Clayton Municipal Code Ch. 10.41 Recreational Vehicles

The City Council finds that the parking of recreational vehicles on public streets can, unless controlled, create neighborhood blight, contribute to the deterioration of property values, impair visibility, constitute a nuisance, and is injurious to the public health, safety and general welfare. Therefore except as permitted by this chapter the parking of recreational vehicles on a public right-of-way is prohibited and is declared to constitute a public nuisance. This chapter is adopted under California Vehicle Code §§ 22507 and 22507.5.

A. "Recreational vehicle" means a vehicle that is self-propelled, motorized, or towed and designed to be slept in or lived in with facilities such as a self-contained bathroom, kitchen, or sleeping area, including, for example and without limitation, a motorhome, travel trailer, fifth wheel, camper and coach. The term recreational vehicle also includes dirt bikes, dune buggies, off-road vehicles (multiwheeled or tracked), and boats or water-craft of any size, with or without the transporting trailer. The term recreational vehicle does not include: pick-up trucks carrying a camper-shell and used for transportation on a daily basis that are not designed to be slept in or lived in with facilities such as a self-contained bathroom, kitchen, or sleeping area; any trailer component of a commercial vehicle making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares, and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on the restricted streets or highways or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling, or construction of any building or structure upon the restricted streets or highways for which a building permit has previously been obtained; or any vehicle designed exclusively for travel on stationary rails or tracks.

B. "Long term occupancy" means occupancy of more than ten (10) consecutive days.

C. "Light maintenance" means maintenance which is incidental to the current trip, is not prohibited by Section 10.36.070, 10.36.080, 13.12.060.A, 13.12.070, and 13.12.080 of this code or any other applicable local, State or Federal law and which is completed in no more than one day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Exterior washing of recreational vehicles is not permitted on impermeable surfaces including public streets or roads.

Except as provided in Section 10.41.040, no person may park, leave standing or permit to remain, a recreational vehicle on any public street or road within the city at anytime.

A. A recreational vehicle displaying a valid, unrevoked permit issued pursuant to Section 10.41.050 may be parked and left standing on a public street or road for the time period authorized by the permit.

B. A recreational vehicle used as daily transportation may be parked overnight in private driveways, but not on public streets or roads. (See Chapter 17.76 for regulations regarding storage of recreational vehicles.)

C. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as to allow the parking of recreational vehicles in any location where parking of a vehicle is otherwise prohibited.

A. An application for a parking permit to authorize the parking of a recreational vehicle pursuant to this chapter shall contain all information required and shall be submitted to the Police Department, together with an application fee and permit fee, as established by resolution of the City Council.

B. The Police Department may issue a parking permit for a recreational vehicle owned or being used by a City resident, which is to be parked by the resident for a maximum of seventy-two (72) consecutive hours along the curb line directly adjacent to his/her residence for the purpose of enabling the resident to perform lawful light maintenance on, or load or unload, the recreational vehicle before or after a trip using the recreational vehicle. Each parking permit will include both a maximum seventy-two (72) hour period before departing for the trip, and a maximum seventy-two (72) hour period after returning from the trip, during which the recreational vehicle may be parked on the public street or road. The term "trip" does not refer to the daily use of the recreational vehicle but instead refers to an extended overnight use of the recreational vehicle, for which the resident requires additional time to prepare the recreational vehicle.

C. The Police Department may issue a parking permit for a recreational vehicle owned or being used by a bona fide guest of a City resident who is not a City resident, which is to be parked by the guest for a period of time not to exceed ten (10) consecutive days along the curb line directly adjacent to the host's residence.

D. A parking permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall only be valid for the time period marked on the permit and must be prominently displayed on the dash area of the recreational vehicle or taped to the inside of the front windshield of the recreational vehicle at all times while the recreational vehicle is parked on the public street or road. If a recreational vehicle does not have a dash area or front windshield, the parking permit must be displayed in or on the recreational vehicle in a location that is clearly visible from the outside of the vehicle to a third-party observing the vehicle.

E. There is no limit to the number of parking permits that may be issued per recreational vehicle per calendar year pursuant to this chapter. However, there must be at least seven (7) calendar days between the issuance of subsequent parking permits for the same recreational vehicle. This seven (7) day period shall begin on the after the seventy-two (72) hour return period set forth in the previous parking permit issued for the recreational vehicle expires.

It shall be unlawful for a recreational vehicle to be used for long-term occupancy except when parked in an approved recreational vehicle mobile home park or on an active construction site as approved by the City.

A violation of this chapter shall be an infraction, punishable under Chapter 10.38 of this code. In addition, under California Vehicle Code § 22651(n), the City may cause a recreational vehicle parked or left standing in violation of this chapter to be removed at the owner's sole expense.

(Ord. 420, 2007; Ord. 439, 2012)