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Bylaw calling for stricter measures on recreational vehicles vetoed

Jun 28, 2016 | 6:00 AM

A proposed new-and-improved bylaw affecting where you can park your trailer is a contentious topic at city hall.

City staff asked council to approve a new property amenities bylaw at their regular council meeting Monday, June 27, but council had reservations; councillors said the bylaw was unclear.

Part of the bylaw calls for residential front yards to be free of motorized vehicles including trailers, campers and ATVs, although they can be parked on driveways.

It also states people cannot live inside these recreational vehicles to avoid “unsafe and disruptive conditions that arise when accessory buildings are used as permanent habitation.”

Councillor Don Cody said the bylaw was unnecessarily stringent.

“This here is very restrictive … in fact if you want to go by the letter of the law, here in this bylaw, you can’t even park a trailer on your lawn for more than a couple of days. I don’t believe that’s really what this intended here,” he said. “I think until we clarify what it really says and what it’s really meant to say, I think we have a problem.”

Council debated back-and-forth on where trailers, as an example, should be parked.

Mayor Greg Dionne said trailers can be parked on driveways but not on the lawn.

Coun. Charlene Miller rebutted, saying residents should be free to have control of their lawns.

“It’s actually the residents’ lawns not yours, I feel that the residents can do whatever they wish with their lawn,” she said.

She also suggested an exception be made for trailers and motorhomes being used for habitation in the summer months, as many people’s families stay in them instead of going to hotels.

Coun. Ted Zurakowski said he had no problem with recreational vehicles on driveways, but said residents should not be given free reign.

“If we allow this wide-open, ‘go ahead and park on your front lawn…’ I think that will cause a lot of problems,” he said.

Zurakowski added the bylaw should be fleshed out to avoid confusion.

Council directed city staff to get clarify specific elements of the bylaw and return it for review.

 

jkadzviti@panow.com

On Twitter: @julietkadzviti