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After resident complaints, Palm Coast staff clarifies rules on trailers and swale parking
Summary
Residents told the Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board they were confused about trailer and swale parking rules; City code officers clarified that trailers are generally prohibited in driveways, swale parking is allowed only in specific daytime conditions, and inspectors may observe up to 90 minutes to determine active use.
At the Feb. 4 Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board meeting, several residents pushed back on short enforcement windows and inconsistent guidance about where trailers and vehicles may be parked. The exchanges prompted a clear explanation from city staff about trailer and swale rules.
Laura Hannon, who said she has owned her property for about 20 years and received multiple parking notices since 2021, told the board that brief recheck intervals made compliance difficult. “15 minutes isn’t even enough for my husband and I to even shovel mulch off a trailer,” she said.
Code officer Luis Mendez responded with a plain summary of the rules: “The rule is no trailer. Period.” He explained to the board that recreational vehicles receive a different treatment — RVs may be on a property for up to three days for maintenance — but that trailers are not permitted to be stored in residential driveways. Mendez described operational practice: inspectors may monitor a trailer for roughly 90 minutes to decide whether it is being actively used (loading or unloading) before writing a notice.
Board members and staff also addressed parking in swales and medians. Staff told the board that daytime parking in a swale may be permissible depending on conditions (for example, if the swale is dry and no ruts are being created), but overnight parking in the swale or median is not allowed. When a vehicle observed in a swale does not belong to the property owner, staff said the city will run the plate and issue a citation to the registered owner.
The board approved several no-fine standing orders with administrative costs in cases where respondents removed trailers or arranged storage, and it continued enforcement and fines in repeat-violation cases where noncompliance persisted. The clarification aims to reduce future confusion and help residents comply with local parking and parking-area rules.
