About 80 residents packed the Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting last week for the preliminary reading of an ordinance designed to keep RVs and boats off sidewalks and front lawns, so as not to be an eyesore.
Also on the agenda at the Nov. 3 meeting, the council approved the preliminary reading of an ordinance intended to control junk vehicles. Code Enforcement Director Rob Hill said the junk vehicle ordinance is aimed at preventing the storage of inoperable or dilapidated vehicles that don’t move and create blight.
The ordinance regarding RVs and boats parked in front yards drew the most outcry from residents.
Hill said that the two ordinances were the result of council workshops where members were concerned about the growing number of dilapidated vehicles, boats and RVs in people’s yards.
“There’s nobody taking away your ability to park your boat or RV, one boat and one RV, onsite, but there were discussions to bring this forward,” Hill said, explaining that the intent is to protect property values.
The vehicle ordinance proposes that all front area parking must be on a non-dusting permanent surface such as concrete, asphalt or approved pavers, with no mulch, loose stones, shell rock, crushed concrete or concrete strips.
Allowable vehicles include cars and personal trucks up to 1 ton, service and cargo trucks less than 10 feet tall and 20 feet long without exposed equipment or materials, one boat or boat trailer any length, and RVs and campers of any length.
The proposed vehicle ordinance states that canvas and tarps are not considered concealment; the vehicle cannot have flat or missing tires or missing or disassembled essential parts; cannot be 50 percent or more rusted or have extensive body damage; or be missing or have disassembled interior parts such as seats or steering wheels.
“We’re trying to identify anything that’s rendering that unit inoperable,” Hill said.
Councilman Dave Swift made a motion to approve the first reading of the junk vehicle ordinance, which carried 5-0.
The more controversial ordinance would provide new requirements for boats and recreational vehicles parked on front and side lots of residences, and regulate their orientation so that they are consistent with the design of the driveway.
“We are not banning the ability of people to park their boat or RV in their driveway,” Mayor Fred Pinto said. “We are making some adjustments to this code to have a way that is more fitting and appropriate, maintaining property values and looking at neighbors being able to enjoy their homes and surrounding environment.”
Hill said that one boat and one RV would be allowed on an approved surface when kept a minimum of 15 feet from the edge of the roadway pavement. Perpendicular diagonal parking would not be permitted if it is not in keeping with the design of the driveway.
Swift said that in the past two years, the numbers of boats and RVs have increased significantly.
“The economy is good, and people can afford them,” he said, explaining that the village has been receiving complaints, especially from areas that do not have sidewalks, where RVs are parked that extend all the way out to the edge of the roadway.
In the original draft, boats and RVs can be parked on the side of the house on an approved surface as long as they do not extend more than 5 feet in front of the front plane of the house, but the council revised that after discussion to allow RVs on the side of the house to extend to the sidewalk or within 15 feet of the road.
“The chief complaint is that neighbors have a real hard time backing out of their driveway because they don’t have the line of sight,” Swift said. “The RV is in the way. This is an unsafe condition that needs to be addressed by the council.”
Village Manager Ray Liggins said that the topic that received the most discussion during workshops was the proposed requirement that a boat and/or RV parked alongside a house could not extend more than 5 feet in front of the house, rather than to the sidewalk, if it was parked in front of the house. He emphasized that any vehicle parked on the side of the house must be on an approved surface.
Pinto wanted to get feedback from the public on that issue.
Swift said the 5-foot proposal for the side of the house was intended to preserve the “curb appeal” of homes, so they do not have boats and RVs situated in a manner that detracts from the village’s aesthetic quality.
“That’s why they moved here,” he said. “They didn’t move to a parking lot. I have a big concern that our boats and RVs are getting larger and larger, and we’re not controlling it.”
Swift said that preserving a 15-foot line of sight for neighbors backing out of their driveway is a health and safety issue.
Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara and Councilwoman Jan Rodusky said they would be willing to consider extending the allowable distance of boats and RVs parked at the side of a house to the sidewalk, or within 15 feet of the roadway.
Resident Jeffrey Kachman said that the village attracts tourists and residents who want to take advantage of its recreational opportunities.
“We live in a state that promotes tourism, boating and camping,” Kachman said. “We’re surrounded by water on three sides. Some of us live on the water in Royal Palm Beach. This will lead to getting rid of your trucks. Don’t let them fool you.”
Kachman said it was nice that the village offers an area for parking recreational vehicles and boats, but added that he was not willing to risk having his possessions stolen.
Pinto said the objective is not to take away boats and trucks, but to address a health and safety issue, and to respond to neighbors concerned about appearance and property values.
“We’re looking to the greater good, but we’re not looking to take your boats and RVs away,” he said.
Hmara made a motion to approve the first reading of the ordinance, but to allow boats or RVs parked at the side of a house to extend to the sidewalk or within 15 feet or the roadway, which carried 5-0. The final reading is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 17.
