Cedar Falls council reviews ordinance change to clarify parking of trailers in rear yards; directs more staff work

City of Cedar Falls staff proposed an amendment to municipal code language on Monday to clarify whether trailers, boats and other nonmotorized recreational items may be stored in rear and side yards and, if so, under what conditions.

The issue was introduced during the Committee of the Whole meeting after staff said a council referral from roughly a year earlier asked them to consider removing prohibitions on parking and storing such items in rear and side yards. Jamie Castle, a city staff member, presented a draft amendment that would add language to Chapter 26 (off-street parking) clarifying that motorized vehicles must be parked on an approved hard surface while nonmotorized vehicles could be parked in side and rear yards subject to maintenance and size limits. Castle read the proposed language into the record, saying, “Parking of motorized vehicles is required to be on hard surface, meeting the requirements of chapter 26 of this code. Non-motorized vehicles may be parked in the side and rear yards. The area around and under the parked vehicle must be maintained in accordance with all applicable code requirements.”

Why it matters: residents and council members said…