Moses Lake tickets home builder

Residential vehicle storage ordinance causes issue

MOSES LAKE - A home builder requested relief from the residential vehicle storage ordinance after receiving numerous tickets.

Home builder Todd Lengenfelder came before the Moses Lake City Council Tuesday night with the request.

He said he needs to park his work trailers at a construction site on Laguna Drive while he is constructing homes. Lengenfelder said the ordinance only allows the work trailers to be parked on the street for four hours at a time and he has been ticketed for exceeding the time. He said his crew works at least eight hours per day.

Councilmember Richard Pearce asked if allowing eight hours for his crew to work with the trailers would solve the problem.

Lengenfelder said it would solve some of the issues but some trailers, including the construction site Dumpster, remain at the project site until it needs to be dumped or until the home is completed. He said it takes about two months to construct a home. The trailers are parked on the street two weeks to two months at a time, Lengenfelder added.

Mayor Ron Covey asked if the trailers and Dumpster could be parked on the construction site instead of the street.

Lengenfelder said the Dumpsters are usually parked next to the house. He said there isn't enough room to park the work trailers on the site because several other operations are involved who need to be on the site including the electrician and the plumber. He said the lots are very small.

Lengenfelder said he would rather have his work trailers parked on the street where it is lighted offering more security at night. He said the trailers are only parked in front of the construction site, not in front of other residences.

Councilmember Dick Deane said leaving a trailer on the street for two months is storage.

Lengenfelder said it's not storage because they are working out of the trailers.

Mayor Ron Covey said he would prefer to take the concern under advisement rather than take immediate action due to the new Residential Vehicle Storage ordinance being adopted later in the same meeting. He said the council needs to research the request further before finding a solution.

Councilmember Jon Lane said parking the trailers on the street wouldn't be an issue in unoccupied neighborhoods but Laguna Drive is inhabited and the trailers are bothering residents.

Pearce suggested directing staff to write an amendment to the ordinance to allow construction vehicles their parking needs to discuss at the next council meeting.