FORNEY, Texas — The Forney City Council is set to discuss and consider an amendment to the city ordinance which regulates off-street parking of recreational vehicles, campers, trailers, and other similar vehicles in residential districts.
FORNEY, Texas — The Forney City Council is set to discuss and consider an amendment to the city ordinance which regulates off-street parking of recreational vehicles, campers, trailers, and other similar vehicles in residential districts.
The city council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at Forney City Hall at 6:30 p.m. in which a public hearing is scheduled for the item. The Planning and Zoning Commission met last week to a standing-room only crowd of residents from several different neighborhoods.
Recently, after several complaints were lodged by a single individual, city officials say they were forced to begin issuing warnings and citations to residents in violation of the current ordinance which prohibits the parking of trailers, RVs, boats, campers, commercial vehicles such as service vans, and heavy-load vehicles in residential driveways, garages, carports, and on the street.
The current ordinance allows for the storage of recreational vehicles and trailers in the back or side yard on a slab with proper screening.
More than a dozen residents spoke in opposition of the ordinance, which originally was adopted in 2003, saying they moved to certain neighborhoods in Forney without home owners’ association to avoid such restrictions.
Those in support said the ordinance helped preserve residential property values and the open space character of the property.
Community Development Director Peter Morgan said enforcement of the current ordinance is currently on hold until staff is directed on how to proceed with the current ordinance’s language.
According to Morgan, city staff reviewed the language of surrounding municipalities before making a recommendation to remove all language regulating what could be parked in a garage and the following proposed ordinance change:
“38.2(C.) No residential lot shall be used for the storage of a heavy load vehicle (see definitions for heavy load vehicle), truck tractor rig, or wrecker. A camper, RV, trailer, boat, or other similar vehicle may be stored on an improved driveway (in accordance with City standards) in the front yard or on a concrete or asphalt surface in the side or rear yard. No part of a vehicle may extend over a public easement or right-of-way and no vehicle stored on a residential lot may be used for living or sleeping quarters. No such vehicle shall be stored or parked for more than twenty-four (24) consecutive hours or on a regular, repetitive basis on any street or upon any unpaved surface.”
Staff recommends to the city council, in an agenda briefing, that if parking and storage is allowed, it should be allowed only on a concrete or asphalt slab which includes the driveway.
The current ordinance reads:
“C. No required parking space, garage, carport, or other automobile storage space shall be used for the storage of any heavy load vehicle (see definitions for heavy load vehicle), RV, trailer, boat, wrecker, truck tractor rig or trailer, camper or camper shell, or other similar recreational, dwelling or business vehicle. No such vehicle shall be stored or parked for more than twenty-four (24) hours or on a regular repetitive basis on any street, or within any front yard or street side yard, or upon any unpaved surface. If parked within an interior side yard, such vehicle shall be screened from view of the neighboring property and/or the adjacent street.”
