Two of a proposed five recommendations to curb RV parking on publicly accessible private property were voted down by council Monday night, specifically those banning camping in parking lots and engaging in ‘camping activities.
Two of a proposed five recommendations to curb RV parking on publicly accessible private property were voted down by council Monday night, specifically those banning camping in parking lots and engaging in ‘camping activities.’
The recommendations were voted on to provide administration with direction amending the traffic and land use bylaws to restrict specific activities that take place in private parking lots accessible to the public, highways and residential streets.
Council voted down by a tie vote a recommendation that the traffic bylaw be amended to prohibit parking a recreational vehicle on a highway at a single location for more than 24 hours. The bylaw was aimed at curbing the practice of RVers camping in department store parking lots, such as Walmart. While the local Walmart has denied this is a problem, it is a common practice in the United States and other Canadian municipalities.
“The communities that open their doors to RVs are seen as welcoming and friendly,” Coun. Cathy Heron said in speaking against the recommendation. “I see this as restrictive and unfriendly.”
Heron, Coun. Roger Lemieux and Coun. Len Bracko voted against the recommendation to force the tie. Coun. Cam MacKay was absent from the meeting.
A recommendation calling for an amendment banning ‘camping activities’ like campfires, barbecues or alcohol consumption in publicly accessible private properties was voted down 5-1 after Aaron Giesbrecht, manager of policing services, said other city bylaws already addressed those issues.
Council did pass the remaining three recommendations. One will make it a traffic offence to park on city streets an unattached trailer for more than 24 hours or any vehicle that features a “For Sale” sign. The intent is to crack down on the number of people parking cars along St. Albert Trail and advertising them as being for sale.
“This could create problems for drivers. They could be a distraction, lead to vandalism and theft and it becomes a liability issue if damage occurs,” said Coun. Malcolm Parker.
Provincial legislation already prohibits such activity unless a municipality passes a bylaw allowing it to occur, Giesbrecht said.
“A lot of municipalities typically don’t think about it,” Giesbrecht said.
But council might have caused a minor problem by approving a third recommendation, limiting the amount of time any vehicle can be parked on any street before it is considered abandoned. The current threshold under the Traffic Bylaw is 72 hours, but the recommendation passed limits that to 24, which could affect homeowners who park on the street outside their homes.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said that issue will be dealt with when the bylaw amendments are brought back to council.
