Busting Parked RV’s? By Laws Has Too Much Time On Their Hands
May I start off by saying that I have a neighbour on either side of my home who have fifth wheels and boats that exceed the bylaw of 6.1 meters (20Feet) . Come to think about it , my boat is 20feet long and with the trailer about 25 feet.
I can say I have absolutely no complaint with them parking their RV’s and boat in their yards, as a matter of fact, I would defend their right to be able to do so.
They don’t park on the street, thank God, because the way traffic moves on Highland Drive , it wouldn’t be many days before someone plowed into them. So why do you suddenly decide to target them for a ticket because a bylaw exists that has been on the books for seven years without being enforced?
The matter comes to Council tonight when Brian Skakun asks that the bylaw not be enforced, and he is right . Surely we have more areas that we can devote our by law attention to than trying to bust a llot of RVers in this city.
If they park on the street for too many nights fair and well, but to Willy Nilly say we are going to go after them is plain stupid, stupid, stupid. Feel you have time on your hands, have a look across from the court house. See that old building that at one time was a laundry mat, looks like hell , sitting near a building that is deemed a show piece in this city. When you finish with that one , take a drive up and down any street in this city and start knocking on doors that have old car wrecks cluttering the yards, or buildings that are in disrepair.
Who ever came up with the idea to dump all over the motor home , boat, fifth wheel, and no doubt Quad trailer group has had too much time on their hands lately, and you know what they say about idle hands.
I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.
Comments
They must be looking for work for the bylaw officers. Instead of being complaint driven, they should be out and doing observation driven enforcement.
There would be lots for them to do then. It seems they turn a blind eye to everything unless the phone rings.
I must say though, that one officer did come around this summer to remind people of the sprinkling regulations. First time in fifteen years. although that may have been complaint driven as well.
If its complaint driven then someone must be complaining big time. A few of my neighbours have 5th wheel trailers, campers, and so on and I’ve got no issues with them. Junker cars are a completely different matter and should be addressed……way before any complaints about trailers.
Maybe we need to flood by-law with calls about junker cars……
If people keep the RVs off the street and park them somewhere on their property why would that be a problem? Perhaps the bylaw should be amended if it was too restrictive and out of touch with reality.
PrinceGeorge: You’re right. It was probably brought in by people in nice neighbourhoods that were more concerned with their “image” of a picture perfect place, rather than peoples’ needs.
If people are concerned with the image of their neighbourhoods, why don’t they hold a community meeting and discuss these matters instead of going to city council to ask for a big gun?
If you have a concern about a neighbour, talk to other neighbours about it and see how they feel to get some sort of concensus or just talk to the neighbour yourself. If you approach people in a friendly way, you get much better results.
The rv’s also look like crap parked on lawns and backyards.
You have to admit.
The logic probably goes; if you have money for an rv,then you’ll probably pay the fine.
lildigger… you gonna banish these people too???
Agree with you Ben 100%.
Some sub divisions have covenant on properties to restrict this activity. Thats a better tool and gives owners a choice when property is purchased.
But as a general rule rvs on properties are fine.
Thank you too Brian for raising this.
Makes me wonder if there is a connection between someone with a rv storage business and city hall?
Who was on council when this bylaw was passed 7 years ago, was it put through in a marathon session? Do councilors ever think of the bylaws they are passing? Why do we have to revisit bylaws once passed like the parking fees? How much public consultation took place 7 years ago when this bylaw was proposed? Who proposed the bylaw in the first place?
There’s nowhere near enough storage facilities in town for RV’s if people were forced to remove them from their property.
Like what was said above, there are neighborhoods with covenants that prohibit RV parking. If people are so offended by the sight of a trailer or boat, they could move to one of those neighborhoods.
That being said, there does need to be some basic rules. At a minimum, the RV can’t be parked on the street and must be set back from the road so as not to create a safety hazard.
They’re an eyesore, plain and simple. It’s about time the city started enforcing the bylaw.
I agree about the vehicles parked on the street is more of a problem. I live across from a duplex and have three vehicles that park in front of my entrance and another two vehicles that park on the duplex side of the street. As every tenant has a vehicle and parking designated is not adequate to hold two vehicles for one side of the duplex and three vehicles from the other side of the duplex. Also the landlord parks his vehicle in the back of the duplex to store it. The street is getting more narrow all the time with vehicles parked on the street. And of course they park facing whichever way they feel like.
Contrary to what Axman and lildigger have said, times are a changing, and there are more people around with travel trailers/RV’s. The bylaw should fit the times. If there are covenants, the city doesn’t enforce them, I believe that is up to the developer?
