Montebello staff brief traffic commission on city's oversized-vehicle parking rules and enforcement

Matthew Ramos, assistant director of planning and community development, briefed the Montebello Traffic and Safety Commission on the city's recently adopted oversized-vehicle ordinance and how it is being enforced.

The presentation, delivered during the commission's July 28 meeting, explained that City Council Ordinance No. 2478 amended chapter 10.68 of the Montebello Municipal Code to regulate parking of oversized vehicles on public streets. "This ordinance was created to regulate the parking of oversized vehicles in the city," Ramos said.

Ramos told commissioners the ordinance identifies oversized vehicles by reference to the California Vehicle Code and the local code, and lists common examples: buses; semi and boat trailers; trailer coaches; recreational vehicles, including motorhomes and travel trailers; and any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight over 6,000 pounds. Exemptions include vehicles displaying a valid disabled placard, government and emergency vehicles, utility vehicles and vehicles that hold valid city permits.

Key permit rules Ramos summarized: permits are available only to Montebello residents; the vehicle must be parked within 25 feet of the resident's property, be operable and currently registered; each permit allows up to 72 hours of on-street parking; a single vehicle or property may receive up to 12 permits per year; and there must be a 48-hour gap between permit periods.

Ramos also outlined prohibited conduct that triggers enforcement: parking an oversized vehicle on a public street without a valid permit, exceeding a 72-hour permit period, leaving unattached trailers on the street, blocking visibility or traffic control signs, and vehicles with expired registration. Enforcement tools include parking citations, towing of illegally parked vehicles or trailers, and denial of future permits for repeated noncompliance. Ramos said city parking enforcement staff respond Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; after-hours complaints are referred to the police department nonemergency line.

Ramos provided enforcement statistics since the city began active enforcement on Aug. 15, 2024: 328 citations issued and 35 vehicles towed. He said staff also patrolled the area raised at the previous commission meeting roughly 15 times and did not observe violations on those patrols. "We patrol that area since the last traffic and safety commission about 15 separate times. There were no violations observed, but we'll continue to patrol that area," Ramos said.

Commissioners asked how the ordinance handles parking on private driveways and what constitutes noncompliance. Ramos said the ordinance includes driveway setback and operability requirements so vehicles moved off the street do not simply create other safety or nuisance issues on private property. On enforcement, he said staff review violations case by case and consider location, whether permit time limits were exceeded, and resident complaints when deciding whether to deny future permits. Ramos said staff issued warnings after the ordinance's first reading and began issuing citations after the second reading; the city posted explanatory information on social media.

Ramos said residents who wish to apply for a permit must visit the Planning and Community Development counter Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and provide proof of residency and vehicle information. Repeated noncompliance can result in future permits being denied.

The commission did not take formal action on the ordinance at the meeting; Ramos presented the rules and answered commissioners' questions. He asked residents to report on-street violations with timing and location details to assist enforcement and to email the planning department or code enforcement with evidence.

Staff contact and permit counter hours were displayed in the meeting presentation slide deck.