Okanagan city looking at bylaw change to crack down on RVs parking on city streets

Vernon city council is going to decide whether or not to amend a parking bylaw that would prohibit recreational vehicles from deploying slide-outs and jacks on city streets.

The proposed amendment comes following an influx of recreational vehicles parking along a wide stretch of 25 Avenue for more than a year.

Current City bylaws allow vehicles to park on the street – and for people to sleep in them – for up to 48 hours before having to move. The new bylaw does not amend this provision.

The bylaw amendment, if passed, would prevent recreational vehicles from using "jacks, blocks (or) stabilizers" for more than 24 hours in the same place. The bylaw also prohibits recreational vehicles from using slide-outs or awnings when parked on the City's streets.

Vernon councillor Brian Quiring brought the issue to council in September requesting that the bylaw be changed to prohibit recreational vehicles deploying slide-outs and jacks on city streets.

The councillor told council at the time had he had received numerous complaints about the vehicles from nearby businesses.

One recreational vehicle owner told Global News he parked his recreational vehicle on the 25 Street out of "financial necessity" saying he couldn't afford to stay at a campsite.

Coun. Quiring also asked RCMP to inspect the various recreational vehicles for the safety of the owners and others on the road.

The RCMP reported back that it checked 19 parked vehicles, including eight recreational vehicles, between 4300 and 4400 blocks of 25 Avenue and found that all were in compliance with the Motor Vehicle Act.

Vernon council is scheduled to vote on the bylaw amendment on Monday, Nov. 22.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.