Battle Ground Municipal Code 17.135.150, regarding trailer parking on residential property, went under review by the city council during the Monday, Feb. 2.
The meeting agenda listed possible action, but with a pair of councilors out with excused absences, it went the way of direction for city staff to further examine possible changes to the municipal code after the council members discussed their input and thoughts.
“Just to be clear, as well, as far as our job today as council is not to come up with a decision and have a motion and vote on it today, but merely give staff the direction to start to draft something that we can review,” Mayor Eric Overholser said in the meeting. “I would also like the weigh in from the additional two council members that are not here today, as well. But this is definitely a good time to have a discussion about his ordinance.”
Councilors Shane Bowman and Jeanie Kuypers were excused from the Feb. 2 meeting.
Earlier in the evening, the council members listened to a presentation by Battle Ground Police Chief Dennis Flynn regarding the code language as well as possible suggestions for the direction council could take, citing many local jurisdictions code language on the same issue.
The ordinance language states that storage of house trailers, horse trailers and other recreational vehicles and trailers in residential districts outside of an enclosed structure shall be kept behind the front building line of the principal dwelling unit. Trailers and RVs must also observe setback requirements necessary to additional buildings and structures on a property, the code language reads.
The current code language was adopted in 2004, with the section originally added in 1995.
“I reflect on the many decades I’ve been here and with the way the houses are built now, with the restrictions that we’re under from the county and the state having to provide density for population and for growth, I reflect on a few things,” Councilor Brian Munson said, adding that he moved to Battle Ground with his wife in their 20s and raised a family. “As you get older, and you are able to accrue some of the nicer things in life, you look at these lots that we have now, and there’s just not a means for people to be able to grow and do the fun things with their family and their kids.”
Across the region, Battle Ground, La Center, Longview, Kelso and Washougal do not permit parking of such items under review in front of the building line. Ridgefield approves one RV in front of the building line, while Camas and Woodland permit the storage in front of the building line with conditional measures. The city of Vancouver permits RV and trailer parking with no restrictions in front of the building line, according to the study session presentation.
“We see that there’s a lot of room for opportunity for people to store their RVs, or their trailers, or whatever, their boats,” Munson said, “but there’s not a lot of opportunity for them to store it on their property. And so, as I look through these options that are presented to us and I think about the fact that these are people’s property — it’s not our property in the government — it’s the people’s property. We need to let them do what they want to do. And I understand that could open up the opportunity for what some might call blight, but it’s still their property.”
The related code considerations presented to city council could limit the number of approved RV and trailer parking on property or frontage. The code could also be directed toward parking on authorized surfaces, special considerations for site conditions or topography, temporary parking or use of screenage to obscure from the public’s view.
During the study session, several options were discussed, with option one leaving the current code language as is. Option two would allow one RV or trailer to be parked in the driveway if no side access is available or due to topography; which is modeled after Camas and Woodland city code. Option three allows one RV or trailer to be parked in the driveway, similar to Ridgefield and Vancouver. Option four would allow parking in the designated front yard and option five would allow multiple RVs and trailers to be parked in the driveway or front yard.
Council member Troy McCoy said he would support code allowing one RV or trailer parked in a driveway, while also echoing safety concerns brought up by Overholser regarding sight lines with passing cars, pedestrians and children at play. He also added that the code needs to be as clear as possible in order for community service officers to be able to have a definitive violation or not when a complaint is sent their way.
With the council members in attendance all leaning toward a code change, City Manager Kris Swanson advised the council members what should be written in a code change: one or more, topography, right-of-way and sight line obstruction.
Ultimately, council members leaned toward a combination of options, with the idea of one RV trailer in the front of the building line, as well as, if possible, more behind the building line. The moratorium on fines will also continue until the issue is resolved by council members.
Once a code change is drafted, council members will review the proposed language for a motion or further direction at a later date.
