Calabasas sets limit on RV parking

After more than a year of off-and-on discussion, the Calabasas City Council voted unanimously last week to adopt an ordinance that will restrict the amount of time recreational vehicles can be parked on city streets.

Under the new law, residents can get two, 72-hour permits for the RV street parking each month. The permits require no fees.

The speakers during a Nov. 12 public hearing at city hall mostly addressed the subject of "72-hour hopscotchers," people who intentionally move their RVs to different parts of the same street to avoid getting ticketed.

"The RV hopscotch is continuing," said Mulwood resident Harry Preston. "They park in one place . . . and move it to another place."

The new ordinance requires the vehicle to be parked in front of the resident's home, and no more than twice a month.

Prevous discussions addressed the difficulty in obtaining storage for RVs. Officials considered a sixmonth or oneyear grace period before the law took effect to give owners time to find vehicle storage.

But according to Norman Buehring, president of the Community Association of Saratoga Hills in Calabasas, "These 72-hour hoppers are people who just don't want to pay for storage. . . . You don't want to open the door to go backwards on this progress."

After city staff and members of the public shared research about the availability of RV storage in Agoura Hills, Chatsworth and Westlake Village, the City Council decided to allow just 90 days for RV owners to find a permanent home for their vehicles.

"If they haven't gotten the clue now, it's time to ring the bell," Washburn said.

Several RV owners asked for more flexibility in the law in case the repairs or the loading and unloading of the vehicles took longer than 72 hours.

Mayor Mary Sue Maurer assured the owners that each case would be evaluated fairly.

"I want to underscore that," Maurer said. "This is not to penalize at all the law-abiding, thoughtful RV owners. We'd like to hear back . . . about the ease or difficulty of this process."

The ordinance will go into effect in February.