Elk Grove's Residential Recreational Vehicle Storage Ordinance Will Remain Unchanged

Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume discusses feedback
he and his colleagues received from constituents regarding a
possible change to residential storage of RV's. 
April 12, 2017 |

Even though it seemed to be a foregone conclusion before the item was even heard, tonight the Elk Grove City Council decided to maintain the current ordinances on the residential storage of recreational vehicles. 

The matter has been something of a tempest in the teapot for the Council since the issue first appeared at a February meeting when one Elk Grove resident asked for an exemption. The resident said she discovered after purchasing her motor home she could not park her recently purchased motor home. 

Before tonight's meeting, City Council members said at their March 22 meeting they had received considerable feedback from the community supporting maintenance of the current ordinance. When the Council first stated that they would consider loosening the relatively strict ordinance, an email campaign was organized to maintain current standards

Several people in attendance at the standing-room-only audience were there to support maintenance of the status quo and speak on the matter. Although the Council indicated they were in support of the current standards, public comment was opened.

Although most people were in support of maintaining the current ordinance, there were three who said reasonable accommodations should be made. One of those was Kelly Pipit, who was the person who first brought the matter to the Council's attention. 

Saying she felt as though she had "been crucified" on social media, Pipit said that all she was asking for was an exemption, not a full-scale repeal. She also noted that she lived on a dead end street and her vehicle would not be obstructing anything or be a visually unaesthetic.  

"I didn't ask for all of this to happen," Pipit said. "I just want to be considered exempt from the rules."

Elk Grove Council Member Pat Hume asked City Attorney Jonathan Hobbs about the possibility of creating an exception.

"I don't think it is feasible," Hobbs said. "It would be a difficult finding to make."

During deliberations, Hume, who first suggested the reexamination of the ordinance, acknowledged he "swung the pendulum too far."   

"I had no idea the passion this would stir-up," Hume said. "I didn't realize how much of a hotbed of an issue this is."








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