Olympia council to discuss RV parking rules tonight

Eugene, Ore., tells how it successfully controlled problem

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published June 03, 2008

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As the Olympia City Council considers tonight what to do with recreational vehicles that park on city streets, people in Eugene, Ore., say they found a solution to the same issue. – As the Olympia City Council considers tonight what to do with recreational vehicles that park on city streets, people in Eugene, Ore., say they found a solution to the same issue.

The Olympia council will consider two measures tonight: one that would ban RV parking overnight on city streets and another that would ban such parking for more than 24 hours. The ordinances were drafted because seven RVs have parked for months in the area near the Olympia Transit Center, generating complaints of taking up parking spaces, dumping sewage and running generators.

But the residents of the vehicles, many otherwise homeless, say they can't afford another place to stay and would have nowhere to go if they're kicked off of the streets.

Such was the case about 10 years ago in Eugene, a city of about 140,000 people that's a 31/2 hour drive south on Interstate 5. In response, that city passed an ordinance focused on finding its homeless campers places to stay:

• Churches and businesses are allowed to park up to three RVs in each parking lot, as long as they don't charge rent.

• Private residents can play host to one RV in their driveway or backyard, as long as they provide a bathroom and don't charge rent.

• The city of Eugene provides about a dozen parking spots.

"It works," said Richie Weinman, urban services manager for Eugene.

The city pays a local nonprofit organization, St. Vincent DePaul Society, $80,000 to be the first responders to complaints about parked campers, offer referrals to social services and provide portable toilets, said William Wise, emergency services director for St. Vincent DePaul.

As a result, complaints to police about campers plummeted. Calls dropped from 1,453 in 2002 to about 550 in 2004, Wise said. He said city police were spending $300,000 per year on responding to complaints before.

"You can't solve social problems with enforcement," Wise said. "It just doesn't work."

Eugene police now only respond to complaints if St. Vincent DePaul workers can't resolve the situation.

Residents interviewed outside of the vehicles in Olympia said they would relocate if they had somewhere to go. But local trailer parks have restrictions on how old vehicles that come there can be, and theirs are too old, some said. Others said they are disabled and can't afford other accommodations.

The Olympia City Council is considering two competing ordinances. One, recommended by the council's land-use committee, would ban RV parking between 3 and 6 a.m., effectively barring overnight parking. The other, recommended by City Manager Steve Hall, would ban parking an RV for more than 24 hours.

A permit to park an RV could be obtained for up to 10 days under specific conditions, and the penalty would be $75 for each offense. After the third offense, the vehicle could be impounded.

Weinman said Eugene doesn't have a citywide overnight parking ban, but rather has areas where parking isn't allowed during certain hours. He was wary about the idea of an overnight parking ban.

"We try to deal with behaviors, not the type of vehicle," he said. "That's a slippery slope when you start dealing with the type of vehicle."

Matt Batcheldor covers the city of Olympia for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-704-6869 or mbatcheldor@theolympian.com.