Cathedral City Municipal Code Ch. 11.74 Vehicle Parking and Repairs in Residential Districts

For the purpose of this chapter the following definitions shall apply:

"Designated parking area"

is an area which has been approved by the city's director of community development for parking of vehicles.

"Immediate neighborhood"

means all other properties within the same or the abutting block of a map or subdivision, and all properties within three hundred feet of any lot line of the parcel involvement.

"Parkway"

is the area within the public right-of-way between the curb face and the property line. If a curb does not exist, a parkway shall not exist.

"Public right-of-way"

means any street, alley, pedestrian walkway, channel or bridge which the public has a right to use.

"Front yard"

means that part of the lot between the front lot line and the front of the principal building on the lot, and extended to both side lot lines.

"Street side yard"

means that part of a lot between the principal building on the lot and extending to the property line of the side street of corner lots.

"Vehicle"

is any vehicle movable or designed to be movable by its own power or pulled or designed to be pulled by another vehicle with motor power. Vehicle includes, but is not limited to, automobile, truck, boat, trailer, motorcycle, and recreational vehicle. Vehicle does not include bicycle.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989)

The city council finds and determines that the existence of the following conditions and practices are detrimentally offensive to the public health, safety and welfare of the general public.

A. Parking and repairing vehicles in front and street side yards and vacant lots and the repairing of vehicles in residential areas is offensive to the senses. It proves to be an eyesore to the entire community, and detracts from property values of other properties in the immediate neighborhood.

B. Because such parking or repairing of vehicles in residential areas is offensive to the senses, it deprives residents of Cathedral City of the comfortable enjoyment of life and property. It detrimentally affects property values in the immediate neighborhood.

C. Such conditions and practices can create line-of-sight hazards by impairment of vision of drivers in vehicles at corners, driveways and intersections.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989)

It is prohibited for any person owning, leasing, occupying or having control of any premises in any residential district, or on any lot or property used for residential purposes in the city to:

A. Permit or allow parking of vehicles in front yards and street side yards and vacant lots, at any time, except in designated driveways or other designated parking areas;

B. Permit or allow repairing of vehicles except as permitted in Section 11.74.050, or outdoor storage of parts, tools, or equipment, on any lot in any residential district or on any lot or property used for residential purposes, and to permit or allow any wrecking, dismantling, disassembly, engine or transmission removal, or storing of wrecked or scrapped vehicles on any such lot. No service or repair work on any vehicle not owned by the person residing on said lot shall be permitted. No vehicle shall be left in a state of visible disrepair, or on one or more jacks or blocks, or without one or more wheels or tires, or with one or more tires deflated, or otherwise in any condition creating a nuisance in the neighborhood, for a period in excess of seventy-two hours, in any area visible from a public right-of-way.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989; Ord. 540 § 7, 2001)

This chapter shall not apply to:

A. Parking of operable vehicles in designated driveways and designated parking spaces.

B. Emergency repairs or service to a vehicle owned by the person residing on said lot which are conducted in areas where such activity is otherwise prohibited by this section, provided any such repairs or service do not extend beyond a period of seventy-two hours.

C. Repairs conducted inside a fully enclosed garage, provided the work does not produce noise or odor and is not visible from a public right-of-way.

D. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to prevent minor repairs including tune ups, electrical system work, repairs of tires and brakes on vehicles; service work, including replacement of wipers and wiper blades, lubrication and oil changes performed in such a manner that discharges from vehicles are retained in containers meeting federal standards, and performed in such a manner as to assure that oil and water drained from a vehicle are not drained onto the grounds. Storage of parts and products related to any such service work solely for vehicles then owned by an occupant of that residence will be permitted under cover, provided such storage is not visible from a public right-of-way. It shall be prima facie proof of violation hereof for any vehicle to remain in a state of disrepair or undergoing repair for a period in excess of seventy-two hours; however, it shall be a defense to an allegation of violation that necessary repair parts have been duly ordered, and the owner or occupant of the residential premises is in good faith awaiting arrival of such parts which are not yet available. The burden of proof of such a defense shall be upon the person claiming such a defense. The city planner shall be authorized to order any vehicle awaiting parts to be placed under suitable cover, or removed to a site not visible from a public right-of-way.

E. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 11.74.040 above, a collector of vehicles of historical value, as defined in Vehicle Code Section 5004, may store special interest vehicles, as defined in Vehicle Code Section 5051, and parts cars, as defined in Vehicle Code Section 5051, on private property in outdoor storage under cover in a rear yard or side yard not fronting on a street, provided that each such vehicle shall be located away from public view, or screened from ordinary public view, or by means of a suitable fence, trees, shrubbery, opaque covering which completely covers the vehicle and is sufficiently opaque that no part of the vehicle is open to ordinary public view, or by other appropriate means. The city planner shall have authority to determine whether the screening is adequate in any individual case, and the city planner shall be authorized to determine any such storage to be illegal if he finds that the screening provided is not adequate under all existing circumstances. This exemption shall apply only to vehicles owned by and registered to a collector as defined in Vehicle Code Section 5051.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989; Ord. 554 § 1, 2001)

In addition to authorized parking in garages and designated driveways, the occupants of any lot in any residential district or of any lot or property used for residential purposes may designate an area thereof as a designated parking area with the written approval of the city planner; the city planner shall review any such designated parking area, and shall approve the area if no other more suitable area can be found on the property for such purpose. In approving the area, the city planner may specify the dimensions and location of such designated parking area; require paving with concrete, asphalt, gravel, crushed granite, or other suitable parking area materials, and may establish appropriate conditions for screening, including walls, shrubbery, or other material, and any other conditions deemed reasonably necessary by the city planner to protect the property values of other properties in the immediate neighborhood. The city planner shall also consider all reasonable alternate sites within the parcel involved, including, if feasible, the rear or side yards, to avoid, when possible, the location of designated parking areas in the areas visible from the public street. The city planner may promulgate rules to guide staff members in the implementation of this section. It is the intent of this provision to permit a designated parking area whenever feasible; nothing herein shall be interpreted to preclude or prevent the parking of recreational vehicles on a residential lot provided that it is on a driveway or designated parking area. No designation of a designated parking area is required in a back yard or side yard not fronting on a street.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989; Ord. 554 § 1, 2001)

No person shall park, or permit to be parked, a vehicle within a public parkway.

(Ord. 235 § 1, 1989; Ord. 540 § 7, 2001)

A violation of Sections 11.74.040, 11.74.050(E) or 11.74.070 of this chapter by the person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute a public nuisance which shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.80.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)

A violation of Sections 11.74.040, 11.74.050(E) or 11.74.070 of this chapter by the person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining such violation shall constitute an infraction violation which shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.56, including, but not limited to, the imposition of any and all criminal penalties set forth therein.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)

Any person convicted of an infraction shall, for each separate violation of this chapter, be subject to: (a) a fine in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for a first conviction of an offense; (b) a fine in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars for a second conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense; and (c) a fine in an amount not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars for the third conviction of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense. The fine for a fourth and subsequent convictions of the same offense within a twelve-month period of the date of the first offense shall be one thousand dollars.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)

The city may issue an administrative citation in lieu of an infraction citation, pursuant to Chapter 13.58, to any person responsible for committing, causing or maintaining a violation of Sections 11.74.040, 11.74.050(E) or 11.74.070 of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall preclude the city from also issuing an infraction citation upon the occurrence of the same offense on a separate day.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)

Note: Former § 11.74.140, adopted by Ord. 540 was repealed by Ord. 892, 10/22/2025.

A violation of Sections 11.74.040, 11.74.050(E) or 11.74.070 of this chapter by the holder of any city permit and/or city license validly issued pursuant to this or any other chapter shall constitute grounds for modification, suspension and/or revocation of said permit and/or license pursuant to the provisions set forth in Chapter 13.150.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)

Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the city from pursuing the remedies provided by Chapter 13.140, including but not limited to, as applicable, denial or revocation of certificates of occupancy, issuance or stop work orders and injunctive relief.

(Ord. 540 § 8, 2001)