Budget management through bylaw enforcement….
Ben is right, why focus on such a petty by-law. I am sure the city could look at other areas of the city. I personally am embarrassed to say I live in Prince George when family from Calgary come for a visit. Could the city go after CN Rail to pay for some sort of beautification project along first ave? maybe plant trees and grass to take people focus off the of the rail yard. Get owners to take some pride in their businesses and either change their siding or repaint the frontage of their businesses.
Would be nice if others would follow Tim Hortons lead. I am sure if others would take some pride you would probably see people look at investing in Prince George.
Maybe it will just be enforced for this year for the winter games as part of sprucing up the city for this event? ☻
have about 5 giant rv’s on my street, in the front or on the street. Back yards ok. Front yards? its starting to look like a trailer park around here.
Cn is landscaping where able.
“Cn is landscaping where able.” I think you missed my point seamut. It would be nice to see CN donate some money to the city for that area to be beautified to cover the ugliness of the rail yard.
one man’s opinion is right on the money.
“laundry mat” is that a carpet at the entrance to the laundromat!
I live in a neighborhood with lots of nice houses but unfortunately short driveways. A lot of RVs barely fit on their driveways, with some even overhanging their driveway (which is dangerous for snow plows). I have no complaints about RVs being parked in their driveways (thank you!!) but I do get annoyed by RV’s parked on the street. They really block your view, especially when people drive out really fast from their driveways without looking. If you can afford an RV, you can definitely afford storage somewhere else if you can’t fit it on your driveway.
Axeman, I understand if it is just junk in the front yard, but, if it is roadworthy then why does your right have my yard look visually appealing to you, trump my right to my own property?
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 10:46 AM by porter
Axeman, I understand if it is just junk in the front yard, but, if it is roadworthy then why does your right have my yard look visually appealing to you, trump my right to my own property?
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Why does your wanting to park a large RV in your driveway trump my right to live in a visually appealing neighbourhood? These are our homes and when we look out our front windows and see these big ugly RV’s it diminishes the appeal of our neighbourhood.
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 8:44 AM by spruce_capital
Contrary to what Axman and lildigger have said, times are a changing, and there are more people around with travel trailers/RV’s.
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Changing times or not, they’re still eyesores.
it’s a silly not thought out bylaw.
Axman- have you ever owned an rv? If they are such an eyesore maybe you should try to get the rv dealer on 1st ave to move.
Wonder if Axeman and lildigger are just jealous.
Cn has done some work but some properties bordering the railyards are private. There some other quite ugly properties along first that also need work.
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 11:36 AM by oldman1
Axman- have you ever owned an rv? If they are such an eyesore maybe you should try to get the rv dealer on 1st ave to move.
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Apples and oranges. 1st Ave. is not a residential street. My trailer is parked in my back yard; none of my neighbours have ever complained about it.
The thing about living in a community is that sometimes you have to give and take a little in order to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy their neighbourhood. Those of you who think it’s perfectly acceptable to park your RVs regardless of how ugly they make your neighbourhood are just selfish.
axman-some of the rv’s look better than the house so maybe they should move the house to the back yard.
axman… I sincerely and honestly hope that the biggest problem you have in your life is that you find RV’s parked in people’s driveways to be an eyesore.
In response to your response. Because it is my driveway. If I park it on public property or on your driveway, you can have a say in what I do. It isn’t a safety or health hazard, no one is being harmed by it. Also, as you are fond of saying, it is apples and oranges. You just don’t like the way it looks. Basically, your argument is that your opinion, carries the same or even more weight to do what I want with my property.
oldman 1; axman-some of the rv’s look better than the house so maybe they should move the house to the back yard.
Ha,ha Ben really has to include a like button.
People with RVs have money and can afford the fines, waste of time fine people for junky yards that can’t pay the fines, it’s that simple. jmho
So you are saying all people with have excess money? I’ll point that out to my wife.
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 12:36 PM by porter
axman… I sincerely and honestly hope that the biggest problem you have in your life is that you find RV’s parked in people’s driveways to be an eyesore.
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This is an opinion piece about RV parking. What would you like to to comment on? The middle east?
“Basically, your argument is that your opinion, carries the same or even more weight to do what I want with my property.”
Not at all. My argument is that the neighbourhood belongs to everyone, not just the selfish louts who park their ugly ass RVs and trailers in their driveways.
I really hate those little Pontiac Aztecs. Those are hideous little cars. I don’t like them and they make the neighborhood ugly. Lets bring in a bylaw to ban them from the area.
