Lolita Harper
COSTA MESA -- Parking at City Hall tonight might be a little tough, as
dozens of Costa Mesa motor home owners plan to mobilize a campaign to
protest the city's ban on recreational vehicles.
One flier being circulated calls for recreational vehicle owners to
"really make a statement" and drive their motor homes to the meeting to
take up parking.
Bill Folsom, a mechanic for the city who uses his motor home as his
primary method of transportation, has passed out more than 200 fliers in
an attempt to raise awareness about the council's actions to ban the
parking of motor homes on residential streets.
"I'm hoping to be presently surprised by the turn out. I know of at
least 20 people who will be there," Folsom said.
On Dec. 17, council members voted 4 to 1 -- with Councilman Gary
Monahan dissenting -- to follow neighboring Newport Beach's lead and ban
recreational and commercial vehicles from parking on residential streets.
Monahan said he did not support the ordinance because he agreed with
various speakers who said Costa Mesa is great because of its character
and individuality.
"I don't like the road we are going down," Monahan said.
Preliminary approval of the ordinance was given at the last meeting and
tonight the council is expected to adopt it officially.
The new law provides a 24-hour exception if the owners are loading or
unloading their vehicle, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Carl Schuler said.
Schuler said "the majority of enforcement action originates from
resident complaints." The Police Department receives about 30 to 40
complaint calls every weekend, mostly reports of unsightliness but some
about possible dangers stemming from not being able to see around the
large vehicles.
Mesa del Mar resident David Stiller does not own a recreational
vehicle but has helped hand out fliers anyway. He said the law currently
on the books, which allows parking for no more than 72 hours, is adequate
if enforced properly.
The council's action borders on elitism and singles out a group of
people who have every right to use a public road, he said.
A person who owns a motor home has paid a fee to the state and taxes
to use roadways and should have the same right to drive on the roads as
anyone else, Stiller said.
"But now the city is proposing an ordinance to take away the rights of
certain people, simply because they own an RV," Stiller said. "They are
creating violators out of people who have every right to own a motor
home."
