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HomeMy WebLinkAboutD-2 Staff Report - Oversized Vehicle Ordinance Disscussion and DirectionSCHEDULED ITEM D-2 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL VIA: SERGIO GONZALEZ, CITY MANAGER FROM: STEPHAN HUNT, CHIEF OF POLICE MARCO A. MARTINEZ, CITY ATTORNEY DATE: JUNE 17, 2019 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION REGARDING PROPOSED COMMERCIAL AND OVERSIZED VEHICLE ORDINANCE BACKGROUND: California Vehicle Code section 22507(a); gives local authorities the ability to “…prohibit or restrict the stopping, parking or standing of a vehicle, including but not limited to, vehicles that are six feet or more in height (including any load there on), within one hundred feet of any intersection on certain streets or highways, or portions thereof during all or certain hours of the day.” The City’s current restrictions on the parking of commercial vehicles on City streets prohibit the parking of (only) commercial vehicles or truck tractors with a maximum gross weight of more than 6,000 pounds or any detached trailer, semitrailer or a truck tractor on any commercially zoned property in excess of 60 minutes, subject to certain exceptions. (See Azusa Municipal Code, Section 74-466) Recently, the City Council requested that staff review its current commercial and oversized vehicle street parking regulations to address the issue of oversized vehicles parked for extended periods of time on both commercial and residential City streets. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended City Council review the information contained in this report and provide direction regarding a proposed oversized vehicle ordinance. APPROVED CITY COUNCIL 6/17/2019 Direction provided ANALYSIS: Parking of large commercial vehicles and oversized vehicles presents a safety hazard to pedestrians and vehicle traffic by impeding visibility. In addition, parking of large commercial vehicles and oversized vehicles in residential and commercial areas negatively impacts the aesthetics of the street. As a result, staff and the City Attorney’s office have assembled various provisions that would amend the City’s existing commercial vehicle regulations to address these concerns. The following provisions would be added to amend portions of Chapter 74 of the Azusa Municipal Code as follows: 1.Add new definitions for “oversized vehicles,” “park,” and “recreational vehicle” to clarify enforcement of proposed regulations. Of particular note are the definitions for “oversized vehicle,” which define this in terms of the physical characteristics of a vehicle (any vehicle that exceeds twenty three (23) feet in length, or eighty (80) inches in width or ninety-six (96) inches in height regardless of its weight); and the definition of “park” which includes language stating that “[F]or purposes of this definition a vehicle that is moved to a location or parking place that is within a two-hundred (200) foot radius if its original location or parking place shall be deemed to be parked at the same original location.” This is important because there have been instances in the past where illegally parked vehicles are simply moved from one nearby location to another to avoid the parking prohibitions. 2. Continue the prohibition on the parking of commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of more than ten thousand (6,000) pounds on any public highway, street or alley in the commercial areas of the City in excess of sixty (60) minutes. 3.Add a prohibition to the parking of unattached trailers and boats on all City streets. 4. Prohibit the parking of “oversized” vehicles on any City street for more than sixty (60) minutes between 6:00 a.m. of any day and 2:00 a.m. of the following day or for more than thirty (30) minutes between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. of any day, subject to certain exceptions (i.e. pickups and delivery, emergency vehicles). 5. Provide an exception to the time limits noted above for the parking of recreational vehicles. These may be parked or left standing for seventy-two (72) hours provided certain conditions are met, including that the recreational vehicle is parked immediately adjacent to the home where the owner or guest resides; the recreational vehicle is in the process of being loaded/unloaded during the time it is parked; the recreational vehicle does not obstruct traffic or impede safety; and the parking of the recreational vehicle otherwise meets other applicable parking laws, including street sweeping parking regulations. 6.As an alternative to exception above, the City Council may also authorize the parking of recreational vehicles on residential streets under the terms noted in Item 5 by permit that may be issued by the City. If the City Council is satisfied that these provisions meet the objectives of increasing pedestrian and vehicle safety, it should provide additional comments and direct staff to prepare an ordinance to amend Chapter 74 of the Azusa Municipal Code. FISCAL IMPACT: None. However, if the Council directs that staff include a permit system for the issuance of permits for oversized vehicles, then such permit costs will be passed onto the residents requesting such permits. Prepared by: Fiscal Impact Review: Marco A. Martinez Talika M. Johnson City Attorney Director of Finance Reviewed and Approved: Sergio Gonzalez City Manager Attachment(s): Azusa Municipal Code, Section 74-466 (a) (1) (2) (3) (b) Sec. 74-446. - Signs—Location. The city engineer shall appropriately sign or mark the following places, and when so signed or marked no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle in any such places: At any place within 20 feet of an intersection or marked pedestrian crosswalk, except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop and except that this subsection shall apply on one-way streets only to that side of the intersection or crosswalk from which traffic approaches. Within 30 feet of the approach to any traffic control device, except only the traffic control device at the intersection of First Street and Azusa Avenue at which intersection no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within 100 feet on Azusa Avenue of the approach to traffic control device therein installed at this intersection. At any place where the city engineer determines that it is necessary in order to eliminate an unusual traffic hazard. This section shall cease to be operative six months after receipt by the city council of written notice of withdrawal of approval of the department of public works. (Code 1971, § 11.28.100) Page 1 of 1Azusa, CA Code of Ordinances 6/13/2019about:blank