Planning Commission seeking input on RV storage

Sep 13, 2017

     The City of Charlotte Planning Commission is seeking community input on the issue of driveway parking for recreation vehicles. This practice is currently prohibited, but the Planning Commission would like to better understand community feelings about the issue.

     To that end, the Planning Commission is gathering input via an online survey located here. The city’s code of ordinances defines recreational vehicles as “trailer coaches, travel trailers, utility trailers, pick-up campers or coaches, motorized dwellings, tent trailers, boats and boat trailers, snowmobiles, horse trailers, dune buggies, race cars, demolition derby cars and other similar equipment and conveyances.”

     The code further states that these recreational vehicles “shall be stored only within the confines of the rear yard,” and also limits visits from guests in RV’s to 24 hours.

     “These rules were written several decades ago,” Bryan Myrkle said. He is the city’s Community Development Director. “I think people may be more likely to own recreational vehicles now than in the past, and the types and sizes of recreational vehicles vary widely. Should they all be treated the same? Are the standards set 40 years ago the standards we still want today?”

    Myrkle pointed out that two snowmobiles on a small trailer take up much less room and don’t obstruct vision they way that a large camper or motorhome may. “I’m not sure they should be treated the same.”

     He also said the local regulations are ignored to such a great extent that any renewed effort at city-wide enforcement is likely to be very time consuming, and could anger a lot of people. “Yet, when a resident makes a complaint about someone in their neighborhood parking an RV in the driveway, the rules are clear. We can’t simply say, ‘too bad, we aren’t going to enforce this anymore.'”

     Myrkle said that, before undertaking a big enforcement push, the city wants to be sure that community standards haven’t changed. “It’s one thing to say the rules are the rules, but if every other resident in town has something that’s technically prohibited parked in their driveway, can we really say these rules reflect our community standards?”

     Myrkle encouraged residents to click on the link to the survey. “It will only take a few minutes, but it could help the Planning Commission make a more informed decision.” He expects a decision on any potential changes to the rules to be made before the end of the year.

Survey Here