Vehicle overload? My neighbor always has many cars, boats and
campers parked in his driveway and on the street. He works on them,
then tries to sell them. Is there anything we can do to correct
this legally?
Vehicle overload?
My neighbor always has many cars, boats and campers parked in his driveway and on the street. He works on them, then tries to sell them. Is there anything we can do to correct this legally?
Well, yes, there is. While the city’s code enforcement officer used to handle this, now you call the police for vehicle abatement. The man in charge is Community Service Officer Frank McLaughlin. He won’t arrest anybody but he will talk to the person and make sure he follows the rules.
According to Larry Ford, the city’s chief building official who supervises code enforcement, one can keep as many vehicles as can fit in a garage and a driveway. They may not overflow onto front, side or back yards. And they may be parked on the street.
Denizens in a residential area may not work on vehicles to sell – that’s a business – but they may work on their own.
Any vehicles must be able to run and licensed, land driven and self-propelled. This leaves out boats, which cannot be parked in driveways.
MHPD Lt. Joe Sampson confirmed that anyone with a vehicle complaint should call 779-2101 and tell the dispatcher (they are all nice and helpful) that you want to file a vehicle abatement report. The dispatcher will take the offending address and your name and phone number. You can ask to remain anonymous.
McLaughlin visits the address to see if the resident is in compliance. If not, he talks to them and that usually is enough, Sampson says.
McLaughlin can issue citations and will slap a 10-day notice on any vehicle parked on the street that is not licensed, followed by a tow.
Surveyors Afoot
I saw a couple of surveyors working on Old Monterey near Llagas and El Toro Fire Station. What are they doing?
The fire station is getting a new 1,120-square-foot fire prevention office (and small community meeting room) to replace the decrepit trailers used by county fire staff. The $425,000 expense is part of the city’s 2005-06 Capital Improvement Project and comes from the fire impact fund that all property owners pay into.
Disagreeable Development
In last week’s Red Phone we printed a resident’s objection to a big commercial/retail building going up on East Dunne at Murphy. City Planning Manager Jim Rowe wants the caller to know that, while the building is two stories and looks huge now, once it’s finished it won’t be so bad.
Since the city now forbids unsightly parking in front, cars will instead be hidden around the back, leaving only lovely landscaping and the equally attractive architecture visible. It’s a step forward in our book that is a step forward.
n The Red Phone sounds off Saturday in The Times. Hey readers: Remember to leave a name and number when you call or send e-mail. The Red Phone won’t publish this information – it will only be used if verification is necessary.
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