Discussion of Parking Ban Is Postponed

The City Council has postponed a decision on whether to ban the parking of some vehicles taller than 6 feet.

Still, it got a taste of the opposition it can expect when it takes up the matter again Monday.

“I pay DMV taxes and state insurance that tell me I can park anywhere I want,” said Simi Valley resident Peter Collings. “I thought the taxes I paid on my vehicles allowed me to park on city streets.”

Five other people also had planned to speak against the ordinance, but decided to wait once they knew the issue had been postponed. The council delayed discussion of the proposal at the request of Councilwoman Barbra Williamson, who was on vacation and did not attend the meeting.

The Simi Valley Police Department says it receives about 75 complaints a month about the street parking of so-called limited-use vehicles--campers, boats, detached trailers and motor homes. The city estimates that there are 590 motor homes and 790 detached trailers parked on city streets.

Mayor Greg Stratton emphasized that the ordinance would be enforced only in cases where a vehicle owner refused to move a vehicle when it was blocking traffic or limiting visibility.

“The authority being requested is a very limited one,” Stratton said, noting that state law already limits the length of time such vehicles can be parked on the street to 72 hours.