Fountain Valley may move on RV question

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- After more than a decade of battling over

recreational-vehicle parking on city streets, the issue may finally be

put to rest.

The City Council is expected to decide at Tuesday’s council meeting

whether to adopt an ordinance restricting RV parking, put the issue on

the ballot for residents to decide or leave the issue as it is.

“We just want to settle it once and for all,” Mayor Guy Carrozzo said.

“Something has to be done.”According to the city ordinance, the vehicles

are subject to the same laws as cars and must be moved every 72 hours.

“They’ll take it and move it a few feet or across the street,” resident

Kenneth Witthoff said.

But for the most part, the law is ignored until someone calls to

complain.

“We do receive a lot of phone calls to move them,” City Manager Ray

Kromer said. “It’s an annoyance in the neighborhoods.”

Residents such as Perry Goldstein feel the RVs create an unsafe

environment for neighborhood children.

“Parents can’t see their kids at the park,” he said.

The large vehicles also make it hard for drivers to clearly see traffic.

Besides safety, aesthetics is another neighborhood concern.

“It makes the city look tacky,” Witthoff said.

Many residents don’t like the the vehicles on their street but don’t want

to complain for fear of alienating neighbors, Goldstein said.

However, vehicle owners argue that they store a supply of food and a

generator in the vehicles for emergencies. They have also argued in the

past that storage -- which can cost up to $100 a month, depending on the

size -- doesn’t protect the the vehicles from vandalism.

Owners have fought in the past to keep their right to park on the street.

“There’s validity on both sides,” Councilwoman Lauranne Cook said.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at City

Hall, 10200 Slater Ave.