(6/21) Lamar Estridge, Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee, requested the Town Council review the ordinance on boat, trailer and recreational vehicle parking within Town limits at the June Council meeting. Estridge said as a camper owner he parks his camper on the street to prepare it for trips because his driveway is too steep to park on, however parking recreational boats, trailers, campers etc on the street is technically unlawful according to current Walkersville Code. Although Estridge did not say he had been ticketed or received a warning for parking on the street he asked the Council to consider allowing recreational vehicles to park on the street in short term capacities without repercussions.
Resident Felicia Martin, Owner of Whistle Stop Coffee said her trailer is much smaller than Estridge's vehicle. However, she does essentially the same thing by parking on the street to clean and prep her trailer for work. She asked the Council to consider including commercial trailers in the edited verbiage. "What does that look like for mobile small businesses," she asked. "How do we permit that as well?"
Town Manager Sean Williams said reviewing recent violations should help the Council see what areas of the ordinance that need to be changed. "I think the only other thing that we have run into issues with is typically when campers are parked in front of the residence, they are running an electrical cord across the sidewalk to charge the battery," he said. "If we are going to change it, this is something else to consider with the wording." He also pointed out the need to ensure any trailers or ‘tag-alongs’ remain attached to the towing vehicle.
After reading the exception portion of the ordinance out loud, Commissioner Russ Winch suggested the Council could work with the verbiage allowing recreational vehicles to park on the street for repair. The exception portion of the ordinance states: "Any such recreational vehicle which cannot be moved to a garage, service station or private premises because of the need for necessary repair shall be granted, without fee and upon proper request, a permit valid for a period of 48 hours from the issuance thereof." Commissioner Chris Ragen agreed and suggested adding ‘preparation’ to the verbiage may address Estridge's concerns. The Council considered adding a 48-hour parking period, which should be plenty of time for trip preparation said Estridge.
Martin also suggested the Council consider implementing a nominal fee and permit to allow trailers, boats, campers etc. to park for a short-term period. The Council is looking into having a workshop specific to the ordinance later in the year to discuss any changes.
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