Cooper City workshop reviews parking code for RVs, boats and commercial vehicles; commissioners back online permit and 36‑hour limit

The Cooper City Commission held a workshop on parking regulations for recreational vehicles, boats and commercial vehicles, focusing on code section 25‑10 and neighborhood enforcement. City staff presented a history of changes to the ordinance and residents described repeated citations, concerns about swale enforcement and privacy issues related to large RVs parked adjacent to homes.

The workshop matters to residents because the code determines when and where residents may park boats, RVs and work trucks on private property and on the city-owned swale next to sidewalks. Commissioners discussed clarifying the time window for front‑yard parking, creating an online notification or permit system, and tightening height and storage limits for vehicles visible above privacy fences.

City staff member Jason opened with a historical overview of 25‑10, noting the code’s evolution from the 2005 ordinance to an ordinance adopted after a 2021 workshop. Jason summarized key points of the existing code: boats and RVs may be stored behind a six‑foot privacy fence up to specified heights, vehicles visible above the fence must be registered if they exceed the fence height, and the front‑yard allowance currently reads as a time‑limited exception for “actual active and uninterrupted” loading, unloading, repair or maintenance. Jason said the 2005 code allowed up to 10 feet behind fences; the 2021 revision defined commercial and recreational vehicles more narrowly, removed the “form‑fitting cover” requirement, and changed the front‑yard allowance to a…