Resident urges Centreville council to table trailer/boat ordinance; second reading set

A resident told the Centreville Town Council on Feb. 20 that Ordinance 01-2025, a proposed amendment to Chapter 158 regulating non‑self‑propelled vehicles (trailers, boats, RVs), would be broader and more disruptive than the town had described and asked the council to table the ordinance and cancel the public hearing until revisions were made.

Tim McCluskey, who identified himself as a SunRail representative and a resident, said the ordinance will affect many local boat and utility trailer owners and could force residents to spend money, remove equipment or run afoul of homeowners associations. McCluskey said the ordinance would make it unlawful to park an attached trailer on public streets for longer than 48 hours and would require that stored trailers parked on private property be screened by a fence, landscaped buffer or a written neighbor agreement. “If I decide to park my boat trailer in the side or rear of my property, now I need to put up a fence. So now I need to get a building permit,” McCluskey said. He also asked how many verified complaints about attached trailers the town had received in the past two years.

Council response: the council confirmed the ordinance is on its second reading and that a public hearing is scheduled for the next meeting. The council president said the ordinance is similar to regulations used in other municipalities and that a public hearing would allow constituents to address the issue in public comment; the president said he did not want to cancel the hearing based on a single public comment. One council member said there was a change requested to retain some historic language and that change would not be material enough to require a new public hearing.

What the ordinance would do (as discussed by the resident): the resident summarized provisions including a street parking time limit (48 hours), requirements to store trailers in driveways or behind screening on private property, and potential enforcement and cost implications for residents, nonprofits and religious organizations that rely on trailers. McCluskey raised enforcement questions — who would monitor parking durations and whether officers would mark tires — and asked whether the town has full‑time zoning enforcement staff.

Next steps: council left the ordinance on the agenda for a second reading and confirmed the public hearing date at the next meeting so the public can comment. Councilors invited broader input at the public hearing and indicated they will consider public testimony before taking final action.

Provenance: public comment on the ordinance begins with Tim McCluskey's appearance during the citizens forum and the council's subsequent second‑reading discussion later on the agenda.