“We realize that some might not have area on their property to park but we will encourage them to find a storage solution...unfortunately, for anyone we find after that there will be a $100 ticket.”Chief MacKinnon surveyed several county-based storage facilities and found that the price for storage ranges from $50 to $160 a month based on the length of the vehicle.“One thing we are aware of” is existing city law banning parking in other areas including even on private property if visible from a public street. “As we inform them they cannot park on the street some may be moving the vehicles onto their property and there will be issues there also. You cannot park on the front yard,” where there is a 48-hour limit, and “wherever you park it must be screened from the street.Chief MacKinnon said he wants the transition from illegal parking to compliance with the ordinance to be easy both for the vehicle owner and the SPPD.“We’ll try to give the owners some options, even provide them with some information on private places where they can store their RVs” and other vehicles to keep them off the streets, he noted.
Warning first: SPPD wants illegally parked RV and trailers off the streets
March 31, 2006
Santa Paula Police Department
Tackling quality of life issues as well as crime will be a focus of Santa Paula police, who will start warning residents about illegally parked recreational vehicles and trailers according to Police Chief Steve MacKinnon.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesTackling quality of life issues as well as crime will be a focus of Santa Paula police, who will start warning residents about illegally parked recreational vehicles and trailers according to Police Chief Steve MacKinnon.“A large number of horse and boat trailers, motor homes and RVs” are being illegally parked on the streets throughout the city.“We want to do a couple of steps in the process and one of the steps is getting the word out” that the SPPD will be cracking down on offenders noted Chief MacKinnon.Several weeks ago the SPPD “midnight shift” of officers were charged with doing an inventory of illegally parked vehicles: “It was a snapshot in time and we had 60 throughout the city. Motor homes, camping trailers, horse and boat trailers...anything unattached can only be left for five hours on the street. The reasoning in the ordinance for the five hour limit” is that it gives owners time to unload before parking the motor home or boat trailer permanently off the street.Chief MacKinnon said that the next step in the process “Again on a midnight shift” will be writing up a bilingual warning notice informing owners that the ordinance will be enforced and asking them to move the vehicle or trailer.