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 1:37 PM by interceptor
I really hate those little Pontiac Aztecs. Those are hideous little cars. I don’t like them and they make the neighborhood ugly. Lets bring in a bylaw to ban them from the area.
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That would be discrimination against the indigenous peoples of the central americas.
axman I thought you were a free-enterpizer. Telling people what they can and cannot park on their own property sounds a little communistic to me. :)
Posted on Monday, September 29, 2014 @ 2:49 PM by f-151
axman I thought you were a free-enterpizer. Telling people what they can and cannot park on their own property sounds a little communistic to me. :)
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I’m thinking house values diminish when the neighbourhood starts looking cluttered and unkempt.
It seems that our residential lots are shrinking, yet the number of toys being gathered is expanding.
I love the look of the older homes that had a long driveway leading to a detached garage. There would be lots of room to park the recreational items out back.
We must be doing quite well as a society if we can afford those extras, or perhaps the need to keep up with the ‘Jones’ is too tempting. The lending companies are more than willing to assist people to dig themselves deep into debt.
I’m not against this bylaw. If I wanted to live in a trailer park, I would. Also, I have a couple neighbors with trailers in their driveway and they emit the smell of a portable toilet. Winters are long here, I would like to enjoy being outside on my property without the smell of a porta-potty sitting on my front step.
When I purchased my home, I needed one with adequate RV parking. I checked with the City to see what the regulations, if any, were. I then advised my Realtor what my requirements were and we viewed homes that met my criteria, including adequate RV parking. Simple!
So, now you mean to say that I could have just done whatever the heck I wanted to?? Wow, that would have opened up a lot more purchase options. Guess I should have just ignored the rules, regulations and/or bylaws because that seems to be the norm! Go figure!!
mama t….”it seems that are residential lots are shrinking”.
I don’t think the lots are shrinking so much as the size of the houses being built on them. Instead of 1000 sq ft homes they all are 3000-40000 sq ft homes now. The new subs don’t even have enough yard to shovel or blow the winter snow onto.
As I’ve said in another thread I have a 60 foot driveway, and 24 foot RV. The RV pokes out past the front of my house onto my driveway.
To date I have never had a neighbour complain about my RV being on my property, and would most likely be giving him directions to some other location if he did have an issue. I would also invite a bylaw office to follow the neighbour to where I sent him. As for you Axman…what can I say….your eyesore is my Picasso…don’t like it? Don’t look!
I agree with you Ben, I am sure City council should be more concerned about junk and run down fences on property
our headline says it all as far as I am concerned…
and they seem to know how to waste it…and get paid well for doing little too…
What is the actual by-law. No trailers parked in a driveway? I think as long as they don’t hang out and impede traffic and snow removal it’s fine.
I live in the DP Todd area have a 90′ driveway my trailer was 19 feet. My neighbours could care less.
Axman don’t be a stick in the mud
Common sense and good judgement went out the window in this town with this bylaw. You want people to move here, but they better have the ability to store their RV’s elsewhere. Common sense also took a back seat when the city had to have someone else tell us what our snow removal equipment was all about. FED UP with the stupidity.
Your correlation between an abandoned laundry facility, and a neighborhood home is head scratching. The city demands the homeowner has an empty house meet certain standards, yet you are referring to a commercial business in a mostly abandoned part of downtown.
So Ben, you would be ok with an empty house next to you, being used as a RV storage facility? That’s great, I’m looking for a place to store an old beater of mine I want to fix up one day down the road, I’ll tarp it up and put it in the lot next to you. It will be fine, maybe 5 or 6 rusted out cars ..not harming anyone.. what is the big deal, right? You are ok with no bylaws on the upkeep of your neighbors property? Interesting, I’m sure if a hoarder moved in next door, you would be the first to complain.
Nobody is suggesting having an RV tucked away at the back of your driveway is wrong, that is what RV parking is for. The idiots who keep the RV’s parked on their lawns, or extended out onto the road, is the real issue here.
Axman…what can I say….your eyesore is my Picasso…don’t like it? Don’t look!
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That’s rather difficult to do since your eyesore is sticking out right there like a big “Look at me, I’m an attention strumpet!” sign.
By this logic of yours, I can place a rusted, burnt out car shell on my front yard and call it art and that’s perfectly acceptable?
There needs to be a line drawn that is acceptable to the entire neighbourhood.
Here here interceptor. I dont like azteks either. Lets be fascist pigs and lump them with those evil family vacations on wheels. The sight of those dread full things can spoil an afternoon tea.
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