Cold Lake residents had the opportunity to provide feedback on proposed changes to the city's recreational vehicle (RV) bylaw.
On March 3, around 50 people attended an open house at the Energy Centre to learn more about the bylaw and what the changes would mean when it comes to parking RVs on private property.
Under the proposed amendments, RV owners would be required to park their vehicle at least one metre back from the sidewalk, or curb if there's no sidewalk. A maximum of one RV can be stored in a resident's front yard from April 1 to Oct. 31 only and the RV could only be parked on a driveway or parking pad, not on a landscaped portion of the lot.
The changes also prohibit RVs from being parked or stored on vacant lots within the city.
“We're getting lots of feedback from folks,” said city planner Brad Schultz. “The proposal right now is that RVs wouldn't be able to be stored in the front yard from Oct. 31 to April 1 so a few people have mentioned that they don't have any other place or they can't access their backyard.”
Schultz added, “We had a number of people mention the proposal that the vehicles have to be kept back a metre from the sidewalk that they maybe have a concern with that...In most cases it's a matter of when folks bought their RV they measured the distance from their garage or house to the sidewalk to make sure it would fit. If there's now a requirement to be further back that vehicle might not fit.”
Currently, the land use bylaw defines RVs as a vehicle or portable structure designed to be carried by a vehicle that provides temporary living accommodations for travel or recreational purposes. It includes vehicles such as motor homes, fifth wheel trailers and holiday trailers. When parked on a lot within the city on a regular basis, RVs are not permitted to be used for living or sleeping accommodations.
The only regulations for RVs in the current bylaw is in a residential district no more than two can be present on a regular basis on a detached dwelling lot. In all other districts, RVs may be stored on a regular basis.
The changes to the existing bylaw regarding RVs stem from a number of concerns brought forward over the summer of 2015. During their Feb. 23 meeting, city council tasked administration with hosting the open house to gather comments from the public.
“I think it's good. I see a lot of people that are infringing on the sidewalk and the road and parking on the roads for periods of time, I get their idea,” said resident Darrell Lynds, who attended the open house to learn how the changes would affect him.
Lynds added, “I have an RV myself and park it in my backyard but, according to them, they're not concerned about backyards. It's more front yards and aesthetic value, distance from curbs and roadways.”
The feedback gathered at the open house will now be put into a report, which will be presented to city council during the public hearing for the bylaw changes that will take place on March 22 at 6 p.m. during a regular city council meeting.
