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Planning commission recommends permit approach to curb oversized-vehicle parking
Summary
After a lengthy study-session debate, the Cupertino Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend a permit-based policy to limit on-street parking of oversized vehicles, keep some streets clear and require signage at city entrances; the recommendation goes to the City Council for adoption.
The Cupertino Planning Commission voted 6-1 on June 24, 2025, to recommend that the City Council adopt a permit-based program and targeted parking prohibitions aimed at reducing long-term on-street parking of oversized vehicles, including recreational vehicles (RVs).
The recommendation follows a staff study and public comment about traffic, safety and impacts on businesses in parts of the city, and directs staff to draft ordinance language that would allow limited, time-bound permits and install signage at city entry points.
Staff said the existing municipal code allows vehicles to remain on a city street for 72 hours and then be moved, but enforcement is difficult because owners can move a vehicle a small distance and restart the clock. Interim city attorney Floyd Andrews told the commission, “Currently, we have a 72 hour parking limit in the city,” and described coordinated moves that keep RV communities in place: “the RV owners will coordinate their movements so that, at the appointed time, they will all move their RVs 1 vehicle length.”
Andrews presented three enforcement options developed with public works. The commission adopted a version of the first option: a permit program plus perimeter signage. Andrews said a citywide signage program could be limited to roadway entrances and estimated roughly 50 signs would cost the city about $25,000: “we would only need to post 50 signs, which would cost the city around $25,000.” Public works director Chad Mosley said using existing poles could lower fabrication and installation costs: “The sign blanks that have in of themselves are probably around $80, and then there is some staff labor time to install that on the existing pole.”
Under the commission recommendation, residents would be eligible for an annual resident permit, nonresidents would be eligible for a limited number of temporary permits per year, and permits would authorize parking in the public right-of-way for up to 72 hours. The motion as read back to the commission tied the permit rules to the 72-hour baseline and included a requirement that vehicles moved after a 72-hour stay must relocate a measurable distance before returning. The motion also called for additional signage on high-frequency corridors identified in the staff report and a prohibition on oversized-vehicle parking near certain commercial corridors. The commission voted to forward that package as its recommendation to the City Council; the motion passed 6-1 with Commissioner Fung voting no.
Public commenters and commissioners framed the issue as a mix of public-safety, pedestrian/bicycle access and business concerns. Commissioners and members of the public described problem concentrations near Alvez between Sage and Bandley and at Stelling and Rainbow, and said tall vehicles there can block sight lines near retail and interfere with bicyclists and day-care drop-off areas. Members of the public urged clearer, enforceable rules and asked for anti-displacement measures and safe-parking options for people living in vehicles; staff noted the city has not been tracking occupants’ residency status and relies on complaint-driven enforcement.
Commission discussion ranged from support for a citywide, sign-posted rule to concerns about administrative cost and the potential burden on residents who own RVs only for occasional use. Commissioners proposed practical changes during the hearing — including an annual resident hang-tag, limited temporary guest permits and targeted no-parking streets near the most-affected commercial corridors — and asked staff to return draft ordinance language that reflects the commission’s recommendations.
The commission’s recommendation does not change the municipal code yet; it directs staff to draft ordinance amendments for City Council consideration and to return with implementation details, including proposed permit fees, signage plans and a one-year evaluation of the policy’s effectiveness.
The commission also asked staff to explore additional signage on the identified corridors and to report on potential safe-parking or anti-displacement resources the city could reference when turning the recommendation into an ordinance.
