Moses Lake residential vehicle storage ordinance is official

Second reading passes unanimously

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake City Council approved an ordinance concerning where certain types of vehicles and trailers can be parked on private property.

The ordinance was made official Tuesday night when it passed after a second reading.

City council and staff advised the ordinance may be changed again in the future to meet the needs of the community.

A request to change the ordinance initially came from Councilmember Bill Ecret who requested he be allowed to park his 6-by-12-foot enclosed cargo trailer in front of his garage after learning he was out of compliance with the ordinance.

According to the ordinance, vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailered boats, recreational vehicles and an enclosed cargo trailer with dimensions of 6-by-12 feet or smaller can be parked in a front yard on a city-approved driveway or surface, parallel to an approved driveway.

"A trailer other than an enclosed utility or cargo type trailer attached to a car or pickup truck may be temporarily parked for a period of 24 hours in a front yard as long as it remains attached to the car or pickup truck," the ordinance stated. "All other allowed vehicles must be parked in a side or rear yard."

If a vehicle is parked on a side or rear yard, it must be an improved parking surface.

An improved parking surface is approved by the city and consists of concrete, asphalt, pavers, brick or a similar surface, the ordinance indicates. Gravel and crushed rock can be used for side and rear yards and must be at least 2 inches thick.

"Up to three vehicles such as recreational vehicles, enclosed utility cargo trailers, trailered boats, any other trailers, whether loaded or unloaded, may be parked or stored regardless of whether they are stored on a designated driveway, on an improved parking surface parallel to a designated driveway or on the side of the rear yard on an improved parking surface," according to the ordinance.

Only one type of each vehicle is permitted for each piece of designated parking area.

The ordinance was approved following several discussions and a study session.

Citizen Pete Staudenraus said 6-by-12-foot enclosed cargo trailers are too small to accommodate most people and their storage needs.

He said the ordinance is not accommodating because some people have driveways too small to hold all their vehicles.

Mayor Ron Covey said when people buy a house they should purchase one that accommodates their needs. He said if he had five children he would buy a house that could accommodate his family size and the same idea applies to the number of vehicles.

Staudenraus asked about living in the county where the ordinance does not apply. He questioned if someone lives in the county where they can park any number of vehicles where they wish, what could happen if the city annexes their property inside the city limits.

Councilmember Dick Deane said he can't recall a time the city has annexed property without the action being the request of the property owner.

"We don't go out and consume area," he said.

Deane said maybe the ordinance could attract a new business to come into the area where people can store their excess vehicles.

Councilmember Richard Pearce said there is a provision in the ordinance where citizens can apply for special permits if they must deviate from the ordinance. He said if a lot of permit requests come to the city, it would be a good time to revise the ordinance to accommodate more people.

Citizen Ben Holton said there are neighborhoods where people can live if they do not want to live around numerous vehicles. He said there are neighborhoods that have covenants prohibiting certain vehicles and the number of vehicles in Moses Lake.

Holton said he is concerned about what people will do if they are now out of compliance with the new ordinance. He questioned where people will get money to store their vehicles elsewhere.

Holton asked what people will do if they have several vehicles and live in a condo-like area where they share driveway spaces with each other.

He suggested eliminating the portion of the ordinance dictating the number of vehicles per city-approved space.

Councilmember Brent Reese clarified the size constraints of 6-by-12 feet are only applicable to enclosed cargo trailers. He said other trailers such as a boat trailer can be any length as long as it fits on the property appropriately.

Reese motioned to approve the ordinance with the provision it will remain a work in progress.

Councilmember Jon Lane seconded the motion.

All councilmembers including Ecret voted to approve the ordinance unanimously.

The entire ordinance is available here, in PDF format. The text of the ordinance is on page 48.