehicles should be allowed to park in residential areas, as well as how many.
Council as a whole decided that there should be no limit on the amount of recreational, non-commercial, vehicles at each residence and that there should be no limitation on the size of the vehicles.
As for commercial vehicles, the council came to the conclusion that one vehicle should be allowed at each residence, but also asked for a clear definition of what a commercial vehicle would be defined as.
One issue tabled by the group, and not agreed on, was whether or not the vehicles needed to be parked inside or in backyards, or just behind the front line of the home. The issue will be discussed at the next meeting.
One concern is for those citizens who may not have the proper access to get the vehicles to the back or side yard and must have them parked in the driveway.
The ordinance change will be brought up for a public hearing at the June 14 meeting, and citizens will be able to voice their opinions on the changes.
