OCEANSIDE — The city is planning to impose new overnight parking restrictions for oversized vehicles on city streets as part of an overall traffic code update.
City Council approved an ordinance amending all articles of the city’s municipal traffic code at its April 21 meeting. According to staff, the update was long overdue as the code pertaining to parking regulations hadn’t been updated in “many years.”
Most of the changes are just format, organization and definition changes, but they also include updates related to new technology, electric vehicle parking regulations as well as the overnight oversized vehicle parking restrictions and permits requirements.
According to staff, the city has received numerous complaints from citizens and local businesses regarding the increasing number of oversized vehicles parked in residential and commercial areas.
“I’ve personally received hundreds myself,” said Public Works Director Kiel Koger.
Staff has also noticed illegal dumping of sewage waste and trash tied to some of these overnight oversized vehicles like RVs, which is a health hazard.
The new regulations restrict overnight parking for oversized vehicles from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., except by permit. Oversized vehicles are defined as vehicles exceeding 25 feet in length, 7 feet in width or 7 feet in height.
As per the proposed traffic code changes, residents and out-of-town visitors who need to park their oversized vehicles on city streets overnight may apply for a permit to do so. These permits may be obtained for up to a 24-hour period and up to six permits may be obtained per month.
Oceanside is one of only three cities in the region that don’t currently have an overnight parking ordinance in effect.
Koger said the city has yet to determine the price for these permits. Both Mayor Esther Sanchez and Councilmember Chris Rodriguez urged that the prices be fair, with Rodriguez suggesting a potentially cheaper fee for Oceanside residents than nonresidents.
The ordinance changing the code will go into affect 30 days after the council’s second reading of the proposed ordinance, which was approved at its first reading on April 21 in a 4-1 vote with Councilmember Kori Jensen opposed.
Sanchez noted that this ordinance will affect the city’s homeless population that lives in RVs as well as residents who park their RVs or other oversized vehicles on city streets.
“We’ll be providing notice to people somehow,” she said.
Aside from the new parking restrictions, the updated traffic code will also enable the city to accept mobile payment through a new smartphone application for beach, residential and employee parking permits. Permits will be based on vehicle license plate numbers, replacing most hanging tags or stickers.
