Planning commission rejects staff proposal to loosen rules on parking recreational vehicles and trailers

The Dayton Planning Commission voted 5-0 on Feb. 6 to recommend denial of a staff proposal to relax the city's parking-surface and outdoor storage rules for vehicles, recreational vehicles (RVs) and trailers in portions of the city's residential and agricultural districts.

Staff had proposed a set of changes that would allow limited parking of recreational vehicles and trailers on unimproved surfaces in side and rear yards on lots below a half-acre (with additional allowances on lots larger than a half-acre), and to clarify allowances in agricultural districts. The draft would also have added definitions and clarified when recreational vehicles must be licensed and operable and required ownership by the resident unless an interim use permit was granted.

Staff said the proposal aimed to respond to at least one resident complaint and to clarify rules where enforcement has been uneven. During the public hearing, a number of residents appeared to oppose loosening the rules; resident Craig Forry (of Stoneridge Road) urged staff to leave the current ordinance in place and to improve enforcement rather than relax the standards. Forry argued broader changes could turn yards into "mini junkyards," reduce property values and shift costs to neighbors.

Commission discussion focused on enforcement capacity. Commissioners said many existing yards are already out of compliance with the current ordinance and that Dayton does not currently staff an enforcement program sufficient to police a revised, more permissive rule set. Commissioners noted the city would need to weigh whether it wants to hire dedicated code-enforcement staff before changing rules.

Action: The commission made a motion to deny the proposed ordinance change and to leave the current parking-surface rules in place; the motion carried 5-0. Staff said the recommendation of denial would be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration on Feb. 25.