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Committee forwards proposed code limiting vehicles stored in rear yards to first reading
Summary
The committee voted to forward a proposed city code amendment that would limit the number of vehicles stored outside in specified rear‑yard areas of single‑family lots to a maximum of four.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to forward a proposed ordinance that would limit the number of vehicles parked or stored in specific portions of single‑family properties to a maximum of four.
Keith Nevin, Community Development Director, said the proposal grew from a complaint accompanied by a backyard photo that staff could not enforce under current code because code compliance officers generally cannot enter private backyards without permission. Nevin said the proposed amendment would add a diagram to the ordinance to clarify the portion of a lot subject to the limit and that vehicles stored inside a completely enclosed building would not count toward the four‑vehicle maximum.
Nevin said staff selected four after accounting for recent code changes that allow an RV, a utility trailer and a boat; four was intended to provide flexibility for those items plus one additional vehicle. Committee members expressed concerns about displacement (vehicles moving to the street), enforcement practicality, possible exceptions (hobby vehicles, long driveways, large lots) and whether other jurisdictions use a similar numeric cap. Nevin and staff noted that many enforcement tools already exist for related problems (unlicensed vehicles, overgrown vegetation, public nuisance) but that backyards remain hard to inspect without a complaint or property‑owner permission.
Councilmember Kels (name in transcript abbreviated) asked staff to check other cities’ codes; Nevin noted that Tacoma has a four‑vehicle limit in at least one context. Committee members requested staff include counts of similar complaints and consider private day care centers and commercial child‑care locations when finalizing separation distances for recovery centers discussed later in the meeting.
The committee voted unanimously to forward the proposed ordinance to the first reading on June 17. The motion was made by Councilmember Morrison and seconded by Chair Jared Dovi.
