(CLAIR) – The Simi Valley City Council has taken steps to address community concerns over the enforcement of parking for RVs and other vehicles on private property.
Changes proposed by the council could permit vehicle parking on both sides of a house without uniformly requiring curb cuts. However, curb cuts will still be required in many cases.
City Manager Brian Gabler reported that the council has directed staff to come up with a proposed ordinance to make these changes.
On March 20, the council agreed to bring back certain code provisions for further discussion. Among these are permitting parking on both sides of a house’s front yard, with limits on number and types of vehicles allowed.
RV parking is already permitted behind a house under certain conditions. In 2021, the council approved an ordinance removing requirements for a carport or garage to park an RV in a backyard. However, vehicles must be on an improved surface similar to what’s allowed in the front yard.
Vehicle restrictions will still apply to circular driveways and on-street parking for all vehicles. RVs and other oversized vehicles cannot be parked on streets for more than 24 hours, and other vehicles cannot be parked at the same location for over 72 hours.
Mayor Pro Tem Mike Judge believes that RV owners should keep their oversized vehicles on their property or in a storage lot. He also believes that RVs should not be parked on grass. In addition, the council discussed the possibility of lowering the front yard landscaping requirement from 50% to 30%.
The City’s Senior Management Analyst Mara Malch pointed out that Simi Valley provides more parking options than other neighboring communities. Regarding enforcement, she noted that previous councils have directed staff to only respond to complaints rather than actively initiate on-site parking enforcement based on observations alone. This has resulted in significant parking violations and confusion among residents.
Councilmember Elaine Litster said that parking enforcement should always be fair. Meanwhile, Councilmember Dee Dee Cavanaugh expressed concerns about allowing RVs on both sides of the driveway and requested specific setback requirements from the curb to prevent blocking sidewalks.
Gabler stressed that curb cuts should be a consideration. “When heavy vehicles drive over a curb without a cut, the curbs can become damaged, which could lead to injuries for people using the sidewalks,” Gabler said.
