Council asks staff to draft ordinance limiting long-term RV parking on public streets

City code compliance staff asked the City and County of Broomfield Council on May 13, 2025, whether the council wanted staff to draft an ordinance limiting long-term parking of recreational vehicles and other oversized vehicles on public streets. Council members signaled support and asked staff to return with a draft ordinance and implementation details.

Code compliance staff, represented by Brandon Murray, said Broomfield has no time limit today for vehicles parked on public streets and reported 91 resident complaints last year involving recreational vehicles. Of those, 44 produced violation notices under existing municipal code and 47 did not violate current code because the vehicles were registered and otherwise appeared operable.

Staff described community concerns that long-term recreational-vehicle (RV) parking reduces curbside parking, obstructs street sweeping and maintenance, causes accumulation of debris, can extend into travel lanes or sidewalks when slide-outs are deployed, create trip and electrical hazards when owners run power and water lines across sidewalks, and sometimes interfere with emergency access.

Murray said many neighboring jurisdictions limit overnight or long-term parking for RVs (sample limits cited in the presentation included 24–72 hours depending on jurisdiction) and staff recommended a time-based restriction rather than a permit program (staff noted permits would carry resource and monitoring needs). Staff also referenced a court ruling in the Sixth Circuit limiting some traditional enforcement techniques (chalking tires), and noted state law changes to homeowners association authority under the Common Interest Ownership Act affect HOAs’ options for enforcement.

Council members and staff discussed details that need resolution in a draft ordinance: whether to base the rule on time or vehicle size, whether the code should apply to all public streets, how to address repeat moving-to-evade enforcement, and what exceptions (temporary loading/unloading, visitor stays) should look like. Several council members favored a 72-hour standard within a defined timeframe (several asked staff to consider reasonable exceptions for temporary visits and to clarify enforcement protocols). Council asked staff to return with a draft ordinance that: (1) applies to public streets, (2) includes oversized vehicles, (3) uses a time limit (staff suggested 72 hours), (4) relies on fines rather than a permit system, and (5) outlines enforcement procedures and public notification.

Staff warned the change would increase compliance work and court processing when tickets are contested. No ordinance was introduced at the study session; staff will draft language and return for council consideration.